Over the past month we’ve covered everything from bananas wielding machine guns to poker-inspired deckbuilders, bullet heavens,and tactical strategy games. My Steam library is honestly getting a little out of hand.
With so many releases arriving in such a short space of time, it would’ve been easy for a few great games to slip through the cracks. So, before we dive headfirst into July, here’s a look back at some of the roguelikes and roguelites that made June such a great month for roguelite and roguelike fans.
Whether you somehow missed one of these at launch or you’re wondering what deserves a place in your ever-growing backlog, these are the games that stood out to us.
River City Saga: Journey to the West | Released June 3rd
There’s something oddly comforting about seeing River City still finding new ways to reinvent itself.
River City Saga: Journey to the West mixes the series’ trademark brawling with roguelite progression, creating something that feels familiar without simply repeating what came before. The combat is easy to pick up, every run introduces fresh upgrades, and the whole thing carries the same lighthearted energy the series has always been known for.
Sometimes you don’t need a game to reinvent the genre. You just need it to remind you why you liked it in the first place.
GRIMLOOP| Released June 4th
Every now and then a game comes along that immediately tells you what sort of experience you’re in for. GRIMLOOP wastes absolutely no time.
Its dark atmosphere, relentless combat, and fast-paced progression combine to create a roguelite that’s constantly pushing players forward. Runs rarely slow down for long, but there’s still plenty of room to experiment with different builds as you gradually discover which combinations suit your playstyle best.
If your idea of a relaxing evening doesn’t involve relentless enemies trying to ruin your day, you might want to look elsewhere. Everyone else should probably give it a look.
Killer Bean| Released June 8th
It takes surprisingly little time to stop questioning why you’re playing as a gun-toting coffee bean. Killer Bean leans fully into its wonderfully ridiculous premise, but beneath the over-the-top action sits a genuinely satisfying roguelite that rewards experimentation just as much as quick reflexes.
Every mission gives you the freedom to approach combat your own way, whether that means diving headfirst into spectacular shootouts or taking a more measured approach. Between the fluid movement, stylish slow-motion action, and steady stream of upgrades, every encounter feels like another excuse to see what outrageous stunt you can pull off next.
It’s one of those games that sounds completely absurd when you describe it to someone else. Spend half an hour playing it, though, and you’ll be hooked.
Cursemark | Released June 8th
Cursemark takes a more deliberate approach than many modern action roguelites, rewarding careful play and thoughtful build choices over simply overwhelming enemies with raw power.
Every run gradually expands your options, introducing new abilities and synergies that encourage experimentation without ever becoming overwhelming. The result is a progression system that feels consistently rewarding, whether you’re discovering a powerful new combination or simply surviving a little longer than your previous attempt.
It’s a confident debut that understands one of the genre’s biggest strengths: giving players just enough reason to immediately start another run.
Lost Castle 2 | Released June 11th
Lost Castle 2 is a fun, addictive sequel. Everything that made the first game such an easy recommendation is still here, but it all feels a little bigger, a little smoother, and a lot more confident. Whether you’re venturing into the castle alone or dragging a few friends along for the ride, every run quickly turns into a satisfying mix of frantic brawling, ridiculous weapon combinations, and the occasional moment where your carefully thought-out plan disappears in spectacular fashion.
The full 1.0 release also brought a proper ending to the story, expanded endgame content, new systems, more monsters, gear, and additional challenges, giving both newcomers and Early Access veterans plenty of reasons to head back inside.
Dark Scrolls | Released June 22nd
Dark Scrolls is one of those roguelites that constantly rewards curiosity. Every run introduces another mechanic, enemy, or interaction that quietly encourages you to experiment, making discovery just as satisfying as surviving.
Combat is fast, chaotic, and occasionally overwhelming, but that’s very much part of its charm. The more time you spend with it, the more its systems begin to reveal themselves, turning what initially feels unpredictable into something surprisingly strategic.
I enjoyed it enough to give it a full review here on AllRogues, which you can view here if you missed it. It’s not always an easy game, but it’s certainly one of June’s most memorable releases.
Relief | Released June 23rd
The best deckbuilders don’t just reward clever planning. They encourage experimentation, then happily step aside while you discover a combination the developers probably never expected. Relief embraces that philosophy from the very beginning.
