The roguelike genre is perfect when you want something that never plays the same way twice. You start a run with a plan, the game throws you a weird upgrade, and suddenly you are improvising a totally new build like it was your idea all along.
The best roguelike mobile games also fit phones really well. Short sessions, quick restarts, and that addictive loop of learning, upgrading, and coming back stronger.
If you want action, tactics, deck building, or pure chaos, this list has a run for you.
Quick List of Roguelike Mobile Games
- Dead Cells: Fast action runs where every build feels different and one mistake can end you.
- Slay the Spire: The deckbuilder classic where you stack combos, get humbled, then come back smarter.
- Vampire Survivors: Simple controls, wild power spikes, and runs that turn into a screen-filling fireworks show.
- Brotato: Arena chaos where you juggle weapons, stack perks, and try to survive the final waves.
- Slice & Dice: Turn-based tactics with dice rolls, clever items, and constant “wait this might work” moments.
- Shattered Pixel Dungeon: Old-school dungeon crawling with real risk, lots of loot, and huge replay value.
- Soul Knight: Quick top-down shooter runs with a mountain of weapons and characters to mess with.
- Gunfire Reborn: Roguelite FPS runs with crazy upgrades, plus co-op when you want squad chaos.
- 20 Minutes Till Dawn: Bullet heaven survival where your upgrades turn you into the final boss.
- Downwell: Tiny, brutal arcade runs where you drop deeper, react fast, and restart with a grin.
1. Dead Cells
Dead Cells is a fast, brutal roguelite action platformer where you hack through an ever-changing castle, die a lot, and come back smarter.
Gameplay
You sprint through 2D stages, pick up random weapons, and build a run on the fly. When you die, the run resets, but you keep certain permanent upgrades so future runs get deeper and smoother. Combat is all about dodging, timing, and choosing gear that fits how you like to fight.
Play it if you want:
- ✅ Tight combat that rewards skill and quick reactions
- ✅ Runs that feel different because levels and loot change
- ✅ A game that makes dying feel like progress
- ✅ Tough bosses and lots of build options
Skip it if you hate:
- ❌ Losing a whole run when you mess up
- ❌ Games that demand practice to get good
- ❌ Fast combat where timing matters a lot
- ❌ Repeating early areas while you learn the game
2. Slay the Spire
Slay the Spire is the deckbuilding roguelike where you build a broken combo deck one card at a time, then try to climb a tower packed with enemies, events, and loot.
Gameplay
Each run gives you branching paths with fights, elites, shops, and random events. Battles are turn-based, and every turn is about spending energy smart, planning your next draw, and not stuffing your deck with junk.
The real magic is synergy. One good relic or card pick can turn your run into a ridiculous engine, or a slow crash if you get greedy. It also has Ascension difficulty levels and Daily Climb challenges when you want more spice.
Play it if you want:
- ✅ A roguelike where your brain matters more than reflexes
- ✅ Runs that feel fresh because paths, cards, and relics change
- ✅ Deep build planning and satisfying combo moments
- ✅ A perfect one-more-run loop that works great on mobile
Skip it if you hate:
- ❌ Turn-based pacing and lots of thinking per fight
- ❌ Losing a run late and having to start over
- ❌ RNG moments where the game offers you mid choices
- ❌ Games where reading cards and learning systems is the main fun
3. Vampire Survivors
Vampire Survivors is a chaotic roguelite where you try to survive a growing swarm, stack upgrades, and become a walking screen-wipe. On mobile, it’s free to download.
Gameplay
You mainly control movement. Your weapons auto-attack, so the real skill is positioning and picking upgrades that combo well.
Runs snowball hard. You start weak, then your build turns into pure nonsense if you make good choices. Death ends the run, but you unlock stuff that makes future runs stronger.
Play it if you want:
- ✅ Simple controls with big brain build choices
- ✅ Runs that go from chill to absolute chaos in minutes
- ✅ That ‘one more run’ feeling, because unlocks keep coming
- ✅ A roguelite you can play in short bursts
Skip it if you hate:
- ❌ Screens full of effects and enemies, because it gets visually messy fast
- ❌ RNG runs where your upgrade choices feel mid
- ❌ Dying at minute 28 and having to start over
- ❌ Grinding unlocks if you want the best toys quickly
4. Brotato
Brotato is a top-down arena roguelite where you play a potato who can hold up to 6 weapons and survive wave after wave of aliens.
Gameplay
You move around a small arena while your weapons fire, then you grab materials, level up, and buy items between waves. A full run is built around surviving 20 waves, so it has that perfect just-one-more-run pacing.
The fun is in builds. You can stack weird combos like melee blender, shotgun chaos, or pure attack speed nonsense, then watch it either pop off or fall apart at wave 17.
Play it if you want:
- ✅ Fast runs with almost zero downtime
- ✅ Build variety from weapons, traits, and items
- ✅ That bullet-heaven power fantasy when your setup clicks
- ✅ A roguelite that feels great on mobile because it’s simple to control
Skip it if you hate:
- ❌ Runs ending late and forcing a full restart
- ❌ RNG shops where you do not get the items you want
- ❌ Busy screens once the waves get dense
- ❌ Repeating early waves while you chase better builds
5. Slice & Dice
Slice & Dice is a turn-based roguelike where your party is literally dice, and every roll can save you or ruin you. It’s super tactical, but still quick on a phone.
Gameplay
You control 5 heroes, and each hero has their own die with attacks, blocks, heals, and weird utility sides. You roll, choose targets, and decide what to reroll, so you are always making small, high-stakes choices.
A run is about pushing through 20 fights. If you lose one fight, the run ends, so it has that roguelike pressure. It also has undo, which makes experimenting way more fun.
