Roguelite

Dunebound Tactics enters an increasingly crowded field of party-based tactical roguelites in 2026 and somehow manages not to feel like all the others we’ve played this year. Combat feels relatively straightforward and doesn’t rely on much flash, but there’s enough underneath that it still has depth. Multiple classes and their variations begin creating some fun combinations between party members, while the front and rear lines allow backup caravan members to rotate in between fights or replace those who don’t survive the journey. During fights the backline can lend their special abilities to those on the battlefield. ...

Quasimorph reaches its 1.0 release after a stay in Early Access, giving what felt like the first genuine opportunity to dig into its systems beyond an initial short glimpse. The turn-based tactical combat and dungeon crawl quickly proved to be one of the game’s strongest qualities. Battles are often, dangerous, and satisfying enough that each encounter rewards careful planning rather than reckless aggression. By the end of the session, the combat itself had become genuinely enjoyable. ...

Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand takes an unusual approach to expanding an existing game. While technically a standalone release, it functions much like a new game mode for Company of Heroes 3, even integrating with the base game for owners while also being sold separately. The centerpiece is Last Stand, a roguelite-inspired survival mode where increasingly powerful waves of enemies must be held back through smart unit choices, a little RNG, upgrades, and tactical positioning. It offers a fresh spin on the traditional Company of Heroes formula. ...

Nightmare Frontier made its debute on the play list just ahead of its 1.0 release, though this marked a first real examination despite the game’s year long Early Access period. Initial expectations pointed toward a tactical RPG in the vein of Desperados or Wasteland. Those expectations lasted only a few minutes as they were miles off. Beneath its western horror setting lies something entirely different: a roguelite extraction game where every expedition into the city’s nightmare-infested neighborhoods is a calculated risk. Each run asks players to choose their path, complete objectives, gather loot, and most importantly—survive long enough to escape. Failure comes at the price of losing all your collected loot. Though your crew and the loot you brought in do get out. ...

Fogpiercer arrived on the stream before it’s release with characteristics that demand attention: a train barreling through a frozen wasteland, defending itself against relentless attacks and plenty of RNG. Blending roguelite progression with deckbuilding mechanics, each run challenges players to balance offense, defense, and the limited space available aboard the train. Every additional wagon is valuable if you can get them, forcing meaningful decisions about how the wagons should evolve over the course of a run. ...

Apocalypse Express arrives at the station following nearly a year of Early Access development, with a full 1.0 release just around the corner. Although this evaluation was conducted prior to the launch version, the game was already giving a full and enjoyable experience. Built around a roguelite structure, the game places players in command of a train attempting to survive a hostile world through careful upgrades, resource management, and increasingly difficult encounters. The core gameplay loop quickly establishes itself as both challenging and rewarding. ...

Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes arrives from Alt Shift, the developers behind Crying Suns, and immediately carries traces of that studio’s earlier work into the Battlestar Galactica universe. ...

Drill Core finally enters the record following the release of the Machine World DLC, marking its first appearance in a streamed evaluation despite prior off-stream experience. ...

Bloodletter arrives in Early Access with a distinctive premise, blending deckbuilding roguelite mechanics with the grim aesthetics of a medieval barber-surgeon. The result is both thematic and mechanically engaging. ...

ITER-8 is a compact roguelite built around a simple but satisfying loop. Players pilot a mining pod that drills upward through blocks, gathering resources and upgrades before returning to defend the base against incoming enemies. ...