The Polygon piece on Lost in Random: Eternal Die leaving Game Pass put a sharp point on what a lot of roguelike players have been thinking: the post-Hades wave produced more genuinely good action roguelikes than any reasonable Game Pass rotation can hold, and the search for “what should I play after Hades” is permanent. Hades is the high-water mark — the run length, the narrative payoff per failure, the boon system, the voice acting — and most contenders take one of those pillars and run with it.
We tested seven Hades alternatives across Windows, macOS, and Linux. The list is built around the loop that makes Hades work: short focused runs, meaningful build choices, escalating difficulty, and a meta layer that gives long-term progression a shape. Linux compatibility noted per game; most have Steam Deck verification.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Cost | Standout | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hades II | The obvious sequel from Supergiant | $29.99 | More Hades, dramatically expanded | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Dead Cells | Metroidvania-roguelike fusion | $24.99 | Combat speed and weapon variety | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Returnal | Bullet-hell roguelike on PC | $59.99 | Third-person bullet-hell loop | Windows |
| Cult of the Lamb | Roguelike with base management | $24.99 | Cult-management meta-layer | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Risk of Rain 2 | Co-op roguelike with item stacking | $24.99 | Up to four players online | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Slay the Spire | Deckbuilder roguelike | $24.99 | The deckbuilding template | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Hyper Light Breaker | 3D roguelike with mobility focus | $29.99 | Hyper Light setting in 3D | Windows |
Why “what next after Hades” is the question
The Hades discussion threads, Steam community board, and Supergiant subreddit all settle on the same checklist of what makes the game work:
- Run length tuned so that a single failed attempt is meaningful, not punishing — typically 25 to 40 minutes
- Build variety where boons and weapon aspects intersect into combos worth chasing
- Narrative payoff per run; characters react to your progress, dialogue branches, story moves
- Meta progression that gives long-term goals (Mirror upgrades, weapon aspects, Heat) without trivialising new runs
- Combat feel where dodge timing, attack rhythm, and special abilities all matter
Each pick below hits four or five of those bullets. Hades II is the closest one-for-one continuation; the rest reinterpret pieces.
The 7 best Hades alternatives
Hades II — best obvious sequel from Supergiant
Hades II is the direct sequel from the same studio. The Greek-mythology setting expands into the Underworld plus the surface, the cast triples, the weapon roster diversifies, and Melinoë (the protagonist) has a different combat feel from Zagreus — more witch-like, slower attacks with charged effects, and a separate magic resource.
For Hades players who want more Hades, this is the unambiguous pick. The early-access feedback loop with Supergiant has shaped the game across 2024-2025, and the 1.0 release expanded the boon and weapon systems past the original’s variety.
Where it falls short: Pace is slightly slower than Hades. Some players miss Zagreus’s faster attack rhythm. The expanded surface zones add length but also some pacing valleys.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $29.99
- vs Hades: Slightly more expensive, dramatically more content
Switching from Hades: Same controls, same studio polish. The witch-craft mental shift is the main adjustment.
Download: Hades II on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Hades II first. It exists for exactly this question.
Dead Cells — best Metroidvania-roguelike fusion
Dead Cells by Motion Twin is the fast-twitch 2D roguelike that defined a wave of imitators. Combat is razor-sharp, the weapon and skill catalogue is enormous, and the biome branching means no two runs are forced through the same path. Years of free updates (The Queen and the Sea, Return to Castlevania, Clean Cut) keep the content roster growing.
For Hades players who want a faster, sideways combat rhythm, Dead Cells is the genre’s other top pick.
Where it falls short: Narrative is minimal compared to Hades. The early biomes can feel repetitive until you unlock branching paths. Some weapon balance shifts per patch.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $24.99 (regular discounts to $7.99)
- vs Hades: Comparable price, faster combat, much less narrative
Switching from Hades: Reflexes-first; plan to die learning enemy patterns and weapon timings.
Download: Dead Cells on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Dead Cells when combat speed and weapon variety are what you want most.
Returnal — best bullet-hell roguelike on PC
Returnal by Housemarque is the third-person bullet-hell roguelike that made the PS5 jump and the subsequent PC port arrival mattered. The combat is the most kinetic on this list — alt-fire weapon modes, parasite system, malignant items, traces of run-altering artifacts. The cycle / biome structure echoes Hades but at much larger scale.
For Hades players who want a graphical leap and a third-person bullet-hell layer, Returnal is the most ambitious pick.
Where it falls short: Expensive at base price. Performance demands a reasonably current GPU. Save-state issues on the PS5 original were resolved on PC but the game still expects committed multi-hour sessions for the longest cycle runs.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $59.99 (regular discounts to $29.99)
- vs Hades: Much more expensive, dramatically larger production value, longer runs
Switching from Hades: Plan for longer runs. The cycle / biome structure is similar but the per-attempt time investment is 60 to 90 minutes rather than 25 to 40.
Download: Returnal on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Returnal when third-person bullet-hell with AAA production is the upgrade you want.
Cult of the Lamb — best roguelike with base management
Cult of the Lamb by Massive Monster pairs an action roguelike with a base-building cult-management sim. You run dungeons, indoctrinate followers, return to base to feed and manage your cult, and head back out. The art direction is the immediate hook (cute-creepy, lots of personality) and the genre fusion is the unique angle.
For Hades players who liked the between-runs meta-layer and want it dramatically expanded, Cult of the Lamb is the pick where the meta is half the game.
