Not every roguelike gets the triumphant launch its developers were hoping for. Some arrive with a unexpected bugs, others discover that their brilliant ideas aren’t quite as popular as expected, and a few have the unfortunate experience of releasing a genuinely good game that hardly anybody notices. After months, sometimes years, of development, watching your creation struggle to find its feet must be a crushing feeling.
Thankfully, a rough start doesn’t have to mean the end of the road. Over the years, we’ve seen developers rescue games from negative reviews, rebuild buggy systems, and transform disappointing releases into much-loved adventures.
We’ve picked out 10 rogue games that managed to turn things around, whether through major updates, community feedback, or simply refusing to give up when things weren’t going according to plan.
1. Wildfrost
A snowy little village, adorable woodland creatures, and colorful cards decorated with charming characters. Everything about Wildfrost suggests a wonderfully cozy adventure where you can settle down with a warm drink and enjoy some relaxing deckbuilding. Unfortunately, the creatures waiting beyond the village have absolutely no interest in making your experience enjoyable.
Developed by Deadpan Games and Gaziter, Wildfrost launched in April 2023 to a rather chilly reception, with its early Steam reviews sitting at around 60% positive. Players were frustrated by the punishing difficulty, where a single mistake could bring an otherwise promising run to an abrupt end.
The developers responded with balance adjustments and the Storm Bell update, which made the standard experience more approachable, while introducing optional challenges for players who enjoyed being thoroughly punished. Further improvements helped the game build a much stronger reputation, proving that even the frostiest reception can eventually begin to thaw.
2. Inkbound
Deep within a mysterious world of living stories, strange creatures, and magical landscapes, adventurers prepare to battle through an ever-changing collection of tactical encounters. With inventive turn-based combat, unusual character classes, and opportunities to join forces with friends, Inkbound had plenty of ingredients for an entertaining roguelike adventure. Unfortunately, when players arrived in May 2023, they discovered something less magical waiting alongside the monsters…a cash shop and season pass in a game they’d already paid to play.
Developed by Shiny Shoe, the studio behind Monster Train, Inkbound entered Early Access to Mixed Steam reviews, with much of the criticism directed at its additional monetization systems. Players weren’t thrilled about spending money on a premium game only to discover more opportunities to open their wallets. Fortunately, the developers listened, removing the battle pass, premium currency, and associated monetization systems.
Continued updates expanded the adventure, and by the time the full game arrived in April 2024, Inkbound had earned a much warmer reception. Its overall Steam rating eventually climbed to Very Positive, suggesting that removing a few unwanted features can sometimes be just as effective as adding new ones.
3. Ravenswatch
Little Red Riding Hood has abandoned her basket in favor of deadly weapons, the Pied Piper is commanding an army of nasty rats, and Beowulf is preparing to introduce another monster to his considerable strength. The heroes of Ravenswatch aren’t exactly the characters you remember from your childhood stories, and the corrupted world they’re fighting to save is filled with enough nightmarish creatures to make even the bravest fairy-tale adventurer reconsider their career choices. Unfortunately, when the game first arrived, there wasn’t an awful lot of adventure for these unlikely heroes to enjoy.
Developed by Passtech Games, Ravenswatch entered Early Access in April 2023 with just one chapter, leaving players disappointed by its limited content despite the promising cooperative combat and unusual setting. Early Steam reviews were Mixed, but the developers continued expanding the experience with new chapters, playable characters, enemies, abilities, and improvements to its multiplayer systems.
By the time version 1.0 launched in September 2024, the game had attracted more than 600,000 players and was approaching 80% positive reviews on Steam. What began as a rather short fairy tale had finally grown into a much more substantial adventure, complete with enough monsters, magic, and questionable character decisions to keep players entertained. It’s popularity has dipped a little again recently, but for a long time it was one of the biggest comeback successes in the rogue genre.
4. For The King II
The kingdom of Fahrul is in trouble, dangerous creatures are roaming the countryside, and a group of unlikely heroes has been assembled to restore order before everything falls apart. Armed with weapons, magical abilities, and the sort of confidence that usually disappears after the first unfortunate dice roll, your party sets off into a world filled with dangerous encounters and unpredictable adventures. Unfortunately, when For The King II launched in November 2023, some players discovered that getting their friends into the same game was proving almost as challenging as defeating the monsters.
