Upcoming Roguelike Has Big Hades Vibes

Rogue Loops: A Hades-Inspired Roguelike with a Twist

The upcoming indie roguelike, Rogue Loops, is generating buzz with its striking resemblance to Hades, both visually and in its core gameplay loop. However, Rogue Loops introduces a unique mechanic that sets it apart. While a release date remains unannounced, a free Steam demo offers a compelling preview of what's to come, with a projected PC launch in early 2025.

The roguelike genre's recent surge in popularity has inspired numerous iterations, ranging from action-packed titles like Returnal to classic dungeon crawlers such as Hades and its currently-in-development sequel. Rogue Loops clearly draws inspiration from the latter, boasting a repetitive dungeon structure, randomly generated loot, and ability upgrades within a top-down perspective.

But Rogue Loops distinguishes itself with a novel twist on ability upgrades. Each upgrade comes with a distinct drawback, significantly impacting gameplay. This mechanic echoes Hades' Chaos Gates, which provide powerful enhancements at the cost of temporary debuffs. In Rogue Loops, however, these downsides are more pronounced and potentially persistent throughout the entire playthrough, adding a layer of strategic depth.

The narrative centers around a family trapped in a deadly time loop. Players navigate five distinct dungeon floors, battling unique enemies and bosses. As is typical of roguelikes, each run unlocks procedurally generated upgrades, allowing for diverse character builds through strategic combinations of buffs and debuffs.

While a precise release date remains elusive, the Steam page indicates a Q1 2025 launch. Until then, players can explore the first floor via the free demo. Other roguelikes, such as Dead Cells and Hades 2, offer satisfying alternatives to bridge the gap.

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