Play it if you want:
- ✅ A tactical roguelike that feels like solving fights, not button mashing
- ✅ Dice builds, rerolls, and clutch saves when a plan barely works
- ✅ A free demo, then one purchase to unlock the full game
- ✅ Offline play and low battery sessions
Skip it if you hate:
- ❌ Losing a run to one bad fight and restarting from the beginning
- ❌ Turn-based pacing, since every action is a choice
- ❌ RNG moments where the roll just refuses to cooperate
- ❌ Getting hooked on “one more run” and suddenly it’s 2AM
6. Shattered Pixel Dungeon
Shattered Pixel Dungeon is a classic turn-based roguelike dungeon crawler where every run is permadeath, floors are randomized, and loot can totally save you or betray you.
Gameplay
You pick one of six heroes, then crawl downward floor by floor, fighting enemies on a grid and managing tight resources like health, food, and scrolls. Combat is all about positioning, knowing when to run, and using items at the right time. If you die, the run is over, so small mistakes actually matter.
It has a lot of build variety because each hero has subclasses and talents, and the item pool is huge. It’s also open source and keeps getting updates, so it’s not some abandoned relic.
Play it if you want:
- ✅ Real roguelike tension where every decision counts
- ✅ Turn-based combat that feels tactical, not spammy
- ✅ Tons of items and hero builds to mess with
- ✅ Runs that stay fresh because the dungeon changes every time
Skip it if you hate:
- ❌ Permadeath and full resets when you die
- ❌ Slow and careful pacing instead of constant action
- ❌ Learning by failing, because you will get cooked early on
- ❌ Old-school roguelike vibes and minimal hand-holding
7. Soul Knight
Soul Knight is a fast pixel dungeon shooter roguelike where you grab wild weapons, clear rooms, and hope the next chest saves your run.
Gameplay
You pick a hero, dive into randomly generated rooms, and shoot through waves of enemies and bosses. The controls are simple, but fights get bullet-hell messy fast, so dodging matters.
It’s also great with friends. Online co-op is officially supported (up to 4 players), so you can revive each other, split roles, and share the chaos.
Play it if you want:
- ✅ Quick runs with almost no downtime
- ✅ A huge pile of weapons and goofy builds
- ✅ Co-op dungeon runs with friends (up to 4)
- ✅ Easy to learn, hard to master dodging
Skip it if you hate:
- ❌ Runs ending suddenly and forcing a full restart
- ❌ RNG loot, since some runs give you junk
- ❌ Bullet spam screens where you lose track of what’s happening
- ❌ Grinding unlocks if you want a big roster fast
8. Gunfire Reborn
Gunfire Reborn is a first-person roguelite shooter where you pick a hero, grab random guns and scroll buffs, and try to clear a run solo or with friends.
Gameplay
You push through stages packed with enemies, elites, and bosses. Between fights you loot, upgrade, and steer your build, like crit spam, elemental melts, or grenade chaos. Co-op is where it really pops, because you can revive each other and plan who takes which drops.
Play it if you want:
- ✅ Co-op runs that feel hype with a squad
- ✅ Roguelite builds that can get wildly overpowered
- ✅ A shooter that rewards movement and smart target focus
- ✅ Short sessions that still feel like real progress
Skip it if you hate:
- ❌ Starting over when a run wipes
- ❌ RNG loot, since some runs give you mid options
- ❌ Fast fights where you can get deleted if you get sloppy
- ❌ Arguing over loot with friends who swear they need that gun more than you
9. 20 Minutes Till Dawn
20 Minutes Till Dawn is a roguelite bullet-heaven shooter where you try to survive 20 minutes while endless monsters flood the screen, and your build gets more ridiculous every level-up.
Gameplay
You mainly control movement and aiming, then pick upgrades after waves to shape your run. The best runs happen when your perks start stacking into combos, like chaining lightning, spreading fire, or turning one gun into a screen-clearing problem. Dying ends the run, but you unlock stuff that helps future attempts.
Play it if you want:
- ✅ Bullet-heaven chaos that ramps up fast
- ✅ Runs that feel different because upgrades change your build
- ✅ That power spike feeling when your setup finally clicks
- ✅ A game that works great in short sessions since runs have a clear time goal
Skip it if you hate:
- ❌ Busy screens and lots of effects once it gets rolling
- ❌ Roguelite resets when you die
- ❌ RNG upgrades when the options do not match the build you want
- ❌ Repeating early minutes while you chase stronger unlocks
10. Downwell
Downwell is a tight roguelike action game where you fall down a well, stomp enemies, and shoot with gunboots while chasing gems and upgrades.
Gameplay
You move left and right, jump, and shoot while you’re in the air. Landing reloads your shots, so you’re always deciding when to drop fast and when to touch down.
Each run is randomized, and you pick upgrades at the end of levels. You can also find new gun modules that change how your shots work, which is where the best builds come from.
Play it if you want:
- ✅ Quick runs that feel perfect on a phone
- ✅ Simple controls with real skill, especially once it speeds up
- ✅ Build variety from gun modules and upgrades
- ✅ That black, white, red style that looks clean and iconic
Skip it if you hate:
- ❌ Permadeath runs where one mistake can end everything
- ❌ Getting punished for rushing when you should play safer
- ❌ RNG upgrades that sometimes don’t match your plan
- ❌ Old-school arcade difficulty that expects you to learn by failing
Final Thoughts On Roguelike Mobile Games
The thing that makes roguelike mobile games so fun is the steady improvement. Not just your stats, but your actual skill. You learn enemy patterns, figure out what upgrades work together, and eventually you pull off a run that felt impossible two days ago.
If you are new to the genre, start with a forgiving pick and learn the loop. If you want pain in a fun way, jump straight into the harder ones and enjoy the grind. Either way, you will be chasing one more run.
