In the last couple of months I've finished Dragon Quest XI, Octopath Traveler, and Fire Emblem: Three Houses. I just don't have the motivation to start another 80+ hour game, so I've returned to my gaming comfort food: rogue-likes.
I grew up playing Rogue and most of its variants, and the genre remains one of my favorites to play. I love how it forces experimentation and improvisation, how each run teaches you something you can use in the next, and how amazing you feel when you finally put it all together into a winning run.
I've gone back to some old favorites and some that I overlooked the first time they came out. Here are a few that I keep coming back to for "just one more run." I only have the Switch, so that's where I'm playing them.
Dragon FangZ: This is as close to the classic "Rogue" as you can get: items that are only identified once you use them, turn-based movement, hunger meter, top-down dungeon...it scratches all the itches. There are some dodgy translations, and the characters can be a bit too precious for my tastes, but it's a solid game that reminds me of just how much I miss Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer on the DS.
Bring back Shiren, damnit!
Tangledeep: Multiple unique character classes with plenty of viable skill builds, a persistent home base that you build up between runs, and plenty of that good old-fashioned dungeon crawling. This one leans heavily into the RPG side of things, with lots of stats to juggle and skills and spells to optimize, plus a Pokemon-style monster capturing system. The learning curve is pretty steep and it doesn't do a great job of explaining some things, but it's still quite a bit of fun once you get past that.
Into the Breach: I still can't believe how perfect this is.
Invisible, Inc.: Austin Walker's insistence that this be included in GOTY made me take a look at this, and I'm glad I did. I love everything about its look, feel, and mood. I have yet to beat the final level, but I've made it there more than once. It's the ultimate "do the best you have with what you get" game. When it came out for the Switch I picked it up immediately and I don't regret it at all.
Risk of Rain, and Risk of Rain 2: These are much more "-like" than "rogue," but they capture what I love about the genre. I learn a bit more each time I finish a run, and get a little further each time. They also have some of the best flavor text in item descriptions that I've even seen.
What are your "just one more run" games? Are there any hidden or under-appreciated gems that I should add to my Switch collection?
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