The Softonic piece on 33 Immortals — 33 players, Divine Comedy framing, Thunder Lotus’s first multiplayer game — caught what makes the genre work. Roguelikes are at their meanest when you’re alone, at their loudest when you’re with friends, and at their best when a raid-sized lobby comes together to push a boss none of you can solo. We tested eight multiplayer roguelike games on PC that scratch the same itch from different sides, ranging from quiet 4-player runs to chaotic 33-player melees.
What to look for in a multiplayer roguelike
The questions to ask before installing:
- Do you want couch co-op, online lobbies, or both?
- How many players will you actually play with — two, four, or a raid lobby?
- Is meta-progression important, or do you prefer pure run-to-run resets?
- Are you here for the build-crafting or for the moment-to-moment combat?
- Should runs last 20 minutes or two hours?
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Players | Run length | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 Immortals | Raid-sized co-op roguelike | Up to 33 | 30 to 60 min | Lobby-scale Inferno raids |
| Risk of Rain 2 | Time-pressured shooter roguelike | 1 to 4 | 30 to 60 min | Items stack into absurd builds |
| Spelunky 2 | Tight platformer roguelike | 1 to 4 | 20 to 45 min | Death is always your fault, somehow |
| Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core | Cooperative dwarf roguelike | 1 to 4 | 45 to 75 min | Sister title to the original DRG |
| Rotwood | Klei’s beat-em-up roguelike | 1 to 4 | 30 to 50 min | Klei combat polish |
| Vampire Survivors | Auto-fire survivor roguelike | 1 to 4 (co-op mode) | 30 min cap | Build sweetness without input fatigue |
| Necesse | Top-down survival roguelike | 1 to 8 | Open-ended | Town building between runs |
| Wizard of Legend 2 | Combo-heavy mage duels | 1 to 4 | 25 to 40 min | Spell combo system |
The games
1. 33 Immortals — best raid-sized co-op roguelike
33 Immortals scales the roguelike lobby to MMO raid size. Thirty-three players land in Dante’s Inferno, split into sub-parties for elite encounters, and rally together for massive boss fights. The 1.0 launch in June 2026 added all three Dante-inspired worlds, a hidden final boss, and crossplay matchmaking. Solo runs are viable but the magic shows up when the full lobby is alive.
Where it falls short: Off-peak matchmaking can dilute the 33-player headline. Hardware demand is real for the dense final-boss fights.
Pricing: $14.95, regular discounts to $9.97.
Players: Up to 33 (lobby), with mid-run sub-grouping.
Download: 33 Immortals on Steam
Bottom line: The only roguelike that makes a Wednesday-night session feel like a raid night.
2. Risk of Rain 2 — best time-pressured shooter roguelike
Risk of Rain 2 is the genre’s gold standard for “items stack into absurd builds.” A run starts simple — choose a survivor, shoot enemies, pick up items — and ends with a screen full of homing missiles and your character doing 40,000 DPS while sprinting. Time pressure ramps difficulty automatically, so loitering kills you faster than aggression does.
Where it falls short: Server stability for 4-player runs can wobble during big patches. Late-run frame rate dips when item stacks get silly.
Pricing: $24.99 base. DLC expansions (Survivors of the Void, Seekers of the Storm) at around $14.99 each.
Players: 1 to 4 online co-op.
Download: Risk of Rain 2 on Steam
Bottom line: Still the best four-friend roguelike for “what does five lensmaker’s glasses stacked do” experiments.
3. Spelunky 2 — best tight platformer roguelike
Spelunky 2 kept everything that made the first Spelunky cult-loved and layered new biomes, mounts, and shortcuts. Co-op (couch or online) lets up to four players turn each run into a shared comedy of errors. Permadeath is hard but the system rewards mastery rather than punishing it.
Where it falls short: Online co-op uses peer-to-peer and benefits from a wired connection. Learning curve scares some new players.
Pricing: $19.99. Frequent sales below $7.
Players: 1 to 4 local or online.
Download: Spelunky 2 on Steam
Bottom line: The platformer roguelike with the cleanest feel and the funniest co-op deaths.
4. Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core — best dwarf co-op roguelike
Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core is the standalone roguelike sister to Deep Rock Galactic. Four dwarves drill into ever-changing caves, each run remixing biomes, modifiers, and boss encounters. Class kits draw from the parent game but the upgrade tree resets between runs.
