August is properly underway now, and if last week was a little on the quiet side, this one more than made up for it. We had highly anticipated launches finally hitting Steam, a chunky free update for an underrated cult favourite, and yet another stack of smaller releases that are very much worth adding to your wishlist.
So grab a drink, settle in, and let’s get you caught up on everything that happened in the rogue world over the past seven days.
Behind the Scenes at AllRogues
It’s been a good week on the AllRogues front. Our latest review for Dave the Diver went live today, so if you’ve been wondering whether it’s worth diving in (sorry), you can check that out here.
Behind the curtain, things are gathering pace too. We’re closing in on launching our first videos, we’re deep in the planning stages for our first giveaway, and we’ve been figuring out what’s coming next for the Aura Shop. And on a more personal note, it was my birthday this week, and my partner in crime and AllRogues Founder made sure I ate considerably more cake than any sensible adult should. No regrets!
Right, that’s what we’ve been up to, let’s get into the games.
Launch of the Week
There were a few notable launches to kick off the first week of August. Monsters Are Coming, already a hit on PC, made the jump to Xbox Series X/S, giving console players a chance to get in on the chaos. Elsewhere, co-op horror GRAIN ROT also arrived, offering something a little different for players who like their runs served with a side of dread.
But the Launch of the Week honors have to go to one of the genre’s most anticipated releases of the year… Montabi. It’s a launch that’s been on plenty of radars for months, and now it’s finally here for players to sink their teeth into. The Pokémon inspired game comes complete with cute graphics, addictive game play and a healthy dose of frustration. It’s way harder than you think it’s going to be.
Hot on its heels, and giving it a genuine run for its money, was Rogue Eclipse, which also made a strong case for launch of the week honors in its own right.
News of the Week
Compared to the flood of launches this week, the news cycle was a little more measured, but there was one story that stood out above the rest. Katanaut just got a serious upgrade.
Developer Voidmaw’s cosmic horror roguelite platformer, which launched to a loyal but somewhat under-the-radar following last year, has received a hefty free content update called Into the Void. The headline addition is a brutal new difficulty setting, Warp 4, which flips the entire station and sends elites hunting you the whole way down, definitely not one for the faint of heart. Alongside that, there’s a new late-game level, a new final boss and ending, fresh enemy variants, additional katana upgrades, new music, extra lore notes, and the usual round of balance tweaks and quality-of-life fixes.
If you’ve never played it, there’s genuinely never been a better time to jump in, with Katanaut currently sitting at a steep discount on Steam. For a game that already had a reputation as one of last year’s most underrated releases, this update gives players plenty of reasons to strap the katana back on and head into the void.
Featured Games of the Week
The two featured games this week couldn’t be more different, which is exactly how we like it. Our Hidden Gem of the Week is Brutal Orchestra, a turn-based roguelike that turns the afterlife into a twisted, cabaret-flavoured fever dream. It’s dark, it’s strange, and it’s exactly the kind of game we love shining a light on. You can read the full feature here.
Our Mobile Game of the Week goes to Order of Fate, a game that proves mobile roguelikes don’t have to pull their punches. It’s brutal, it’s unforgiving, and somehow it’s still one of the more addictive things we’ve played on a phone in a while. You can check out the full write-up here.
Upcoming Game to Watch
Our game to watch this week is Warhammer Survivors, and given who’s behind it, that’s not exactly a surprise. It’s being developed by Auroch Digital, the studio behind Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, working in partnership with poncle, the team behind Vampire Survivors, and Games Workshop itself. So yes, this is essentially the peanut butter and chocolate crossover a lot of us have been quietly hoping for.
As you’d expect from that pedigree, it’s a fast, frantic survivors game, but with a full Warhammer coat of paint. Players choose from a roster of iconic champions pulled from both the Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer: Age of Sigmar universes, including Boltgun’s own Malum Caedo and the Stormcast Eternal Neave Blacktalon, each with their own weapons and starting stats. From there, it’s the usual survivors loop turned up to eleven. You’ll be mowing down endless hordes of Tyranids, Skaven, and other factions across multiple stages, while collecting and evolving an arsenal of suitably Warhammer weaponry, from Boltguns and Astartes Chainswords to a rather more unconventional pot of Citadel Nuln Oil paint.
