Dead Cells conquered gamers’ hearts with its secrets, procedurally generated levels, and memorable personalities. But we may have a few other games heavily resembling this platform gem!
DC is a unique roguelike video game revolving around the Prisoner character trying to flee a dangerous island. The game is literally dripping with smooth combat, fun upgrades, secrets, and challenges – so much so that approximately 3,000 players play it daily! If you enjoyed this title, check out its alternatives on our list of the best video games like Dead Cells!
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Rogue Legacy | 2013-06-27 | Adventure | Cellar Door Games |
 | Slay The Spire | 2019-01-23 | Indie | Mega Crit Games |
 | Ziggurat | 2014-10-23 | Adventure | Milkstone Studios |
 | Crypt Of The Necrodancer | 2015-04-23 | Action & Shooter | Brace Yourself Games |
 | Nuclear Throne | 2015-12-05 | Adventure | Vlambeer |
| | Rogue Legacy | 2013-06-27 | Adventure | Cellar Door Games |
 | Ziggurat 2 | 2020-10-22 | Action | Milkstone Studios |
 | A Robot Named Fight | 2017-09-07 | Indie | Morningstar Game Studio |
 | Enter The Gungeon | 2016-04-05 | Adventure | Dodge Roll |
 | Hades | 2019-12-10 | Indie | Supergiant Games |
 | Rogue Legacy 2 | 2020-08-18 | Indie | Cellar Door Games |
 | Into The Breach | 2018-02-27 | Indie | Subset Games |
 | Risk Of Rain 2 | 2019-03-28 | Indie | Hopoo Games |
 | Skul The Hero Slayer | 2021-01-21 | Indie | SouthPaw Games |
 | Hollow Knight | 2017-02-24 | Action & Shooter | Team Cherry |
 | Hades II | 2024-05 | Indie | Supergiant Games |
 | Dreamscaper | 2020-08-14 | Indie | Afterburner Studios |
 | Blasphemous | 2019-09-10 | Adventure | The Game Kitchen |
 | Unsighted | 2021-09-30 | Action | Studio Pixel Punk |
 | Ender Lilies Quietus Of The Knights | 2021-01-21 | Metroidvania | Live Wire |
 | Blasphemous 2 | 2024-08-24 | Indie | The Game Kitchen |
 | Chasm | 2018-07-31 | Adventure | Bit Kid, Inc. |
 | Sundered Eldritch Edition | 2017-07-28 | Indie | Thunder Lotus Games |
 | Wizard Of Legend | 2018-05-15 | Indie | Contingent99 |
Skul: The Hero Slayer
| Release date: | 2021-01-21 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | SouthPaw Games |
Similarly to DC, Skul: The Hero Slayer is a graphically beautiful roguelike action platformer delivering endlessly challenging procedurally generated levels.
When the Demon King’s Castle falls under the invasion, only Skul can save the monarch and his demons. Confront hordes of enemies, develop skills, create deadly combos, and fight mighty bosses to proceed or start over. The game features permadeath, so there’s always something new to discover!
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Hollow Knight
| Release date: | 2017-02-24 |
| Genre: | Action & Shooter |
| Developer: | Team Cherry |
It is a charming indie game featuring a tiny Hollow Knight confronting various dangers inhabiting the open world of the mysterious Hallownest.
Battle over 130 unique enemies and 30 bosses in the ancient kingdom beneath the town of Dirtmouth. The proper battle strategy really matters, so prepare yourself and equip the right upgrades to rise stronger and faster. In addition to the DC-like combat system, the game offers a charming audiovisual setting, making this world truly unforgettable.
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Hades
| Release date: | 2019-12-10 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | Supergiant Games |
This roguelike role-playing game takes its players to the world of Greek myths and lets them play as Zagreus, the son of Hades himself!
Playing as the prince of the Underworld, you must do everything to escape this place and reach Olympus. Proceed through procedurally generated levels, meet legendary characters from Greek myths, gain unique skills, and enjoy endless replayability!
