What is the best game like Hades?

Hades II is the best game like Hades — it's the direct sequel from the same studio, and it left early access in September 2025. If you'd rather not play a sequel, Dead Cells is the closest for combat feel and Curse of the Dead Gods for the isometric, room-by-room run structure.

What roguelikes are most like Hades?

Curse of the Dead Gods, Hades II, and Rogue Legacy 2 are the closest in structure — isometric or run-based combat with progression that carries between attempts. Dead Cells is the closest for pure combat feel.

What games are most like Hades?

Dead Cells, Returnal, Skul: The Hero Slayer, Curse of the Dead Gods, and the direct sequel Hades II are the closest in feel and structure.

Is there a game like Hades with mythology?

Hades II pits you against the titan Chronos. Death Must Die sends a whole pantheon of anime-styled deities to hand out powers. KUTO: The Lock of Time binds you to the titan Kronos and turns his power back on the gods.

What is the closest game to Hades?

Hades II is the direct sequel. For the combat feel without the sequel, Dead Cells is the closest match.

Is Hades II worth playing?

Hades II hit its 1.0 release in September 2025, so it's no longer early access — Melinoe's story is finished, and the hexes, arcana cards, and second protagonist all pay off now that the arc has an ending.

What makes Hades different from other roguelikes?

The main distinction is how it handles narrative — dialogue, relationships, and story progress survive each death, so the loop feels like it is moving forward even when a run fails. The combat is also unusually responsive for the genre.

Are there action roguelikes with permanent progression like Hades?

Yes. Dead Cells, Returnal, and Rogue Legacy 2 carry some form of progress across runs, so repeated attempts build toward something rather than resetting entirely. KUTO: The Lock of Time takes a similar approach with its run-based loop, though it's a time-bending Metroidvania rather than a roguelike.

What is KUTO: The Lock of Time?

A time-bending action Metroidvania set across multiple historical eras. You play Jokoan Kuto, an outcast who merges with the titan Kronos and uses the Scythe of Kronos alongside time powers — slow, rewind, dash, and others — to fight through enemies sent by the gods.

Is Enter the Gungeon similar to Hades?

In structure, yes — both are roguelikes with run-based progression and a large pool of unlockables. Enter the Gungeon is a twin-stick bullet-hell shooter, so the combat feel is quite different from Hades' melee focus.

What action roguelikes are good for fans of fast melee combat?

Dead Cells, Hades, Skul: The Hero Slayer, and Curse of the Dead Gods all center fast melee, as does the upcoming KUTO: The Lock of Time, a time-bending action Metroidvania. Dead Cells and KUTO also layer in Metroidvania map design.

Does Returnal have a story like Hades?

Returnal has a story, but it is delivered through fragmented collectibles and environmental storytelling rather than through characters you build relationships with. It is more atmospheric and abstract than Hades.

Are there games like Hades with time travel?

Returnal uses a time-loop framing, though it is more of a structural conceit than an active mechanic. KUTO: The Lock of Time has actual time travel — Jokoan moves through eras from ancient Egypt and Rome to a cyber city and the far future.

How long is a run in games like Hades?

It varies by game and skill level. Hades runs can take 20 to 45 minutes. Dead Cells runs are similar, Windblown runs are shorter, and Returnal runs stretch much longer once you're deep into a biome. KUTO: The Lock of Time has not published run length data yet, but the multi-era structure suggests comparable depth.

Is Windblown like Hades?

Windblown comes from Motion Twin, the Dead Cells studio, and keeps Hades' run-based loop with permanent upgrades between attempts, but it trades single-player melee for one-to-three-player co-op across floating islands. It's still in early access, with a full 1.0 expected sometime in 2026.

How does Death Must Die compare to Hades?

Death Must Die borrows Hades' boon system almost directly — gods offer a choice of powers after each fight — then piles on Vampire Survivors-style horde combat, so a single encounter can fill the screen with enemies. Pick it if you liked Hades' divine powers more than its one-on-one melee pacing.

2026-06-11Updated 2026-07-22Andrii Kovalenko6 min read

Games Like Hades: 13 Roguelikes to Play Next

13 action roguelikes like Hades — Dead Cells, Windblown, Death Must Die, Hades II and more — plus mobile picks and the closest Hades alternative.

The closest thing to Hades is its own sequel: Hades II, which left early access in September 2025 and is now a finished game. After that, Dead Cells gets closest to the combat feel, and Curse of the Dead Gods gets closest to the room-by-room run structure. Hades set the bar in the first place with a run you actually want to repeat and a Greek-myth story told through death itself, so if you want that feeling again, here are thirteen action roguelikes worth your time, plus notes on which run on mobile, which is closest overall, and one upcoming game that leans into the myth angle harder than most.

