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13 Games Like Hades for 2026 (Roguelikes, Action, Run-Based)

The best action roguelikes like Hades in 2026. Dead Cells, Hades II, Returnal, and 10 more, sorted by what you loved most about Hades.

Hades works because losing feels like progress. Most roguelikes punish death by sending you back to zero, and the genre asks you to find joy in mastery despite that. Supergiant did something smarter: they made death part of the story. Every time Zagreus falls and returns to the House of Hades, the narrative advances, the characters react, and you unlock something that makes the next attempt feel earned. The result is a roguelike that pulls in people who normally bounce off the genre.

The combat carries the rest. Hades is fast, readable, and endlessly remixable through its boon system, where gifts from the gods stack into builds you discover mid-run. No two attempts play the same, and the dopamine of finding a broken combination keeps you starting "just one more run." That blend of responsive action, build variety, and forward momentum is the template, and the best alternatives each emphasize a different piece. Here are 13 games that capture different parts of that, organized by what you loved most about Hades.

If You Love the Fast, Build-Driven Action

These games nail Hades' core: responsive combat that transforms through stacking upgrades.

Hades II

The direct sequel, and the closest experience to the original by design. You play Melinoe, sister of Zagreus, with a new cast, new weapons, and deeper systems built on everything that made Hades great.

Why Hades fans will like it: It is more Hades, refined. The combat is sharper, the boon variety is wider, and the story-through-death structure returns with a fresh roster of gods and characters. If you loved the first game and wanted more of exactly that, the sequel delivers without diluting what worked.

The short version:

  • Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
  • Vibe: Hades, deeper and bigger
  • Co-op: No
  • Price: ~$30

Dead Cells

A fast, fluid roguelike-Metroidvania hybrid where you slash, dodge, and explore a shifting castle, picking up weapons and mutations that reshape each run.

Why Hades fans will like it: The combat is just as snappy and satisfying, with a build system driven by weapons and mutations rather than boons. Each run is a fresh combination, and the meta-progression unlocks new options over time. If the moment-to-moment action was your favorite part of Hades, Dead Cells matches it. It anchors our games like Hollow Knight crossover crowd too.

The short version:

  • Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, mobile
  • Vibe: Lightning-fast roguelike Metroidvania
  • Co-op: Yes, local
  • Price: ~$25

Hyper Light Drifter / Hyper Light Breaker

A stylish action world with precise, fast combat, the Breaker entry adding a roguelike open-world structure with runs into a corrupted overworld.

Why Hades fans will like it: The combat shares Hades' precision and flow, and Hyper Light Breaker brings the run-based, gear-up-and-die structure into a 3D space. The art is gorgeous, the action is demanding, and the loop of improving across attempts will feel familiar. A strong pick if you want Hades-style action in a different world.

The short version:

  • Platforms: PC, PS, Xbox, Switch
  • Vibe: Precise action with a roguelike structure
  • Co-op: Yes (Breaker)
  • Price: ~$20 to $30

If You Love the Run-Based Roguelike Loop

These games center the start-over, get-stronger structure that drives Hades.

Returnal

A high-budget third-person roguelike shooter where an astronaut is trapped in a death loop on a hostile alien planet, growing stronger and unraveling the mystery across runs.

Why Hades fans will like it: It takes Hades' run-and-die structure into a cinematic, bullet-hell third-person shooter with stunning production values. Each cycle reshuffles the world, weapons and parasites change your build, and the narrative slowly reveals itself through repetition, much like Hades' story-through-death. The most premium experience on this list.

The short version:

  • Platforms: PC, PS5
  • Vibe: AAA roguelike shooter with a haunting story
  • Co-op: Yes, online
  • Price: ~$40

Risk of Rain 2

A third-person roguelike shooter where you and up to three friends fight escalating swarms, stacking items that combine into absurdly powerful builds as the difficulty climbs.

Why Hades fans will like it: It has the deepest item-stacking build variety on this list, where a lucky run snowballs into chaos. The combat is fast, the co-op is excellent, and the "one more run" pull is intense. If finding broken boon combinations in Hades was your high, Risk of Rain 2 takes that feeling to an extreme.

The short version:

  • Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
  • Vibe: Co-op roguelike shooter with explosive item stacking
  • Co-op: Yes, up to 4 players
  • Price: ~$25

Enter the Gungeon

A bullet-hell roguelike where you dodge-roll through gun-themed dungeons, collecting an arsenal of absurd weapons and synergistic items.

Why Hades fans will like it: It shares the dodge-heavy combat, the procedural rooms, and the joy of discovering item synergies that transform a run. The difficulty is steeper than Hades, but the variety of weapons and the tight controls reward mastery. A genre staple that Hades fans tend to love. It appears on our games like Vampire Survivors adjacents too.

The short version:

  • Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, mobile
  • Vibe: Bullet-hell roguelike with a deep arsenal
  • Co-op: Yes, local
  • Price: ~$15

Cult of the Lamb

A roguelike action game fused with a cult-management sim. You crusade through procedural dungeons to recruit followers, then return to build and run your cult between runs.

Why Hades fans will like it: It pairs Hades-style run-based action with a satisfying home base you develop over time, echoing Hades' loop of fighting out and returning to the House. The combat is snappy, the dual-loop structure is moreish, and the dark-cute tone is irresistible. Fans of build-driven runs should also check our games like Slay the Spire guide.

The short version:

  • Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
  • Vibe: Roguelike action plus cult-management
  • Co-op: No
  • Price: ~$25

If You Love the Build-Crafting Over the Action

These games emphasize the strategic build side, where the right combination of upgrades is the whole game.

Slay the Spire

The deck-building roguelike that defined the subgenre. You climb a spire, building a card deck run by run, where the right synergies turn a fragile start into an unstoppable engine.