Where it falls short: Without three friends, matchmaking is less reliable than the parent DRG. Some modifiers are punishing solo.
Pricing: $24.99 standard, regular discounts.
Players: 1 to 4 online co-op.
Download: Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core on Steam
Bottom line: The pick for DRG fans who want the Rock and Stone formula with permadeath stakes.
5. Rotwood — best Klei combat polish
Rotwood is Klei’s take on the beat-em-up roguelike. Combat is dodge-and-counter focused, animation work is tight, and the run structure is short enough to fit lunch breaks. Up to four players in a single forest.
Where it falls short: Smaller content scope than Klei’s flagship co-op games. Some endgame variety is still ramping post-1.0.
Pricing: $19.99.
Players: 1 to 4 local or online.
Download: Rotwood on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Rotwood for a polished 30-minute combat fix with friends.
6. Vampire Survivors — best auto-fire survivor roguelike
Vampire Survivors turned the genre upside-down by removing the aim button. You walk, the game shoots, and 30 minutes later your screen looks like a bullet-hell fever dream. Co-op (up to four locally; online via Together mode) lets a group share weapons, evolutions, and chaos.
Where it falls short: Online co-op is less polished than local. Some maps feel similar after dozens of runs.
Pricing: $4.99 base. DLC expansions at $1.99 to $3.99.
Players: 1 to 4 (local or via Together mode).
Download: Vampire Survivors on Steam
Bottom line: The roguelike that proved less input can mean more game.
7. Necesse — best town-building roguelike crossover
Necesse sits between a roguelike, a survival sandbox, and a town builder. Up to eight players share a world. Runs are open-ended; the loop is “explore, fight, return, build the settlement so the next run is easier.” A genre hybrid that’s heavier on persistence than pure roguelikes.
Where it falls short: Not a strict roguelike (death is more like a reset, not permanent). Pixel art is intentionally retro.
Pricing: $11.99.
Players: 1 to 8 online.
Download: Necesse on Steam
Bottom line: The pick if you want a roguelike loop wrapped in a town you can come back to.
8. Wizard of Legend 2 — best combo-heavy mage duels
Wizard of Legend 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the cult original. The spell-combo system encourages mixing elemental spells into chains, and the co-op (up to four players) means each mage can specialise into a different chain. Bosses are punishing on solo, manageable with a friend covering your back.
Where it falls short: Online co-op had launch wobble; patches have stabilised it. Some spell pairs are stronger than others.
Pricing: $19.99.
Players: 1 to 4 local or online.
Download: Wizard of Legend 2 on Steam
Bottom line: Pick this for combo-driven mage co-op where spells chain into screen-clearing finishers.
How to pick the right one
If you want the headline raid-scale chaos: 33 Immortals. If you want the gold standard of “items stack into absurdity”: Risk of Rain 2. If you want tight platformer permadeath: Spelunky 2. If you want Rock and Stone with friends: Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core. If you want polished short-session combat: Rotwood. If you want bullet-hell auto-fire chaos: Vampire Survivors. If you want a roguelike loop tied to a town you build: Necesse. If you want combo-driven mage duels: Wizard of Legend 2. The 33 Immortals lobby is the loudest of these but the smaller co-op picks age better as evening regulars.
FAQ
Are these games actually roguelikes or roguelites?
Most are roguelites — they have meta-progression between runs. 33 Immortals, Risk of Rain 2, and Spelunky 2 lean closer to pure roguelike resets within a run. Necesse is the loosest fit and is more accurately a survival sandbox with roguelike combat loops.
What is the best multiplayer roguelike on Steam?
For raid scale, 33 Immortals is unmatched. For tight 4-player co-op, Risk of Rain 2, Spelunky 2, and Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core are the strongest picks.
Do these games support couch co-op?
Spelunky 2, Rotwood, Vampire Survivors, and Wizard of Legend 2 support local co-op. 33 Immortals and Risk of Rain 2 are online-only.
Are multiplayer roguelikes pay-to-win?
No. None of the games in this list sell power. Cosmetics and DLC content expansions are typical.
Which run is the shortest?
Vampire Survivors has a 30-minute hard cap per run. Wizard of Legend 2 and Rotwood land at 25 to 50 minutes typically. 33 Immortals and Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core can stretch past an hour.
Can I play these solo?
All of them. 33 Immortals and Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core feel better with company, but solo runs are supported in every pick.