Hades II

The obvious start, and no longer an early access pick. The sequel puts you in the role of Melinoe, Zagreus' witch sister, fighting the titan of time — Chronos himself — with hexes, arcana cards, and a new cast of Olympians. It reached its 1.0 release in September 2025 and came to PlayStation and Xbox in April 2026, so the story now has an ending. If you're on the fence, here's whether Hades II is worth it and how long Hades II takes to beat.

Dead Cells

Pure momentum. Dead Cells fuses a roguelike's run structure with Metroidvania map design, and its combat is some of the most responsive in the genre. Hundreds of hours of weapon combinations later, runs still feel fresh — and years on, it's still worth it in 2026. If it clicks, more games like Dead Cells go deeper.

Returnal

The high-budget take. Returnal wraps its roguelike loop in a third-person bullet-hell and a genuinely unsettling story, with a time-loop framing that makes the repetition feel intentional rather than mechanical — budget a fair few hours, as the how long to beat Returnal numbers show.

Skul: The Hero Slayer

The clever one. You play a small skeleton who swaps skulls to change combat styles entirely, so a "build" can shift the way you fight mid-run. It's lighter than Hades but just as easy to lose an evening to.

Risk of Rain 2

The power-fantasy one. Every item you grab stacks with the last, so a good run snowballs from cautious survival into bending the screen with damage. It's third-person and co-op-friendly, and the escalating pace hits the same "one more run" nerve as Hades.

Enter the Gungeon

The bullet-hell one. A twin-stick shooter with a ludicrous arsenal, tight dodge-rolling, and a sense of humour about its own difficulty. The melee feel is different from Hades, but the run-based structure and deep unlock pool are the same addiction.

Rogue Legacy 2

The generational one. Each death hands you an heir with quirky traits, and your gold buys permanent upgrades, so the roguelite progression sits front and center — closest in spirit to how Hades keeps you moving forward. Whether Rogue Legacy 2 is worth it breaks it down.

Curse of the Dead Gods

The closest structural cousin. An isometric dungeon-crawler where greed is a mechanic — grab more loot and the curses stack against you. If you want the Hades camera and room-by-room run with a darker tone, this is it. Here's how long Curse of the Dead Gods takes to beat.

Have a Nice Death

The stylish one. You play Death himself, underpaid and overworked, cutting through your own company in a hand-drawn side-scrolling roguelike. The weapon-and-spell combos and gorgeous art make it one of the best-looking picks on this list.

Windblown

The co-op speedrun. From Motion Twin, the studio behind Dead Cells, Windblown trades ground-level melee for gliding and dashing between floating islands with up to three players. Runs are shorter and faster than Dead Cells', built for quick repeat expeditions rather than one long crawl. It's still in early access — Motion Twin has said a full 1.0 is coming sometime in 2026.

Death Must Die

The horde hybrid. Death Must Die takes Hades' own boon structure almost wholesale — an anime-styled pantheon offers you a choice of powers after every fight — and buries it in the kind of screen-filling enemy waves Vampire Survivors made popular. Builds snowball harder here than anywhere else on this list, and a run can go from a lone skeleton to a wall of damage numbers in a few minutes.

Ravenswatch

The co-op one. From the Curse of the Dead Gods team, Ravenswatch turns dark fairy-tale heroes loose in an isometric action roguelite built for solo or four-player runs, with a day-night timer that pushes you to keep moving.

Wizard of Legend

The spellcaster's pick. Fast, combo-driven magic where you chain spell "arcana" into aggressive rushdown runs. It's smaller in scope than Hades but nails the quick, replayable loop.

At a glance: run length, builds, and story

Game	Run length	Build variety	Story density
Hades	20–45 min	High	Heavy
Hades II	25–45 min	High	Heavy
Dead Cells	20–40 min	High	Light
Returnal	2–4 hrs (full run)	Medium	Fragmented
Windblown	10–20 min	Medium	Minimal
Death Must Die	15–30 min	High	Light
Curse of the Dead Gods	30–45 min	Medium	Light
Rogue Legacy 2	15–30 min	Medium	Light

Which of these are on mobile?

If you want a Hades-like on your phone, a few of these travel well. Dead Cells has a full iOS and Android port with touch and controller support. Hades itself is on iPhone, iPad, and Android through Netflix Games. And Exit the Gungeon — Enter the Gungeon's spin-off — is playable on mobile via Apple Arcade. The rest are best on PC or console for now.

So which is the closest Hades alternative?

If you just want more Hades, Hades II is the direct sequel and the obvious answer — and now that it's out of early access, there's no unfinished-game caveat left. For the same fast melee feel without a sequel, Dead Cells is the closest match; for the same isometric, room-by-room run structure, Curse of the Dead Gods is the nearest cousin; and if it's the boon system specifically you miss, Death Must Die copies it almost move for move. Want more myth in the mix? Mythology roguelikes about gods and titans and our best roguelike games roundup go wider — and if the genre itself is new to you, here's what a roguelike actually is.