Where it falls short: Combat is shallower than Hades or Dead Cells. The cult-management loop is divisive — some players love it, some find it a chore.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $24.99 (regular discounts to $9.99)
- vs Hades: Comparable cost, less combat depth, much more meta-layer content
Switching from Hades: Plan to spend half your time managing the cult between runs. The combat is the easier half of the game.
Download: Cult of the Lamb on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Cult of the Lamb when the between-runs meta-layer is the part of Hades you want most.
Risk of Rain 2 — best co-op roguelike with item stacking
Risk of Rain 2 by Hopoo Games is the co-op third-person roguelike where item stacking is the entire point. Pick up the same item ten times, it stacks ten times, and your character starts breaking the difficulty curve in fun ways. Up to four players online, character variety is broad, and the eight-year-and-counting update cycle has kept it alive.
For Hades players whose friends want in on the run-based loop, Risk of Rain 2 is the cleanest co-op pick on this list.
Where it falls short: Narrative is essentially absent. Voice acting and storytelling are not the genre Hopoo competes in. Single-player runs are weaker than co-op runs.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $24.99 (regular discounts to $4.99)
- vs Hades: Comparable cost, dedicated co-op, very different combat feel
Switching from Hades: Plan to play co-op. Solo Risk of Rain 2 is workable but not where the game shines.
Download: Risk of Rain 2 on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Risk of Rain 2 when you want a co-op roguelike where item stacking is the joke.
Slay the Spire — best deckbuilder roguelike
Slay the Spire by Mega Crit is the deckbuilder roguelike that defined the subgenre. Build a deck across a run by drafting cards from rewards, relics that modify your draw / damage / curse rules, and bosses that punish bad deck composition. The systems are tight enough that the game has launched dozens of imitators that mostly cannot match the original’s balance.
For Hades players who want the same “build optimisation per run” instinct in a turn-based format, Slay the Spire is the genre-defining pick.
Where it falls short: Turn-based; no action combat. The four characters can feel limiting until you unlock the harder Ascension difficulties.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $24.99 (regular discounts to $6.79)
- vs Hades: Comparable cost, dramatically different combat, equal build-optimisation depth
Switching from Hades: Major mental shift to turn-based combat. The build-optimisation instinct carries over completely.
Download: Slay the Spire on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Slay the Spire when you want the genre’s deepest turn-based build-optimisation loop.
Hyper Light Breaker — best 3D roguelike with mobility focus
Hyper Light Breaker is Heart Machine’s 3D follow-up to Hyper Light Drifter. The combat is fast and mobility-driven (dash, glide, parry), the open zones structure changes the run rhythm from Hades’ linear chamber sequence, and the Hyper Light setting is finally rendered in 3D.
For Hades players who want a 3D roguelike with a strong mobility layer, Hyper Light Breaker is the closest match on the list.
Where it falls short: Released into Early Access first and the 1.0 polish landed gradually. Co-op is supported but populations vary. Some players miss the 2D pixel-art density of the original Hyper Light Drifter.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: $29.99
- vs Hades: Comparable cost, 3D vs 2D combat, more mobility-driven feel
Switching from Hades: Plan to spend the first hours getting used to 3D parry timing and open-zone navigation. Linear chamber instinct does not carry over directly.
Download: Hyper Light Breaker on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Hyper Light Breaker when 3D combat with strong mobility is the upgrade you want.
How to pick the right one
If you have not played Hades II yet, install Hades II. It is the obvious answer to the question and Supergiant built it exactly for the Hades audience.
If you want faster 2D combat with a deep weapon roster, install Dead Cells. If you want third-person bullet-hell with AAA production values, Returnal. If you want a deep meta-layer between runs, Cult of the Lamb.
If your friends want in, Risk of Rain 2 is the co-op pick. If turn-based build optimisation is appealing, Slay the Spire is the genre-defining deckbuilder. If you want 3D combat with strong mobility, Hyper Light Breaker.
Replay Hades on a higher Heat tier if none of these clicks. The endgame Heat scaling stays interesting past the credits.
FAQ
What is the best free Hades alternative?
There is no fully free roguelike with Hades-level polish on this list. Have a Penny is a credible free Hades-likes browser project; Risk of Rain (the original 2013 release) occasionally drops to free during Steam promotional events. The cheapest paid pick is Risk of Rain 2 at $4.99 in sales.
Is Hades II better than Hades?
For long-term players, Hades II’s expanded content and bigger cast eventually overtake the original. For tightness and pacing, Hades 1 remains the more focused experience. Most players who finish both pick Hades II as the deeper game and Hades as the more elegant one.
Can I play Hades alternatives co-op?
Risk of Rain 2 is the dedicated co-op pick on this list. Cult of the Lamb’s PvP arena mode is co-op-adjacent but not the main loop. Hades, Hades II, Dead Cells, Returnal, Slay the Spire, and Hyper Light Breaker are primarily solo (Hyper Light Breaker has co-op modes).
What roguelike has the deepest combat?
Hades, Hades II, Dead Cells, and Returnal compete for that title depending on whether you weigh combo depth (Hades aspect builds), reflex demand (Dead Cells), bullet-hell complexity (Returnal), or three-dimensional movement (Hyper Light Breaker). Pick by which feels best in your hands.
Is Lost in Random: Eternal Die a Hades clone?
It is in the same broader genre and shares the run-based action roguelike loop. The art direction and tone differ — Lost in Random is more whimsical-fairytale than Greek-myth — but the gameplay DNA is recognisable for Hades players.
