Best Roguelike 2018: Dead Cells

[BrennoARTS]

The third of our GOTY awards goes to Motion Twin's excellent combat-heavy sidescrolling game, Dead Cells. Check out the rest of our awards and personal picks in our GOTY hub.

Phil: I'm not usually a fan of roguelikes that demand I spend time unlocking persistent skills to progress. I prefer the Spelunky method, where I don't technically need anything to complete the game, but will still throw myself against it hundreds of times, learning and improving as I go. If I'm going to die in roguelike, I prefer it be because I screwed up, not because I haven't yet unlocked the weapons and upgrades I need.

Despite this, I love Dead Cells, in large part because its combat is so good. It's satisfyingly technical, forcing you to learn attack patterns and special abilities. And executing the perfectly timed strikes and dodges required to efficiently and safely progress remains fun, even after tens of hours. Its weapons keep things interesting, too, with lots of interesting quirks designed to tempt you away from your preferred loadout. Temptation, and the risks and rewards that come with it, are the key to any good roguelike.