The Best Roguelike Games on iPhone
The best roguelike and roguelite games on iPhone in 2026 — run-based dungeon crawlers, deckbuilders, and bullet-heavens with permadeath, hand-tested by our editors.
Roguelikes are the genre of the perfect comeback — die, learn, build a smarter run, and finally crack it on attempt forty. The 'just one more run' loop is tailor-made for a phone, and iOS now hosts some of the best in the genre, period. We ranked these on run variety, meaningful permadeath, and how addictive that climb-back-up cycle truly is.
Our Top 12 Picks
Ranked by our editors. Tap a game's blurb to see why it made the cut.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best roguelike on iPhone?
Dead Cells, Slay the Spire, and Hades are the premium standouts; Vampire Survivors and Shattered Pixel Dungeon are the best free roguelikes on iOS.
Are there free roguelikes on iPhone?
Yes — Vampire Survivors, Shattered Pixel Dungeon, Soul Knight, Brotato, and Nethack are all free to play.
What is the difference between a roguelike and a roguelite?
Roguelikes (like Shattered Pixel Dungeon) feature permadeath with no permanent progress, while roguelites (like Dead Cells and Hades) let you keep some upgrades between runs.