Best Dungeon Crawler

Hades is a critically acclaimed roguelike dungeon crawler where you play as Zagreus, the Prince of the Underworld, attempting to escape his father's realm. Its defining feature is its narrative integration with the roguelike loop; each death reveals more of the story and unlocks permanent upgrades....

Dungeon Master is a groundbreaking 1987 video game for Atari ST that pioneered immersive first-person role playing. Players navigated intricate pseudo-3D dungeons using a mouse, solving puzzles and battling monsters. Its innovative design significantly influenced subsequent RPGs and remains notable...

Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny continues the Ultima series, following the second installment of the Age of Enlightenment trilogy. The game’s narrative diverges from previous entries with King British absent and replaced by the oppressive Lord Blackthorn in Britannia. Players confront a totalitarian r...

Rogue is a pioneering 1980 video game that established the roguelike genre. Developed by Michael Toy and Glenn Wichman, it’s notable for its procedural generation creating unique dungeon layouts with each playthrough. The game features turn-based combat and permadeath, demanding strategic resource m...

Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a streamlined and accessible entry point into the acclaimed Gloomhaven universe. This campaign-based dungeon crawler offers a rich narrative, tactical combat encounters, and satisfying character progression. Players cooperate to overcome challenging scenarios, making...

Torchlight II is a pixel art role playing game set in a vibrant fantasy world. Notable for its Diablo-like isometric dungeon crawling gameplay and robust modding community, it offers an action role playing experience. The game appeals to players who enjoy strategic combat and character customization...

Frosthaven is a cooperative tabletop game where players assume the roles of survivors in a besieged fortress. Notable for its evolving narrative and persistent world, it offers a long-term campaign experience focused on strategic resource management and overcoming challenges together. The game is de...

Legend of Grimrock is a 3D dungeon crawler developed by Almost Human, inspired by the 1987 game Dungeon Master. The game utilizes a grid-based system and real-time gameplay mechanics. It was initially released for Windows in 2012, with subsequent ports to other platforms including iOS and Nintendo S...

Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord debuted in 1980 as a beta release by Sir-Tech Software, later finalized and launched in 1981. Developed by Greenberg and Woodhead, it marked the beginning of the Wizardry role-playing game series. The initial version was presented at the Boston Computer...

Titan Quest offers a chronological journey through the ancient world. While it lacks direct time travel, its structure focuses on the progression of mythological eras and the evolution of heroics across different historical contexts. It provides a satisfying oratory of Greek, Egyptian, and Asian myt...

Ultima III: Exodus, released in 1983 by Origin Systems, concludes the “Age of Darkness” trilogy. Developed initially for the Apple II and later adapted across thirteen platforms, including a NES version, it features the antagonist named It. The game marked the first Ultima title published by the com...

Eye of the Beholder was a role-playing game initially released in 1991 for MS-DOS and later ported to Amiga, Sega CD, Super NES, Atari Lynx (unreleased), and Game Boy Advance. Developed by Westwood Associates and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc., the game featured a soundtrack by Yuzo Koshir...

Gauntlet II is a dungeon crawler arcade game released by Atari Games in 1986 as a sequel to the original Gauntlet. It retained the four-player cooperative gameplay of its predecessor but allowed multiple players to choose the same character class, distinguished by color variations. The game introduc...

Gauntlet was an arcade game released in 1985 by Atari Games, pioneering multiplayer dungeon crawl experiences. Its design drew inspiration from earlier titles like Dandy and Time Bandit, establishing it as one of the first games in this genre. The game’s creation involved addressing legal concerns r...

Torchlight is an action role-playing game set within the fictional region of Torchlight and its surrounding caverns. Players explore dungeons to gather loot and combat monsters, initially released for Windows in 2009 with subsequent ports to OS X, Xbox Live Arcade, and Linux. The game’s distribution...

Hunt the Wumpus is a 1973 text-based adventure game created by Gregory Yob. Players navigate a dodecahedron cave system, attempting to locate and eliminate the Wumpus using crooked arrows while avoiding pits and super bats. The game’s development stemmed from dissatisfaction with existing grid-based...

Angband is a dungeon crawler inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, specifically the fortress of Angband within Morgoth's realm. The game offers a roguelike experience available on multiple platforms and is distributed under open-source licenses. It has been recognized as a significant title within the...

Dungeon Siege II is a PC-based action role-playing game set in a dark fantasy world. Released in 2005 by Gas Powered Games, it offers an isometric dungeon-crawler experience focused on strategic combat and character progression. The game’s notable depth stems from its party-based system and complex...

A dungeon-crawling orcs-and-magic RPG that offers a different style of gameplay within the same orcs-and-magic universe as Pillars of Eternity. It features deep party management and complex orcs-and-magic mechanics, providing a more focused, action-oriented experience for fans of the franchise.

Moria is a 1983 computer game based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s *The Lord of the Rings*, wherein players navigate the Mines of Moria to defeat the Balrog. It was one of the earliest roguelike games, notable for its inclusion of a town level alongside other pioneering features. Developed by Robert Alan Koe...

This title takes the familiar blocky aesthetic of Minecraft and wraps it in a Dungeon Crawler/Action RPG format. It introduces structured combat, gear progression, and boss fights. Its a good stepping stone for kids who enjoy Minecraft's world but need the structure and immediate goals provided by d...

Wizardry II: The Knight of Diamonds is a classic 1980s role playing game developed by Sir-Tech. This tactical adventure allows players to control a party of characters navigating dungeons and engaging in turn based combat. Notable for its challenging gameplay and intricate world design, it’s suitabl...

Gauntlet is a 1985 arcade dungeon game developed and published by Atari Games. Up to four players control the Warrior, Valkyrie, Wizard, or Elf while navigating maze-like levels, fighting large groups of enemies, collecting treasure and food, and searching for exits. Its continuously declining healt...

Spelunker is a classic 1983 platformer designed for Atari 8-bit systems. It presents players with an underground cave exploration experience centered around navigating treacherous tunnels and collecting treasure. The game’s notable challenge and detailed environment appeal to fans of retro adventure...

Dungeon Siege III is an action role-playing game released in 2011 by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Square Enix. The game takes place in the kingdom of Ehb, fifteen years after Dungeon Siege II, where descendants of the 10th Legion seek to rebuild their military. It represents the third ful...

Akalabeth: World of Doom, released in 1979, is a pioneering text-based role-playing video game developed by Richard Garriott for the Apple II computer. It’s notable as one of the earliest examples of the dungeon crawler genre and demonstrated early concepts of character progression and strategic com...

Boyfriend Dungeon is a 2021 Canadian dating sim developed by Kitfox Games that uniquely combines dungeon crawling mechanics with romancing weapons that transform into humans.

Developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and released in 2014, this modern reboot successfully reintroduces the classic top-down co-op dungeon crawler for contemporary platforms.

A 2D action RPG roguelite featuring souls-inspired enemy AI developed by Brazilian studio Brain Seal, released on PC and Nintendo Switch in 2018.