Developed by IronOak Games, For The King II expanded the original’s tabletop-inspired roguelite adventure with new combat mechanics, environments, and four-player cooperative gameplay. However, multiplayer connection problems, technical bugs, and other frustrating issues quickly overshadowed its promising features, pushing Steam reviews into Mixed territory within its first month.
The developers responded with a steady stream of patches, improving stability, addressing multiplayer problems, and refining various gameplay systems. Over time, the game’s overall reception climbed into Mostly Positive territory, giving adventurers a much better opportunity to concentrate on battling monsters rather than wondering why their companions had mysteriously disappeared from the party.
5. Elden Ring Nightreign
Darkness is spreading across Limveld, enormous creatures are emerging from the shadows, and somewhere beyond the increasingly dangerous landscape, a powerful Nightlord is preparing to make your expedition a living nightmare. The good news is you’ve got a selection of deadly weapons, powerful abilities, and the opportunity to bring a couple of friends along for the adventure. Unfortunately, when Elden Ring Nightreign arrived in May 2025, some players discovered that assembling their heroic little expedition wasn’t quite as straightforward as they’d hoped.
Developed by FromSoftware, Nightreign transformed the world of Elden Ring into a cooperative roguelite built around fast-paced expeditions and increasingly dangerous encounters. However, matchmaking problems, technical frustrations, and the absence of a dedicated two-player mode quickly became major complaints, with early Steam reviews sitting at around 66% positive.
Players hoping to tackle the adventure with just one friend were particularly disappointed, although the developers eventually introduced a much-requested duos mode alongside balance changes and other improvements. Later updates helped push positive Steam reviews to around 82%, giving the game a much warmer reception.
6. The Rogue Prince of Persia
The kingdom is under attack, dangerous enemies are gathering throughout the streets, and an athletic prince is preparing to save the day using an impressive combination of wall-running, acrobatic combat, and gravity-defying leaps. With every failed attempt sending him back to try again, The Rogue Prince of Persia seemed like a natural fit for the roguelite genre. Unfortunately, when the adventure entered Early Access in May 2024, it didn’t quite get the reception the developers had hoped.
Developed by Evil Empire, the game arrived with promising combat and movement mechanics, but its limited content and relatively modest player numbers made for a rather underwhelming beginning. Instead of abandoning the adventure, the developers continued expanding the game with new environments, enemies, weapons, and progression systems. A major visual overhaul also transformed its appearance, giving the world a more detailed and distinctive style.
By the time version 1.0 arrived in August 2025, the game had earned a much stronger critical reception. Now although they no longer plan to work on the game, it did go on to attract over one million players. That’s quite the turnaround!
7. Risk of Rain 2
The planet is crawling with hostile creatures, huge bosses are waiting around every corner, and your collection of increasingly ridiculous upgrades has transformed an ordinary survivor into a walking catastrophe. For years, Risk of Rain 2 had been giving roguelite fans plenty of reasons to return for another run, building a devoted community around its chaotic combat and wonderfully unpredictable item combinations. However, when the Seekers of the Storm expansion arrived in August 2024, players discovered that the greatest threat to their survival wasn’t necessarily coming from the monsters.
Released under Gearbox’s stewardship, Seekers of the Storm introduced new survivors, environments, and items, but technical problems, controversial changes, and gameplay bugs quickly overshadowed the additional content. Its early Steam reviews fell to approximately 34% positive, a disastrous reception for an expansion to such a well-loved game.
Gearbox responded with patches and a wider overhaul addressing the problems, while later expansions helped restore enthusiasm for the game. Seekers of the Storm itself continued to carry a Mixed overall Steam rating, making this a recovery for the wider game rather than a complete redemption for the troubled DLC. Fortunately, the survivors have weathered enough disasters over the years to know that one terrible run doesn’t necessarily mean the adventure is over.
