It’s been a busy week here at AllRogues. Alongside testing new games for upcoming reviews, we’ve added a retro-inspired live chat to the site, we’re busy planning new features, preparing future giveaways, and finding even more ways for you to earn Aura. The Aura Shop continues to grow too, with plenty more rewards already planned over the coming months.
It hasn’t just been busy behind the scenes, either. The past seven days have delivered some fantastic new rogue game launches, a handful of releases that deserve far more attention than they’ve received, and some big announcements from a few of the genre’s biggest names. We also crowned a new Mobile Game of the Week and Hidden Gem of the Week, shining a spotlight on two games you may not have heard of that are well worth your time.
So, if you’ve been too busy to keep up with the latest rogue game news, don’t worry, we’ve compiled everything worth knowing right here in one place. There’s even games to watch and releases that didn’t make it into our earlier news. From the biggest launches and stories to the games that may have slipped under your radar, here’s everything you might have missed this week…
Launch of the Week
There’s been plenty of exciting launches over the past seven days, but Tears of Metal was undoubtedly the biggest. It’s been one of the most anticipated rogue releases of the year, with more than 250,000 players checking out the demo before launch, so expectations were understandably high. Thankfully, the Early Access release looks to be living up to that excitement.
Developed by Paper Cult, Tears of Metal throws you into large-scale medieval battles where you’ll fight alongside your Scottish battalion to reclaim your homeland from invading forces. Whether you’re playing solo or with up to four players in co-op, every campaign is built around discovering powerful upgrade combinations, strengthening your settlement, and gradually turning your army into an unstoppable force. After such a strong showing during its demo period, it’s no surprise this was our Launch of the Week.
Other Big Releases This Week…
Tears of Metal wasn’t the only game making waves. Ashbound Expanse finally launched after months of anticipation, while Dominion of the Forgotten and the unsettling co-op horror adventure Pass the Fear also made their debuts. Elsewhere, Bearicade arrived with its cute survival action, Nightmare Frontier brought tactical extraction gameplay to the genre, and Celestial Descends gave action RPG fans another new world to dive into. Hand of Fate: Hordes also entered Early Access, expanding the beloved Hand of Fate universe in a very different direction.
It was also great to finally see Mycofall reach players after its planned launch was delayed by unexpected legal issues earlier this month. And rounding out an incredibly busy week were Pit Panic, which swapped swords for grappling hooks and frantic platforming, along with a host of smaller launches that once again showed just how varied the rogue genre has become.
News of the Week
It wasn’t just new releases making headlines this week. A handful of major stories gave us plenty to talk about, from surprise announcements to long-awaited updates for some of the genre’s most beloved games. Narrowing it down wasn’t easy, but one reveal stood above the rest.
That honor goes to Darkest Dungeon. Nearly a decade after Red Hook Studios first introduced players to its bleak world of stress, suffering, and spectacularly bad decisions, the original game is receiving a surprise DLC this August.
It’s an announcement few people saw coming. We covered everything you need to know earlier this week, and it’s easily our biggest news story of the past seven days.
Coming in a very close second was Death Road to Canada’s enormous 10th Anniversary Update. Rather than simply celebrating the milestone, Rocketcat Games has delivered a substantial content update packed with new features, improvements, and reasons to hit the zombie-filled road all over again. For a game that’s been entertaining players for a decade, it’s a reminder that some of the best rogue games never really stop evolving.
Featured Games of the Week
Every week, we like to shine a spotlight on a couple of games that deserve a little extra attention. One is a hidden gem that we feel more rogue fans should know about, while the other is a mobile game for those looking to game on the go. Here are this week’s picks…
Our Hidden Gem of the Week was The Void Rains Upon Her Heart, a bullet hell roguelite that’s quietly been building an incredibly loyal following throughout its lengthy Early Access journey. First released back in 2018, it now boasts an Overwhelmingly Positive Steam rating thanks to its inventive boss-focused combat, heartfelt storytelling, and staggering amount of content. It’s the kind of game that’s easy to overlook simply because it’s been around for so long, but as we discovered this week, there’s every reason to give it another look.
Over on mobile, we crowned Aftermagic – Roguelike RPG as our Mobile Game of the Week. Combining deckbuilding with a sprawling fantasy adventure, it offers far more depth than you might expect from a game you can play on your phone. With tactical card battles, character progression, and an expansive world to explore, it’s another reminder that some of the best rogue experiences aren’t limited to PC or console.
Upcoming Game to Watch
This week’s game to watch came onto our radar in the past 24 hours…Hellbridge.
