Some of these were drawn in ASCII and others in lavish hand-painted art, yet every one asks you to go one floor deeper than you planned.
1Diablo IIThe 2000 sequel whose loot, skill trees and online play made it the benchmark every action RPG dungeon crawler is still measured against.1000pts
2Legend of Grimrock IIThe 2014 sequel that moved the grid crawl onto an island full of open-air puzzles and hidden secrets.848pts
3Shiren the WandererChunsoft's Mystery Dungeon roguelike, beloved for its tightly designed turn-based dives and harsh item management.775pts
4Hades IISupergiant's 2025 sequel following the witch Melinoë through the Underworld and up to Olympus.705pts
5Torchlight IIRunic Games' bright, fast 2012 action RPG made by Diablo veterans, loved for its pets, mod support and co-op.705pts
6NetHackThe 1987 open-source roguelike infamous for its depth, emergent interactions and brutally hard dives for the Amulet of Yendor.660pts
7Path of ExileGrinding Gear Games' free-to-play 2013 action RPG famed for its enormous passive skill tree and endless map-based endgame.610pts
8Legend of GrimrockAlmost Human's 2012 indie revival of grid-based, real-time dungeon crawling with traps, puzzles and party combat.610pts
9HadesSupergiant Games' 2020 roguelike action crawler in which Zagreus fights his way out of the Underworld, run after run.553pts
10Dungeon MasterFTL Games' 1987 real-time first-person crawler that pioneered direct item interaction and inspired a generation of blobbers.553pts
11Etrian OdysseyAtlus's 2007 Nintendo DS crawler where players draw their own labyrinth maps on the touch screen.553pts
12Diablo IVThe 2023 open-world return to Sanctuary with darker tone, seasonal dungeons and the Nightmare Dungeon endgame.553pts
13Grim DawnCrate Entertainment's grim Victorian-fantasy action RPG with a dual-class system and deep build crafting.488pts
14Path of Exile 2The 2024 early-access sequel that brought weightier combat and a new campaign to Wraeclast's loot-hunting formula.488pts
15Eye of the BeholderWestwood's 1991 Dungeons & Dragons crawler that brought real-time grid exploration beneath the city of Waterdeep.488pts
16The Bard's TaleInterplay's 1985 first-person crawler through the city and dungeons of Skara Brae, a cornerstone of early computer RPGs.488pts
17Crypt of the NecroDancerBrace Yourself Games' 2015 rhythm roguelike in which every move through the dungeon has to land on the beat.488pts
18Ultima UnderworldBlue Sky Productions' 1992 Stygian Abyss, a first-person 3D dungeon crawl that anticipated immersive sims.413pts
19WizardrySir-Tech's 1981 Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, the party-based first-person maze crawl that shaped Western and Japanese RPGs alike.413pts
20The Binding of Isaac: RebirthEdmund McMillen's 2014 remake of his twin-stick roguelike basement crawl, with hundreds of item synergies.413pts
21GauntletAtari's 1985 four-player arcade maze crawler whose warrior, valkyrie, wizard and elf fought hordes for food and keys.325pts
22Titan QuestThe 2006 mythology-themed action RPG that took the Diablo formula through ancient Greece, Egypt and China.325pts
23Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of SkyThe 2009 Pokémon roguelike crawler remembered for its emotional story and randomly generated dungeons.325pts
24Slay the SpireMega Crit's 2019 deckbuilding roguelike that turned climbing a monster-filled spire into a card game.325pts
25Cult of the LambMassive Monster's 2022 mix of roguelike dungeon crusades and cult-management in a cute but sinister world.325pts
26Baldur's Gate: Dark AllianceSnowblind's 2001 console hack-and-slash that brought couch co-op dungeon crawling to the Forgotten Realms.325pts
27Dungeon SiegeGas Powered Games' 2002 party-based action RPG known for its seamless, loading-free world and squad combat.222pts
28Enter the GungeonDodge Roll's 2016 bullet-hell roguelike crawl through a fortress of guns in search of a weapon that can kill the past.222pts
29Children of MortaDead Mage's 2019 story-driven action roguelike in which members of one family take turns delving the caves.222pts
30DiabloBlizzard North's 1996 action RPG that sent players down sixteen randomized levels beneath Tristram and defined click-to-kill dungeon crawling.222pts
31Darkest DungeonRed Hook Studios' 2016 gothic roguelike where a crew of heroes cracks under stress during expeditions beneath the hamlet.222pts
32Diablo IIIBlizzard's 2012 action RPG that, after the Reaper of Souls expansion, became a polished loot-driven crawl through Sanctuary.0pts
33RogueThe 1980 ASCII dungeon crawler whose permadeath and procedurally generated levels gave the entire roguelike genre its name.0pts
34Last EpochEleventh Hour Games' time-travelling action RPG praised for its crafting system and flexible class masteries.0pts
























