Hello, friends. I’m back once more with another list of good Nintendo Switch games for reasonable prices, this time tackling the busy genre that is the roguelite/roguelike. Per the usual rules, the regular price of the game has to be under ten United States dollars, which ends up cutting out a ton of well-known games in the ten-to-fifteen dollar range. Well, that just makes it more interesting. I’ve found ten fun games for under ten bucks, and we’ll go through my picks one by one in no particular order. And now, on to the games!
Spelunky ($9.99)
If all you have is ten bucks, you can buy this game and not even look at the rest of the list. Yes, I know I literally just said these are in no particular order, but this is the best one. This is the one you want. Derek Yu’s side-scrolling action game incorporated many of the best concepts from classic roguelikes to create a game you can play almost endlessly. Indeed, the only thing that can really take the place of Spelunky is Spelunky 2, and even that is arguable.
Mana Spark ($9.99)
This is one of those games that is almost perpetually on sale, and I want to start by saying that you should never, ever pay ten dollars for this game. The price tag says $9.99, but this is for all intents and purposes a $1.99 game. And at that price, you’ll get more than your money’s worth out of this. You have a few different characters to choose from, plenty of monsters to stomp, and some decent exploration. The roguelite elements could be better handled here, but it’s good enough for a playthrough or two.
Quest of Dungeons ($8.99)
If you’re looking for a fairly orthodox roguelike, this is your best choice on this list. It’s turn-based, with enemies taking actions for each one of yours. There are plenty of interesting items to find and make use of. The maps are procedurally generated. And death means death. You go back to the title screen with exactly as much as you had when you first started the game. No meta progression in this game. Learn how the enemies behave and how you can best use the various items you’ll find, and then hope for a little luck. While it might have a bit too much bite for some, I’ve always been rather fond of Quest of Dungeons and I think many of you will be, too.
Devious Dungeon 2 ($7.99)
This one is as much an action game as anything else, but it fits within the roguelite category as well. Travel through side-scrolling procedurally-generated areas, battling monsters and collecting loot to upgrade your character with. It’s a relatively breezy affair, the sort that if you keep at it you’ll almost inevitably win. It’s repetitive, it’s grindy, but there’s something a little hypnotic about it all. I have to be in the right mood for this one, but when it strikes I can easily dump a couple of hours into it at a time.
Yodanji ($4.99)
At first, Yodanji seems like it’s going to be an expected take on the Mystery Dungeon style of roguelike that many Japanese developers favor. In some ways, it is. But it has a few twists that make it feel like its own thing. Your character is one of more than fifteen unlockable yokai (creatures from Japanese folklore), each with their own unique skills to deploy. They really do feel different from each other in fun ways. You level up by collecting a certain item, leaving the rewards for fighting enemies little more than their tasty carcass to devour. Full of personality, and plenty of enjoyment for a fiver.
Meganoid ($8.99)
This sci-fi side-scrolling roguelite takes a lot of cues from Spelunky, and there are definitely worse teachers to sign up for lessons from. It’s an Orange Pixel joint through and through, with the chunky visuals, wild lighting, and spicy action that most of the developer’s titles share. I wouldn’t pick this up ahead of Spelunky under any circumstances, but it’s a rather good game in its own right and worth exploring if you haven’t played it before.
Alchemic Dungeons DX ($7.99)
Here’s another game that uses the basic Mystery Dungeon structure and throws in a few twists to make it feel distinct. In this case, the new wrinkles involve a rather thorough crafting system. Most of what you’ll find in the dungeons are materials that you’ll have to combine to create the equipment you need on the fly. This gives you some agency but also some responsibility when it comes to what you’ll have on hand. It’s a little on the easy side as a result of how powerful crafting is as a tool, but it’s still a good time for those who like to explore mysterious dungeons.
Demon’s Tier+ ($9.99)
A top-down twin-stick action game first and foremost, Demon’s Tier+ wants you to keep moving at all times. You’ve got five minutes to clear each procedurally-generated floor before the reaper shows up and does what he’s paid to do. In that time you need to accomplish whichever of the various goals the game assigns you to do, grab whatever loot you can, and get out. Dawdle too much and you’ll pay for it; fail to explore enough and you’ll fall behind on your upgrades. Pull in a second player on this one and you’ll have a blast with the fast-paced gameplay.
Skelly Selest ($9.99)
Another one that leans into the action side of things, Skelly Selest has the faint whiff of Enter the Gungeon about it thanks to the way its gameplay mechanics work. What really sets this one apart is the wide variety of modes you can play, allowing you to mix things up if you need a bit of a change. There’s even a card game, of all things. The other neat thing about Skelly Selest is in how many secrets it has to uncover. If you want to see all this game has to offer, you’ll have to put in some time and use your wits to figure out what all the cryptic clues add up to.
Downwell ($2.99)
Am I stretching it a little? Maybe. Maybe. But I’ll happily rave about Downwell any chance I get, and this is seems as good a time as any. Jump down the well and use a combination of nimble maneuvers and judicious use of your gun boots to stomp on enemies, chain together combos, and survive to tell the story. You’ll get occasional chances to pick up perks and power-ups, and there are some unlockable goodies as well. It probably won’t take you too long to beat, but it’s always a pleasure to go back to. Massive bang for the buck.
And that will do it for this list. Do you have any favorite Nintendo Switch roguelites or roguelikes under ten dollars that aren’t on this list? If so, please share them in the comments below. At the end of the day, the point of these articles is to find more cool games to play, so adding to the list is a win-win proposition for all of us. Thanks for reading!
