10 Games Like Dead Cells You Need to Play
Dead Cells set the bar for roguelite action platformers. These 10 games match its speed, its challenge, and its obsession with one more run.
Dead Cells rewrote the rules for 2D action roguelites. Motion Twin’s masterpiece blends the procedural chaos of a roguelike with the exploration hooks of a metroidvania, then wraps it all in combat that feels like a fighting game. Eight years and 10 million copies later, it still sits at 97% positive on Steam.
But you have beaten the game. You have unlocked every weapon, cleared every biome, and conquered every boss cell difficulty. You need something new that scratches the same itch.
Here are 10 games that share Dead Cells’ DNA. Some lean harder into metroidvania exploration. Others double down on the roguelite combat loop. All of them will keep you saying “one more run” until 3 AM.
1. Hades
Developer: Supergiant Games | Released: 2020 | Steam Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive (98%)
If you have not played Hades, stop reading this list and go buy it. You play as Zagreus, son of the god of death, fighting your way out of the Greek Underworld through rooms of fast, responsive combat. Every run gives you boons from the Olympian gods that fundamentally change your build.
What sets Hades apart from Dead Cells is the story. Every failed run advances the narrative. Characters remember your attempts, relationships deepen, and the writing is some of the best in gaming. It won the Hugo Award for Best Video Game. The combat is just as tight as Dead Cells, but the emotional hook keeps you going beyond the mechanical satisfaction.
Why Dead Cells fans will love it: The same lightning fast combat loop with builds that change every run, plus a narrative that actually rewards dying.
2. Hollow Knight
Developer: Team Cherry | Released: 2017 | Steam Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive (97%)
Hollow Knight is pure metroidvania, no roguelite elements. You keep your progress when you die. But the reason it belongs on this list is that it captures the same feeling Dead Cells gives you: tight 2D combat, precise movement, and a world that rewards exploration at every turn.
The scope is staggering. Over 40 hours of content packed into a hand-drawn underground kingdom filled with secrets, hidden bosses, and branching paths. The combat is deliberate and punishing. Boss fights demand the same pattern recognition that Dead Cells’ hardest encounters require. If you love Dead Cells for its metroidvania side, Hollow Knight is the purest expression of that genre.
Why Dead Cells fans will love it: The metroidvania exploration Dead Cells only hints at, with combat that demands the same precision.
3. Rogue Legacy 2
Developer: Cellar Door Games | Released: 2022 | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (91%)
Rogue Legacy 2 might be the closest match to Dead Cells on this entire list. It is a 2D roguelite action platformer with permanent upgrades between runs, procedurally generated levels, and a castle that evolves as you progress. Sound familiar?
The twist is inheritance. Every time you die, you pick a new heir with random traits. One might be colorblind (the screen goes grayscale). Another might be a giant or have vertigo (the whole screen flips). Fifteen classes offer wildly different playstyles, from the standard Knight to the bizarre Bard who attacks by spinning a lute. The permanent upgrade system is more structured than Dead Cells, giving you a clear sense of progression even on bad runs.
Why Dead Cells fans will love it: The same roguelite platformer loop with a brilliant class system and permanent progression that feels earned.
4. Skul: The Hero Slayer
Developer: SouthPAW Games | Released: 2021 | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (92%)
You play as a tiny skeleton fighting against heroes (yes, you are the monster this time). Skul is a 2D roguelite action platformer that plays almost identically to Dead Cells in its moment to moment combat. The difference is the skull system. You collect skulls from defeated enemies, and each skull transforms you into a completely different character with unique attacks and abilities.
Mix a Werewolf skull with a Mage skull and you get a melee/spell hybrid. Swap to a Samurai skull mid-combo for a completely different moveset. The skull synergies create the same kind of build variety that makes Dead Cells’ weapon system addictive. Over 100 skulls means hundreds of possible combinations across runs. If you love the weapon variety in Dead Cells, Skul takes that concept further.
Why Dead Cells fans will love it: Closest gameplay feel to Dead Cells, with a skull-swapping system that creates even more build variety.
Play Skul: The Hero Slayer on Steam
5. Blasphemous 2
Developer: The Game Kitchen | Released: 2023 | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (90%)
Where Dead Cells is fast and fluid, Blasphemous 2 is deliberate and brutal. This is a metroidvania that trades procedural generation for handcrafted levels dripping with religious horror imagery. The Penitent One fights through a twisted world inspired by Spanish Catholic iconography, and every environment feels like a painting you should not be looking at.
The sequel improved on the original in every way. Three starting weapons offer distinct playstyles. The movement abilities you unlock (a mirror dash, an air dash, a ring that creates platforms) open up the map in satisfying ways. Combat punishes button mashing and rewards patience. If Dead Cells’ souls-lite combat resonated with you, Blasphemous 2 pushes that element to its limits.
Why Dead Cells fans will love it: Dark, challenging 2D combat with the souls-lite precision Dead Cells borrows from, in a handcrafted world.