Set to launch on August 13, it’s an intense wave-based action roguelite about defending the last bridge between the living world and Hell, but it’s the game’s unusual community challenge that’s stealing the spotlight.
According to the developer on the game’s Steam listing, every wishlist adds one extra enemy to the final wave. Assuming they stick to that promise, players are essentially making the game harder every time they show their support, which has to be one of the most entertaining marketing ideas we’ve seen in a while.
Beyond that, Hellbridge looks promising in its own right. Each run revolves around drafting spells, creating powerful synergies, strengthening a loyal spirit companion, and venturing through cursed gates to strike back at the source of the invasion. It’s definitely one we’ll be keeping a close eye on over the next few weeks.
Releases You Might Have Missed
With so many high-profile launches arriving over the past week, it would’ve been easy for a few smaller releases to get lost in the shuffle. If you’re looking for something a little different to add to your wishlist, or jump into this weekend, these are some of the games you might want to check out…
Stickman Cultivating Immortality
Inspired by Xianxia fantasy, Stickman Cultivating Immortality mixes fast-paced action with character cultivation, spirit beasts, magical treasures, and combo-driven combat. Set across floating realms filled with demons and powerful bosses, it offers a surprisingly ambitious take on the action roguelike genre despite its minimalist stickman presentation.
Rustplow (Early Access)
Rustplow throws you into a hostile wasteland where every expedition revolves around upgrading and maintaining your heavily armed vehicle. Combining vehicular combat, exploration, and roguelite progression, it’s an interesting Early Access debut that stands out thanks to its focus on survival behind the wheel.
Soul Monsters: The Machine Kingdom and the Lich Queen
If monster collecting is more your style, Soul Monsters: The Machine Kingdom and the Lich Queen combines turn-based battles with roguelite progression. You recruit creatures, build your team, and venture through a mechanical kingdom corrupted by dark magic. It looks like a great mix of familiar RPG mechanics and replayable runs.
Crowns & Chaos (Early Access)
Crowns & Chaos enters Early Access with a combination of roguelite progression and kingdom management. Every run challenges you to grow your realm, make strategic decisions, and survive increasingly difficult encounters, creating a game that’s as much about planning ahead as it is reacting in the moment.
Limitless Survivor
Limitless Survivor leans into the ever-popular survivors formula, throwing huge enemy hordes at you while encouraging increasingly outrageous builds through permanent progression and powerful upgrades. If you enjoy experimenting with different combinations while mowing through thousands of enemies, it’s worth a look.
Endless Tower Survivors
Rather than surviving across sprawling maps, Endless Tower Survivors traps you inside a tower packed with relentless enemy waves. As you climb higher, you’ll unlock new upgrades, strengthen your build, and see how long you can survive against the increasingly overwhelming odds.
Gamble Hard Exit
Casino-inspired rogue games continue to grow in popularity, and Gamble Hard Exit is another fresh arrival to join the trend. Built around risk, rewards, and strategic decision-making, it offers a different take on roguelite progression where every choice can dramatically change how your run unfolds.
Battle Echoes
Battle Echoes combines tactical combat with roguelite progression, encouraging you to adapt your strategy as battles evolve. Rather than relying purely on fast reactions, success comes from building an effective team and making smart decisions as each run presents new challenges.
Nightmare Raid: Blood Card Storm
Nightmare Raid: Blood Card Storm mixes deckbuilding with roguelike progression in a dark fantasy setting where cards, upgrades, and carefully planned strategies determine whether you survive each increasingly dangerous encounter. Fans of card battlers should definitely give this a look.
Tidal Break
Set on the open sea, Tidal Break combines naval combat, exploration, and roguelite progression into an adventure where every voyage presents fresh dangers and opportunities. Its ocean setting alone helps it stand apart from the many dungeon-focused roguelikes released throughout the year.
RailRogue
Few settings suit roguelites quite like trains, and RailRogue makes the most of it. Every run revolves around defending and upgrading your locomotive while battling through dangerous encounters on the tracks, creating another inventive spin on the genre’s familiar run-based progression.
That’s a Wrap for This Week
From blockbuster launches to surprise announcements, it feels like there’s barely been a moment to catch your breath this week. Throw in a growing list of overlooked releases, another fantastic Hidden Gem and Mobile Game of the Week, and plenty happening behind the scenes here at AllRogues, and it’s safe to say there’s been a lot going on.
We’ll be back next week to do it all again, bringing you the biggest launches, the most interesting news, the games that deserve more attention, and everything else worth knowing from across the genre.
Until then, happy gaming, and if you picked up anything interesting this week, we’d love to hear what you’ve been playing.