Coming soon: KUTO: The Lock of Time

If the Greek-myth side of Hades is what hooked you, KUTO: The Lock of Time is our own game. It runs with that angle, but it is a time-bending Metroidvania, not a roguelike. It keeps the parts that make Hades work: fast melee, a die-and-retry run loop, permanent progress. You play Jokoan Kuto, an outcast time guardian betrayed by the gods, who survives by merging with the titan Kronos and turns the titan's power back on them, adding time itself as a second weapon. There is a longer overview of everything we know if you want the full picture.

Add KUTO: The Lock of Time to your wishlist on Steam to follow it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best game like Hades?: Hades II is the best game like Hades — it's the direct sequel from the same studio, and it left early access in September 2025. If you'd rather not play a sequel, Dead Cells is the closest for combat feel and Curse of the Dead Gods for the isometric, room-by-room run structure.
Are there games like Hades on mobile?: Yes. Dead Cells has a full iOS and Android port, Hades itself is on iPhone, iPad, and Android through Netflix Games, and Exit the Gungeon is on mobile via Apple Arcade.
What roguelikes are most like Hades?: Curse of the Dead Gods, Hades II, and Rogue Legacy 2 are the closest in structure — isometric or run-based combat with progression that carries between attempts. Dead Cells is the closest for pure combat feel.
What games are most like Hades?: Dead Cells, Returnal, Skul: The Hero Slayer, Curse of the Dead Gods, and the direct sequel Hades II are the closest in feel and structure.
Is there a game like Hades with mythology?: Hades II pits you against the titan Chronos. Death Must Die sends a whole pantheon of anime-styled deities to hand out powers. KUTO: The Lock of Time binds you to the titan Kronos and turns his power back on the gods.
What is the closest game to Hades?: Hades II is the direct sequel. For the combat feel without the sequel, Dead Cells is the closest match.
Is Hades II worth playing?: Hades II hit its 1.0 release in September 2025, so it's no longer early access — Melinoe's story is finished, and the hexes, arcana cards, and second protagonist all pay off now that the arc has an ending.
What makes Hades different from other roguelikes?: The main distinction is how it handles narrative — dialogue, relationships, and story progress survive each death, so the loop feels like it is moving forward even when a run fails. The combat is also unusually responsive for the genre.
Are there action roguelikes with permanent progression like Hades?: Yes. Dead Cells, Returnal, and Rogue Legacy 2 carry some form of progress across runs, so repeated attempts build toward something rather than resetting entirely. KUTO: The Lock of Time takes a similar approach with its run-based loop, though it's a time-bending Metroidvania rather than a roguelike.
What is KUTO: The Lock of Time?: A time-bending action Metroidvania set across multiple historical eras. You play Jokoan Kuto, an outcast who merges with the titan Kronos and uses the Scythe of Kronos alongside time powers — slow, rewind, dash, and others — to fight through enemies sent by the gods.
Is Enter the Gungeon similar to Hades?: In structure, yes — both are roguelikes with run-based progression and a large pool of unlockables. Enter the Gungeon is a twin-stick bullet-hell shooter, so the combat feel is quite different from Hades' melee focus.
What action roguelikes are good for fans of fast melee combat?: Dead Cells, Hades, Skul: The Hero Slayer, and Curse of the Dead Gods all center fast melee, as does the upcoming KUTO: The Lock of Time, a time-bending action Metroidvania. Dead Cells and KUTO also layer in Metroidvania map design.
Does Returnal have a story like Hades?: Returnal has a story, but it is delivered through fragmented collectibles and environmental storytelling rather than through characters you build relationships with. It is more atmospheric and abstract than Hades.
Are there games like Hades with time travel?: Returnal uses a time-loop framing, though it is more of a structural conceit than an active mechanic. KUTO: The Lock of Time has actual time travel — Jokoan moves through eras from ancient Egypt and Rome to a cyber city and the far future.
How long is a run in games like Hades?: It varies by game and skill level. Hades runs can take 20 to 45 minutes. Dead Cells runs are similar, Windblown runs are shorter, and Returnal runs stretch much longer once you're deep into a biome. KUTO: The Lock of Time has not published run length data yet, but the multi-era structure suggests comparable depth.
Is Windblown like Hades?: Windblown comes from Motion Twin, the Dead Cells studio, and keeps Hades' run-based loop with permanent upgrades between attempts, but it trades single-player melee for one-to-three-player co-op across floating islands. It's still in early access, with a full 1.0 expected sometime in 2026.
How does Death Must Die compare to Hades?: Death Must Die borrows Hades' boon system almost directly — gods offer a choice of powers after each fight — then piles on Vampire Survivors-style horde combat, so a single encounter can fill the screen with enemies. Pick it if you liked Hades' divine powers more than its one-on-one melee pacing.

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Jun 11, 2026