6. Have a Nice Death
Developer: Magic Design Studios | Released: 2023 | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (87%)
Have a Nice Death is the most Dead Cells-like game released since Dead Cells. You play as Death himself, an overworked CEO whose employees have gone rogue. The hand-drawn animation is gorgeous, the combat is fast, and the weapon variety is excellent. Scythes, swords, bows, and magical spells called Curses all chain together in satisfying combos.
The humor sets it apart. This is a corporate satire wrapped in a roguelite action game. Bosses are middle managers of the afterlife with names like Brad, the HR guy who literally fires you. The tone is light, but the difficulty is not. Later floors demand the same precision and build optimization that Dead Cells veterans expect. It flew under the radar at launch, and that is a shame.
Why Dead Cells fans will love it: The closest modern successor to Dead Cells’ feel, with hand-drawn style and a great sense of humor.
Play Have a Nice Death on Steam
7. Curse of the Dead Gods
Developer: Passtech Games | Released: 2021 | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (84%)
Curse of the Dead Gods takes the Dead Cells formula and adds stamina management and a corruption system. You explore a cursed temple, collecting weapons and relics, but every room you enter adds corruption. Hit 100 corruption and you gain a curse that permanently changes the rules of your run. Some curses help. Most make things harder.
The combat is isometric rather than side-scrolling, giving it a different spatial feel. Weapons come in main hand, off-hand, and two-handed varieties, and parrying plays a central role. Light and darkness matter too. Torches illuminate traps and enemy weak points, and fighting in the dark makes you take more damage. It is a clever take on the roguelite action formula with systems that interact in surprising ways.
Why Dead Cells fans will love it: Weapon variety and roguelite progression with a corruption mechanic that keeps every run unpredictable.
Play Curse of the Dead Gods on Steam
8. ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights
Developer: Live Wire & Adglobe | Released: 2021 | Steam Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive (94%)
Ender Lilies puts you in the shoes of Lily, a priestess who cannot fight on her own. Instead, she summons the spirits of defeated bosses to fight for her. Every boss you beat becomes a new ability in your arsenal. It is like if Dead Cells’ weapon unlocks were tied to narrative moments rather than random drops.
The atmosphere is haunting. A kingdom destroyed by the Rain of Death, corrupted knights wandering empty halls, and a piano-heavy soundtrack that refuses to let you feel safe. The combat is challenging but fair, with generous dodge windows and spirit abilities that combo together. At 94% positive on Steam, it is one of the best-reviewed metroidvanias of its generation. The sequel, Ender Magnolia, continues the formula.
Why Dead Cells fans will love it: Boss abilities as weapons, atmospheric exploration, and combat that rewards mastering every new spirit.
9. Wizard of Legend
Developer: Contingent99 | Released: 2018 | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (91%)
Wizard of Legend is pure action roguelite combat with zero filler. You pick a loadout of spells before each run, then blast through procedurally generated dungeons chaining those spells into devastating combos. Over 100 spells across fire, ice, lightning, earth, wind, and chaos arcana give you enormous build flexibility.
The game shines in co-op. Local two player co-op turns every run into organized chaos, with spells flying everywhere and friendly fire keeping you honest. Runs are short (under 30 minutes for a full clear), making it perfect for quick sessions. The combat is fast, responsive, and deeply satisfying when you find a spell combination that clicks. If you love Dead Cells’ speed and want to trade melee for magic, this is the pick.
Why Dead Cells fans will love it: The same combat speed and build variety, but with spells instead of swords. Great in co-op.
Play Wizard of Legend on Steam
10. Sundered: Eldritch Edition
Developer: Thunder Lotus | Released: 2017 | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (82%)
Sundered is the hidden gem on this list. Thunder Lotus (the studio behind Spiritfarer) created a hand-drawn metroidvania that blends procedural generation with handcrafted rooms. The map layout shuffles between runs, but key rooms and boss arenas stay fixed. It is the same design philosophy Dead Cells uses.
The hook is the corruption system. Defeated bosses drop elder shards, and you choose: resist the corruption for one type of upgrade, or embrace it for a more powerful but twisted version. These choices alter your abilities and determine which of three endings you get. The art is stunning (every frame is hand-animated), the Lovecraftian atmosphere is oppressive, and the boss fights are spectacular. Co-op was added in the Eldritch Edition for up to four players.
Why Dead Cells fans will love it: Procedural metroidvania with hand-drawn art, a corruption choice system, and the same explore/fight/die loop.
What to Play First
If you loved Dead Cells for its fast combat, start with Hades or Have a Nice Death. Both match its speed and build variety.
If you are drawn to the metroidvania exploration, Hollow Knight and Ender Lilies deliver massive interconnected worlds to uncover.
If you want another roguelite platformer that scratches the exact same itch, Rogue Legacy 2 and Skul: The Hero Slayer are the closest matches.
And if you want more list recommendations, check out our best indie games on Steam Deck and the games like Slay the Spire 2 list for deckbuilder fans.
Written by
Florian HuetiOS dev by day, indie game dev by night. Trying to give life to GameDō Studio.
Building games and talking about the ones I can't stop playing.
