8 Games Like Hades You Need to Play
Finished Hades and craving more? These 8 top-down action roguelikes capture what makes Supergiant's masterpiece special, from blistering combat to stories that unfold between runs.
Hades changed what people expect from roguelikes. Supergiant Games proved that a game about dying and restarting could also tell one of the best stories in gaming. Zagreus’s escape attempts from the Underworld are not just excuses to fight. Every failed run advances relationships, unlocks dialogue, and deepens your understanding of a dysfunctional divine family. The combat is fast, fluid, and endlessly buildable through the boon system. The art is gorgeous. The voice acting is best in class.
With 98% positive Steam reviews and over 275,000 ratings, Hades earned its reputation. But once you have cleared every prophecy and maxed every relationship, the question becomes: what next?
Here are 8 top-down action roguelikes that capture different pieces of what makes Hades special. Some match its combat speed. Others nail the narrative between runs. A few deliver that same addictive “one more attempt” pull that keeps you up until 3 AM.
1. Hades II
Developer: Supergiant Games | Released: 2025 | Steam Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive (96%)
The obvious answer. Hades II puts you in the shoes of Melinoe, Zagreus’s sister, on a mission to defeat Chronos, the Titan of Time. The v1.0 release in September 2025 delivered a full story with a true ending, expanded the combat system with new weapon types and grasp abilities, and doubled down on the relationship system that made the original legendary.
What elevates Hades II beyond a simple sequel is how it builds on the formula without repeating it. Melinoe plays differently from Zagreus. The two distinct escape routes (surface and underworld) offer genuine variety. New gods like Apollo and Hephaestus bring fresh boon synergies to discover. The crafting system adds a layer of progression that the original lacked. And Supergiant’s signature storytelling remains peerless in the genre.
If you loved Hades, you will love this. It is the same team doing what they do best, with more confidence and ambition.
Why Hades fans will love it: Everything you loved, expanded. More story, more combat variety, more gods, more reasons to never stop running.
2. Cult of the Lamb
Developer: Massive Monster | Released: 2022 | Steam Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive (96%)
Cult of the Lamb asks a question nobody thought to ask: what if you ran a cult between roguelike runs? You play as a possessed lamb rescued from death by a mysterious stranger. In exchange for your life, you must build a loyal following of woodland creatures and venture into dungeons to slay heretical bishops.
The roguelike combat sections play like a lighter, faster Hades. Weapons and curses (this game’s version of boons) change your build each run. The real hook, though, is the base management layer. Between dungeon dives, you feed your followers, build structures, perform rituals, and occasionally sacrifice the disloyal. Your cult grows stronger as you progress, and the narrative unfolds through both the dungeon bosses and the personalities of your followers.
The Woolhaven expansion (January 2026) added substantial new content including a farming sim area. If you loved how Hades made you care about the characters in the House of Hades between runs, Cult of the Lamb does something similar with your flock of adorable, brainwashed animals.
Why Hades fans will love it: Story and relationship progression between runs, fast roguelike combat, and a base-building layer that gives every death purpose.
Play Cult of the Lamb on Steam
3. Enter the Gungeon
Developer: Dodge Roll | Released: 2016 | Steam Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive (95%)
Enter the Gungeon predates Hades by two years, but it nails the same core loop: enter a dungeon, grab powerful items, fight increasingly insane bosses, die, learn, repeat. The twist is that everything in this game is a gun pun. You dodge-roll through bullet-hell patterns while wielding weapons like a mailbox that shoots letters, a lowercase “r” that shoots the word “bullet,” or a Bee Hive that shoots angry bees.
Do not let the humor fool you. This game is brutally difficult. Boss patterns are dense and demand precise dodge-roll timing. The weapon variety is staggering, with over 300 guns and items creating wildly different runs. And unlike Hades, there is no permanent power increase. You get better at Gungeon by getting better at Gungeon, not by unlocking stronger upgrades.
The game sold millions of copies for a reason. If Hades’ combat made you feel like a god, Enter the Gungeon will humble you. Then it will make you feel like a god once you finally clear a flawless boss fight.
Why Hades fans will love it: Pure skill-based bullet-hell roguelike with absurd variety, incredible boss design, and the same “just one more run” addiction.
Play Enter the Gungeon on Steam
4. Curse of the Dead Gods
Developer: Passtech Games | Released: 2021 | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (84%)
This is the closest game on this list to Hades in terms of raw structure. Curse of the Dead Gods is an isometric action roguelike where you fight through interconnected temple rooms, collect weapon upgrades and relics between fights, and face punishing boss encounters. The visual perspective, the combat pacing, and the room-to-room flow will feel immediately familiar to Hades players.
What makes it stand apart is the corruption system. As you progress deeper, curses stack on your character. Some are harmful (enemies explode on death). Some are beneficial (you deal more damage in darkness). Some are both. Managing which curses to accept and which to purge adds a strategic layer that Hades’ boon system does not have.
The torch mechanic is another standout. Light and darkness physically affect gameplay. Dark rooms hide traps and make enemies deadlier, but your torch can light environmental fires to reclaim visibility. It turns every room into a tactical decision beyond just “kill everything.”
The 84% Steam rating reflects a game that does not quite reach Hades’ heights in presentation or storytelling, but absolutely delivers on the combat and build variety front.