Why Hades fans will like it: If the build-crafting in Hades was what hooked you, Slay the Spire is that itch in its purest form. Every card and relic is a choice, and discovering a deck that breaks the game is the same dopamine as a perfect boon stack. Turn-based rather than action, but the build satisfaction is unmatched. It headlines our games like Slay the Spire guide.

The short version:

  • Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, mobile
  • Vibe: The definitive deck-building roguelike
  • Co-op: No
  • Price: ~$25

Balatro

A poker-themed roguelike where you build absurd scoring engines out of joker cards, turning a humble poker hand into millions of points through combinations.

Why Hades fans will like it: It is build-crafting distilled to its addictive core. The thrill of stacking jokers into a runaway scoring machine mirrors the joy of a broken Hades build. Endlessly replayable and impossible to put down. It anchors our games like Balatro guide.

The short version:

  • Platforms: PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, mobile
  • Vibe: Poker roguelike with runaway build potential
  • Co-op: No
  • Price: ~$15

Vampire Survivors

A minimalist roguelike where you survive escalating hordes by auto-attacking, leveling up, and combining weapons into evolved, screen-clearing builds.

Why Hades fans will like it: It captures the build-snowball thrill with almost no skill barrier. You watch your character become a god of destruction as upgrades stack, the same satisfying power curve Hades delivers through boons, in a cheaper, more accessible package. It headlines our games like Vampire Survivors guide.

The short version:

  • Platforms: PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, mobile
  • Vibe: Horde-survival roguelike with addictive build stacking
  • Co-op: Yes, local
  • Price: ~$5

Rogue Legacy 2

A roguelike platformer where each death passes your legacy to a randomized heir with different traits and abilities, building permanent upgrades across a family line.

Why Hades fans will like it: It shares the generous meta-progression that makes every run feel like progress, and the trait system gives each heir a fresh twist. The combat is tight, the castle reshuffles each run, and the steady unlocks keep you coming back. A great fit if Hades' sense of forward momentum was the draw.

The short version:

  • Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
  • Vibe: Roguelike platformer with inherited traits
  • Co-op: No
  • Price: ~$25

Quick Reference: All 13 Games at a Glance

GamePlatformsCo-opBest For
Hades IIPC, PS5, Xbox Series, SwitchNoClosest, the direct sequel
Dead CellsPC, PS, Xbox, Switch, mobileYesFast roguelike action
Hyper Light BreakerPC, PS, Xbox, SwitchYesPrecise action, 3D runs
ReturnalPC, PS5YesAAA roguelike shooter
Risk of Rain 2PC, PS, Xbox, SwitchYes (4p)Explosive item stacking
Enter the GungeonPC, PS, Xbox, Switch, mobileYesBullet-hell arsenal
Cult of the LambPC, PS, Xbox, SwitchNoAction plus base-building
Slay the SpirePC, PS, Xbox, Switch, mobileNoDeck-building build-crafting
BalatroPC, PS, Xbox, Switch, mobileNoRunaway scoring builds
Vampire SurvivorsPC, PS, Xbox, Switch, mobileYesAccessible build snowball
Rogue Legacy 2PC, PS, Xbox, SwitchNoGenerous meta-progression

Build Your Own Roguelike

If these games make you want to build a roguelike of your own, that is one of the best genres to start with, because its systems are clear and self-contained. You need tight real-time (or turn-based) combat, procedurally arranged rooms, a stacking upgrade system, and meta-progression that carries between runs so losing still feels like advancing.

The beauty of the genre is that you can start tiny. A single room, one weapon, and three upgrades that change how it behaves already capture the core thrill. Summer Engine is compatible with Godot 4 and lets you build through conversation, so you can describe an attack that feels responsive, a room that spawns a wave of enemies, or a boon that doubles your damage but halves your health, and iterate on it together. The roguelite-RPG template handles the foundational run structure and upgrade systems so you can focus on the combat feel and the build variety that make runs worth repeating.

For a step-by-step look, read how to make games with AI. Browse the full template library or download Summer Engine to start building.

Frequently asked questions

What is the closest game to Hades?

Hades II, the direct sequel, is the closest by design. It keeps the responsive combat, the build variety from boons, and the story-through-repetition structure, while adding new systems. Outside the franchise, Dead Cells is the closest in feel for fast, weapon-driven roguelike action.

Which games like Hades have the best build variety?

Hades II and Risk of Rain 2 both offer enormous build diversity where item combinations transform each run. Dead Cells and Enter the Gungeon also reward experimentation with weapons and mutations that create wildly different playstyles.

Are there games like Hades with a story?

Hades is rare for weaving narrative into a roguelike, and few match it. Hades II continues that approach, and games like Returnal and Cult of the Lamb layer story and characters over their run-based loops, though none tie death to narrative as cleanly as Hades does.

Which games like Hades work on console or Switch?

Hades, Hades II, Dead Cells, Enter the Gungeon, and Slay the Spire are all on Switch and most major consoles. Returnal is on PS5 and PC. Risk of Rain 2 and Cult of the Lamb are broadly available across PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch.

What should I play if I have never played Hades?

Play Hades first. It is the most approachable action roguelike ever made, generous with progression so you always feel like you are advancing even when you lose. Once you know whether you love the combat, the build-crafting, or the story most, this list points you to games that lean into that strength.

Can I make my own game like Hades?

Yes. An action roguelike is built from clear systems: tight real-time combat, procedurally arranged rooms, a stacking upgrade or boon system, and meta-progression that carries between runs. Summer Engine lets you build through conversation and is compatible with Godot 4, so you can describe an attack, a room full of enemies, or an upgrade that changes your weapon, and iterate on it together.

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