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Dreamscaper
| Release date: | 2020-08-14 |
| Genre: | Puzzle |
| Developer: | Afterburner Studios |
Although this game shares similar features with DC regarding combat, it provides an entirely different, almost oneiric atmosphere.
Play as Cassidy, a not-so-ordinary girl suffering from depression. In this unique game, the adventure divides itself into night and day. During the day, you can explore the city of Redhaven as much as you want to make friends and develop skills. At night, it’s time to fight Cassidy’s worst nightmares. There is also permadeath, omnipresent secrets, and infinite replayability!
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Blasphemous
| Release date: | 2019-09-10 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | The Game Kitchen |
It is a dark DC alternative designed for players aged 16 and up. Play it if you’re seeking a soulslike platformer with religious themes!
Play as The Penitent One, the only hero capable of confronting the fanatical practices that rule the land of Cvstodia. Fight in real-time, slay hideous creatures, discover story bits, and enjoy the endless suffering of your vile enemies. This brutal recommendation is perfect for fans of disturbing Metroidvanias!
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Unsighted
| Release date: | 2021-09-30 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Studio Pixel Punk |
Like DC, this game is brimming with secret shortcuts, replayability, and super fast-paced battles!
Play as Alma, a female Automaton trying to save her friends in a post-war world. Collect chips to unlock stylish builds, make challenging choices, complete tasks, and craft to fall in love with this tough cyberpunk reality. This world’s fate depends entirely on your actions!
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ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights
| Release date: | 2021-01-21 |
| Genre: | Metroidvania |
| Developer: | Live Wire |
This dark fantasy action RPG revolves around Lily – a young woman recruiting cursed knights to discover the source of the cataclysm that ruined the once-beautiful kingdom of Land’s End.
Sharing DC-style combat and a Hollow Knight-inspired healing system, Ender Lilies is nothing like other games on this list, delivering approximately 20 hours of gameplay with 100% completion. Its touching storyline, anime-like graphics, and the option to recruit cursed knights may be your new must-play if you prefer gloomy stories with a tiny spark of hope.
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Chasm
| Release date: | 2018-07-31 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Bit Kid, Inc. |
Like DC, this game is also a side-scrolling roguelike following the adventures of a hero who wants to escape a mysterious and treacherous place. It’s a perfect recommendation for enthusiasts of 80s classics!
The people of Guildean Kingdom have mysteriously disappeared, and it is your job to save them. To achieve this goal, you must confront hordes of vile creatures, explore forgotten locations, and battle mighty bosses ruling this once-peaceful place. With hand-crafted rooms, pixel art, and randomly generated dungeons included!
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Sundered
| Release date: | 2017-07-28 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | Thunder Lotus Games |
Inspired by H. P. Lovecraft’s works, this hand-drawn Metroidvania takes you to a post-apocalyptic world to grant you a challenging choice – remain yourself or lose your humanity.
Make choices to discover several endings to this extraordinary story of Eshe – a wanderer traversing a ruined reality. Each upgrade takes away a part of your humanity, so choose carefully to experience the storyline in the best way possible. What’s more, you can play it locally with three other players!
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Wizard of Legend
| Release date: | 2018-05-15 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | Contingent99 |
Just like DC, Wizard of Legend is an incredibly fast-paced dungeon crawler with roguelike elements. Only staying on the move can help you survive!
Take part in unique Chaos Trials to beat all your opponents and win the Wizard of Legend title! Prepare for challenging tasks, unpredictable opponents, spectacular magic combos, and satisfying pixel-art animations. Procedurally generated levels ensure infinite replayability!
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Conclusion
Once upon a time, video games were simpler. Just kidding, they still are! Challenging gameplay combined with deep exploration in titles like DC continues to allure in 2024. This unique combination of the best in Metroidvania and roguelike makes these games highly replayable and fun. The indie scene blossoms thanks to these beautiful and engaging titles, which shows how much we need them. After all, they expand what made video games popular – the pure core of the gameplay loop.