Why Hades fans will love it: The most structurally similar game to Hades, with an isometric perspective, room-based combat, and a unique corruption system that adds strategic depth.
Play Curse of the Dead Gods on Steam
5. Children of Morta
Developer: Dead Mage | Released: 2019 | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (88%)
If you are searching for a game that matches Hades’ narrative ambition, Children of Morta is your answer. Dead Mage built a roguelike where the story is not window dressing. It is the entire point.
You play as the Bergson family, guardians of Mount Morta. Each family member is a playable character with a distinct combat style. John is a tanky sword-and-board fighter. Linda is a nimble archer. Kevin is a lightning-fast assassin. The narrator (voiced superbly) weaves their personal stories between runs, revealing family tensions, hopes, and fears that make you genuinely care about these pixels.
The roguelike structure feeds the narrative. When one family member fights too much, they become fatigued, forcing you to switch to someone else. This is not just a difficulty mechanic. It is a storytelling tool. The game wants you to experience every character’s perspective. The result is something that feels closer to reading a novel than grinding a dungeon.
The pixel art is stunning, with painterly environments that recall the work of impressionist artists. Local co-op support makes it an excellent choice for playing with a partner.
Why Hades fans will love it: The strongest narrative roguelike outside of Hades itself. Family dynamics, character-switching, and a narrator who ties everything together between runs.
Play Children of Morta on Steam
6. Windblown
Developer: Motion Twin | Released: 2024 (Early Access) | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (93%)
Motion Twin made Dead Cells. Then they looked at Hades and said “what if we did that, but with co-op?” Windblown is a top-down action roguelite for up to three players that combines Dead Cells’ combat speed with Hades’ isometric perspective and build-crafting.
The movement is the star here. Dashing in Windblown feels extraordinary. The air dash, ground pound, and weapon combo systems create a kinetic flow that rivals anything in the genre. You absorb the powers of fallen warriors, wield dual weapons with distinct combo attacks, and navigate larger, more open biomes than Hades’ room-based encounters.
Windblown is still in early access with a full release planned for 2026. The current state already shows tremendous promise. Motion Twin has been actively redesigning biome navigation to give players more freedom in how they tackle each run. If you loved Dead Cells and Hades, Windblown sits right at the intersection of both.
Why Hades fans will love it: The Dead Cells creators’ take on the isometric roguelite formula, with blazing-fast co-op action and build variety that keeps evolving.
7. Wizard of Legend
Developer: Contingent99 | Released: 2018 | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (91%)
Wizard of Legend is what happens when you take Hades’ boon system and make it the entire game. You play as a wizard competing in magical trials, and your entire combat kit is built from collected spell “arcana.” Fire dashes, ice shields, earth slams, lightning chains. Over 100 spells can be combined in whatever way you want.
The combat rewards aggression. Chaining spells together to keep enemies stunlocked is deeply satisfying. Each arcana has a distinct feel, and finding synergies between elements creates builds that can melt bosses in seconds. The fast-paced isometric combat will feel very familiar to Hades players, though the pixel art style gives it a completely different visual identity.
The game is shorter and less narrative-driven than Hades, designed for quick runs of 30 to 45 minutes. What it lacks in depth it makes up for in replayability. The sheer number of spell combinations means you can play dozens of runs without repeating a build. Local co-op adds another dimension if you have a friend who wants to chain spells together.
Why Hades fans will love it: Build variety on steroids. Over 100 spell arcana create endless combinations in fast isometric combat that rewards aggressive play.
Play Wizard of Legend on Steam
8. SWORN
Developer: Windwalk Games | Released: 2025 | Steam Reviews: Very Positive (83%)
If someone described SWORN as “Hades but Arthurian and with co-op,” they would not be far off. SWORN is the most explicitly Hades-inspired game on this list, and it wears that influence proudly. Isometric combat, room-based dungeon runs, boon-like upgrades from NPCs, and a persistent hub world with characters to talk to between runs. The structure is almost identical.
What SWORN adds is four-player co-op and an Arthurian setting. You are reclaiming a fallen Camelot from a corrupted King Arthur and his twisted Knights of the Round Table. The co-op play creates synergy possibilities that do not exist in solo Hades. One player’s build can amplify another’s in surprising ways, and coordinating abilities against tougher bosses adds a teamwork dimension.
The 83% Steam rating reflects a game that does not quite match the polish or originality of its inspiration. The combat is tighter than most Hades clones manage, but the narrative and art direction do not reach the same heights. Think of SWORN as a solid co-op alternative for groups that want the Hades formula with friends.
Why Hades fans will love it: The closest co-op translation of the Hades formula, with 1 to 4 player support and build synergies designed around teamwork.
What to Play First
If you loved Hades for its story, start with Hades II or Children of Morta. Both deliver narrative depth between runs that most roguelikes ignore entirely.
If you loved it for the combat, Enter the Gungeon and Curse of the Dead Gods are the picks. Gungeon matches the intensity. Curse of the Dead Gods matches the isometric structure.
If you want the Hades formula with friends, SWORN and Windblown both offer co-op takes on the isometric roguelite structure.
And if you want to chase that feeling of building something absurdly broken, Wizard of Legend and Cult of the Lamb offer the deepest build variety and progression systems on this list.
For more recommendations, check out our best roguelike indie games roundup, the games like Hollow Knight list for metroidvania fans, or our games like Slay the Spire 2 list if deckbuilders are more your speed.
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.
