Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFor most players, Vampire Survivors is the best starting point: its short, rapidly escalating runs make experimenting with upgrades immediately rewarding. But there is no definitive genre-wide ranking. PC Gamer named it its Best Roguelike of 2022; the other picks below stand out for different kinds of action, progression, and genre blending.
This list uses “roguelike” broadly for games built around repeatable runs, failure, and changing builds or strategies. It includes roguelites rather than treating that disputed label as a strict boundary. Choose by pace, what carries over between runs, combat style, and platform—not by the genre tag alone.
How to choose a 2022 roguelike
Before picking a title, consider what you want a run to feel like and what you want to happen when it ends. A quick run with dramatic upgrade combinations suits a different mood from a longer action game with a settlement to manage or progression passed between heirs.
- Pace: Do you want short, fast-escalating runs or more involved action?
- Progression: Is the appeal a fresh build each run, or advancement that persists after failure?
- Play style: Do you prefer action, tactical decisions, or a blend with management or cards?
- Platform: Check the release relevant to your system; a game’s year can differ by platform.
The best roguelike games of 2022
Vampire Survivors — best for fast runs and upgrade experimentation
Vampire Survivors is the strongest all-around recommendation here if you want a simple premise that quickly turns into a cascade of upgrades. PC Gamer’s December 20, 2022 award feature named it the publication’s Best Roguelike of 2022. The feature emphasizes its steep power curve, brief runs, and the way complementary upgrades can make each attempt feel more explosive. Evan Lahti summed up the appeal: “The numbers go up.”
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That award is a publication’s editorial choice, not an objective genre-wide ranking. Still, it makes Vampire Survivors a useful first pick for players who value quick attempts and experimenting with combinations over a more elaborate genre mix. SteamDB lists it among 2022 Action Roguelike releases, with an October 20 date in its filtered table; that view is a discovery aid, not a complete genre census.
Cult of the Lamb — best for action with a community-management loop
Cult of the Lamb pairs roguelike action with building and managing a cult community. That contrast makes it a good fit if you want a run-based combat game whose appeal also includes looking after a settlement and its followers. It appears in 2022 action-roguelike and Steam-focused year lists; Gameranx also describes the combination of cult building and roguelike play.
Pick it over a more focused action game if switching between combat and community management sounds appealing. The sources establish it as a 2022 candidate, but do not provide a comparable measure of run length or persistent combat progression.
Rank #2
- COOPERATIVE FANTASY ADVENTURE – Work together with your party to defeat monsters, collect loot, and survive the dungeon.
- ROGUELIKE BOARD GAME EXPERIENCE – Every playthrough is different with evolving enemies, items, and strategic upgrades.
- STRATEGY GAME FOR GAME NIGHT – Perfect for tabletop gamers, friends, and families looking for tactical cooperative gameplay.
- HIGH REPLAYABILITY – Unique encounters, enemies, and loot create a new adventure every time you play.
- IMMERSIVE FANTASY WORLD – Beautiful artwork, thematic monsters, and exciting boss battles bring the dungeon to life.
Rogue Legacy 2 — best for side-scrolling action and lineage progression
Rogue Legacy 2 is a side-scrolling action pick with a distinctive succession system: when a character dies, a child can become the next heir. That gives each attempt a connection to the next, rather than making failure feel like a complete reset. Metacritic describes the children succeeding the player on death, and Steam labels the game both roguelite and roguelike.
Its 2022 date depends on platform: Steam lists its release as April 28, 2022, while Nintendo lists the Switch release as November 9, 2022. Choose it if you want action-platforming and progression framed around successive heirs. Nintendo’s software listing confirms a Switch version; it does not establish that a physical cartridge is available.
Warm Snow — best for dark-fantasy action
Warm Snow is the dark-fantasy choice among these recommendations. SteamDB includes it in its 2022 Action Roguelike filter, and Gameranx describes its setting and combat. If atmosphere and action are your main priorities, it offers a different flavor from Vampire Survivors’s rapid upgrade cascade or Rogue Legacy 2’s side-scrolling and heir-based progression.
Tiny Rogues — best for compact top-down action
Tiny Rogues is another candidate for players looking for compact, top-down action. It appears in Steam-focused 2022 lists. The available descriptions do not establish enough detail to make a precise comparison of its run length, progression after failure, or platform support, so treat it as a discovery pick rather than a claim that it outranks the other games.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.More 2022 games to explore
Year lists also surface Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate, Ship of Fools, and Across the Obelisk. Their tactical, cooperative, or card-oriented emphasis may matter more to your choice than whether a list groups them under roguelike or roguelite. Check each game’s specific combat style and platform before deciding it matches what you want.
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What “of 2022” means
A game can count as a 2022 release because it first became available that year, received a full release, or launched on a particular platform. Rogue Legacy 2 illustrates why the distinction matters: its Steam release was April 28, 2022, and its Switch release followed on November 9, 2022.
SteamDB’s 2022 filtered list is useful for finding candidates, but its own page warns that some results may be missing. Its displayed ratings and review counts can change, so they are not durable evidence of quality or a stable ranking. Gameranx’s year feature also includes upcoming or early-access games alongside released titles; its descriptions can help identify a game’s flavor, but historical launch windows should not be read as current availability.
Quick Recap
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