Drawing inspiration from Journey to the West, this roguelike deckbuilder throws players into a world of corrupted deities, demons, and twisted urban legends. Along the way, you’ll recruit powerful spirits, collect new cards, and pile on artifacts that gradually transform an ordinary build into something wonderfully unbalanced.
Half the fun comes from chasing those absurdly overpowered synergies. Every run feels like an invitation to push the game’s systems a little further, discovering just how spectacularly you can bend the rules before everything inevitably comes crashing down.
Bulletreign: Survivors | Released June 23rd
Bullet heavens have become one of the fastest-growing corners of the roguelite genre, but Bulletreign: Survivors still manages to stand out thanks to its relentless pace and wonderfully over-the-top action.
Runs quickly evolve from manageable skirmishes into spectacular displays of explosions, projectiles, and increasingly absurd upgrade combinations. Like the best games in the genre, there’s a constant sense that your next level-up could completely transform the way the run unfolds.
If your idea of a good evening involves filling the screen with so many visual effects that you can barely see your own character anymore, Bulletreign: Survivors is well worth a look.
Runeveil | Released June 23rd
June wasn’t exactly short of action roguelites, which made Runeveil’s slower, more thoughtful approach feel surprisingly refreshing.
Instead of throwing dozens of mechanics at you in the opening ten minutes, it gradually lets every run reveal something new. Builds evolve naturally, combat becomes more satisfying the longer you spend with it, and before long you’re making decisions that would’ve made absolutely no sense when you first booted the game up.
It’s not the loudest release of the month, but it might just be one of the easiest to keep coming back to.
Quadrix | Released June 23rd
Not every roguelite wants to test your reflexes. Quadrix is much happier testing your patience, your planning, and occasionally your ability to admit that the decision you made three turns ago was a terrible one.
Every run becomes a series of small decisions that slowly build into something much bigger, rewarding players who enjoy solving problems just as much as surviving them. It’s a refreshing change of pace in a month that was otherwise packed with wonderfully chaotic action games.
Once a Pawn, a King | Released June 25th
Chess is already stressful enough before someone breaks the board, steals the king, and starts handing out magical powers to the pieces. Thankfully, Once a Pawn, a King understands exactly how ridiculous that sounds, and leans into it.
This asymmetric turn-based roguelike sends you into the fractured castle of the evil White King, where you gather the Black Army, build a party of chess pieces, and fight across boards that no longer care much for traditional rules. Pawns, knights, bishops, and other familiar pieces become part of a growing tactical squad, each run pushing you to rethink your strategy as new abilities and upgrades reshape the match.
It is chess by way of chaos, turning one of the most familiar strategy games in the world into something stranger, sharper, and far more unpredictable.
Slot or Die | Released June 25th
I’ve said it before, and June did absolutely nothing to change my mind, roguelites can make just about any idea work.
Slot machines probably shouldn’t make for great game mechanics, yet Slot or Die somehow turns spinning reels into one of the month’s more entertaining progression systems. Every run becomes a balancing act between chasing bigger rewards and deciding just how much you’re willing to gamble before everything inevitably falls apart.
It’s another reminder that some of the genre’s best ideas arrive wrapped in concepts that sound completely ridiculous on paper.
DogPunk | Released June 25th
June gave us bananas with machine guns, coffee beans starring in action movies, and now… cyberpunk dogs.
At this point I stopped questioning anything.
DogPunk throws players into a vibrant futuristic world packed with frantic combat, quirky characters, and enough upgrades to keep every run feeling different. It’s energetic, unapologetically weird, and fully commits to its own identity from the very beginning.
The roguelite genre has never really been afraid of unusual ideas. DogPunk is simply the latest reminder that sometimes those ideas are the most memorable ones.
Chronicles of Nameless Heroes | Released June 26th
Not every roguelite needs to move at breakneck speed to keep you invested.
Chronicles of Nameless Heroes takes a more measured approach, giving players time to explore its world, experiment with different strategies, and gradually build a party capable of overcoming increasingly difficult challenges. Every new run feels like another chapter rather than simply another attempt.
It’s a fitting way to round off a month that showcased just how much variety the roguelite genre now has to offer. Not every game wants to overwhelm you with chaos, and honestly, that’s no bad thing.