The demo has already proven seriously popular, racking up well over 190,000 players since launch, with more than half sticking around for over an hour. It’s currently slated for Steam, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and both Nintendo Switch consoles, with a mobile release also confirmed to follow later this year. With that kind of early buzz behind it, Warhammer Survivors is shaping up to be one of the genre’s biggest releases when it finally lands.
Releases You Might Have Missed
As always, plenty of games launched this week without getting the attention they deserve. Here are some of the smaller releases worth adding to your wishlist.
A Nibble Tale Looks to bring a lighter, more playful spin to the genre, mixing cosy visuals with rogue-style progression. It’s the kind of smaller release that could easily be overlooked, but it’s got plenty of charm for players wanting something a little softer between runs of heavier fare.
Marine Takes players beneath the waves for a survival-focused adventure, throwing underwater dangers and escalating threats at anyone brave enough to dive in. It’s another example of the genre finding fresh settings, and one worth a closer look if you fancy trading dungeons for the deep.
Lucky Shot Leans into chance-based mechanics, blending quick reflexes with roguelite progression to keep every run feeling a little different. If you enjoy games that reward both a steady hand and a bit of good fortune, this one’s worth adding to the pile.
Soul Last Bastion Mixes defensive strategy with rogue-inspired combat, tasking players with holding the line against increasingly relentless waves of enemies. It’s a promising pick for anyone who enjoys planning their defences just as carefully as their offence.
Slimehold Combines base-building with rogue-style survival, giving players a slime-filled world to fortify, expand, and defend as threats grow tougher with every run. It’s a colourful, slightly chaotic take on the formula that’s easy to recommend for fans of hybrid genres.
Talespinner Weaves narrative choices into its rogue-inspired structure, letting players shape their own story as they battle through each run. For anyone who likes a bit more storytelling alongside their strategy, this is one to keep an eye on.
The Last Ascender Sends players climbing through increasingly dangerous territory, combining traversal challenges with rogue-inspired combat and progression. It’s a promising pick for players who like their runs to feel like a genuine uphill battle, quite literally.
Summoner’s Gambit Blends creature-summoning mechanics with strategic, roguelite-driven battles, encouraging players to experiment with different combinations of allies as each run unfolds. It’s a solid choice for fans who enjoy building out a team rather than going it alone.
I’m No Demon Lord Puts a comedic spin on the genre’s darker trappings, following a reluctant antihero dragged into rogue-style chaos against their will. With its tongue-in-cheek premise, it’s a fun-looking release for anyone after something a little lighter.
Echoes of Kyria Offers a fantasy-flavoured adventure built around exploration and rogue-inspired progression, with players uncovering more of its world as each run pushes them further in. It’s another quieter release that deserves a bit more attention than it’s had.
Guild’s Requiem Combines party-based combat with roguelite structure, tasking players with building and managing a guild of adventurers as they take on increasingly dangerous contracts. It’s a promising pick for fans who like their runs built around a team rather than a lone hero.
Pentapip Brings a puzzle-driven twist to the genre, mixing strategic decision-making with rogue-style progression in a compact, easy-to-pick-up package. It’s the kind of smaller release that’s perfect for shorter sessions between bigger games.
Arcane Survival Throws players into a spell-slinging survivors-style adventure, piling on hordes of enemies as they chain together increasingly powerful magical builds. If you can’t get enough of the survivors formula, this is another solid option to add to the rotation.
Max Diceman Leans into dice-based mechanics, blending chance and strategy into its rogue-inspired runs. For players who enjoy a bit of unpredictability alongside their planning, it’s a neat spin on familiar systems.
Bloodmoon Survivors Offers another entry in the ever-popular survivors subgenre, wrapping horde-clearing action in a suitably moody, gothic setting. It’s a solid pick for anyone who can’t resist mowing down endless waves of enemies under a blood-red moon.
Poko Poko Field Brings a bright, playful presentation to its rogue-inspired progression, offering an easy-to-approach experience for players after something a little more laid-back. It’s a charming smaller release that rounds out this week’s list nicely.
That’s All for This Week
From Montabi finally arriving to the surprise Katanaut update and yet another huge pile of releases you might have missed, it’s been a genuinely busy week for the genre. Throw in cake, videos on the horizon, and a giveaway in the works here at AllRogues HQ, and it’s safe to say things aren’t slowing down on either side.
We’ll be back next week with another roundup of everything worth knowing from across the rogue genre. Until then, happy gaming, and we’ll see you soon.