8. Exit the Gungeon
The Gungeon is collapsing, enemies are pouring into every available space, and a collection of heavily armed adventurers is desperately attempting to escape before the entire building comes crashing down around them. Sadly, the quickest route to freedom involves squeezing into a series of elevators filled with murderous creatures, unpredictable weapons, and enough incoming projectiles to make standing still a spectacularly bad idea. For fans of Enter the Gungeon, it sounded like another entertaining excuse to dodge bullets and cause enormous amounts of destruction. However, not everyone was convinced by the change of direction.
Developed by Dodge Roll and Singlecore Games, Exit the Gungeon arrived on Steam in March 2020 with a faster, more compact approach to the original’s dungeon-crawling formula. Its vertically focused combat, constantly changing weapons, and smaller arenas divided players, while complaints about controls and limited variety contributed to a mixed launch reception of around 53% positive reviews.
The developers continued refining the experience through updates, adding content, improving balance, and addressing some of the frustrations surrounding its gameplay. Over time, Exit the Gungeon climbed to approximately 75% positive reviews and earned a Mostly Positive overall rating. It might not have completely escaped the shadow of its much-loved predecessor, but it eventually proved that even a collapsing dungeon can provide plenty of entertainment.
9. Rogue Legacy 2
Another hero has fallen, the family fortune is looking increasingly questionable, and somewhere inside an enormous castle, a collection of monsters is waiting to introduce the next descendant to an early grave. Thankfully the family behind Rogue Legacy 2 has developed an unusual yet effective approach to dealing with failure…Simply send in another relative and hope they manage to survive a little longer. It’s a philosophy that served developer Cellar Door Games quite well when its ambitious sequel entered Early Access in August 2020.
Building on the original’s mixture of procedural exploration, permanent upgrades, and inherited character traits, Rogue Legacy 2 introduced new classes, environments, and a striking visual style. However, early critics pointed to its limited content and unfinished systems, leaving players with a promising adventure that still needed plenty of work.
Over the following months, the developers expanded the game with additional biomes, bosses, equipment, abilities, and progression options, gradually transforming it into a much more substantial experience. When version 1.0 arrived in April 2022, the game received an enthusiastic reception, with Steam reviews reaching around 91% positive and Metacritic scores climbing as high as 90. Its early struggles were more about unfinished content than a confirmed Mixed Steam rating, but the transformation was impressive, nonetheless.
10. Slay the Spire
Deep within a mysterious tower, strange creatures are waiting to challenge anyone foolish enough to attempt the climb. Armed with a small collection of cards and a handful of relics, adventurers must battle their way through unpredictable encounters while building powerful combinations capable of overcoming the dangers ahead. Today, Slay the Spire is one of the most recognizable games in the roguelike deckbuilding genre. However, when its developers first opened the doors to the Spire, hardly anybody seemed interested in climbing it.
Created by Mega Crit, Slay the Spire entered Early Access in November 2017 and sold approximately 800 copies during its first three days. For a small independent studio that had spent years creating the game, those numbers weren’t exactly encouraging. The developers continued improving the experience, introducing new cards, balance adjustments, and additional content while gradually building a community around its strategic combat.
Streamers and content creators helped introduce the game to a wider audience, and positive word of mouth began turning those disappointing early sales into something pretty extraordinary. The game eventually surpassed 1.5 million copies sold, establishing itself as one of the most influential roguelike deckbuilders ever created.
A Second Chance at Victory
From adorable woodland creatures with a surprisingly vicious attitude to enormous monsters, collapsing dungeons, and kingdoms filled with unfortunate adventurers, these 10 games have all experienced their fair share of trouble. What makes these stories interesting is how differently each game managed to recover.
Inkbound removed unpopular monetization systems, Wildfrost adjusted its difficulty, and Ravenswatch expanded a promising but limited adventure into something much more substantial. Meanwhile, Slay the Spire demonstrated that even a game with an excellent foundation can struggle when nobody knows it exists.
Of course, not every disappointing launch gets a happy ending, and there are plenty of games that never manage to escape their early problems. Fortunately, these developers were given the opportunity to keep experimenting, improving, and occasionally making some rather dramatic changes along the way.
For a genre built around repeated attempts, unexpected setbacks, and the occasional spectacular disaster, there’s something wonderfully appropriate about games that manage to turn their own failures into success stories. Sometimes the best run is the one you almost gave up on.