Hello, Dear Reader, and welcome once again to our monthly round-up of exciting new roguelikes and roguelites.
Just as February brought us the long-awaited launch of Mewgenics, March is set to deliver another of the year’s most anticipated roguelike games: Slay the Spire 2.
What’s more, the month also features the surprise mobile release of Ball x Pit, alongside a host of other exciting titles that are well worth keeping on your radar.
With March absolutely packed with roguelike releases, we’ve decided to split our list in two and cover each half of the month separately. That way, we can spotlight even more titles than usual, so be sure to check back around March 13th for part two.
As usual, I’ll be following our typical guidelines of avoiding all the AI-heavy projects, demos, and anything that looks too derivative.
Let’s get right to it then, with our first pick: Nauts…
Nauts | Jorge A. García González, Carlos Álvarez-Nava González | March 3| PC (Win)
This space action roguelike recently crash-landed in our subreddit, and it will very soon be taking to the stars.
The hostile universe of Nauts is filled with unpredictability, as each run has randomised environments, enemies and progression paths. To defend yourself from alien threats, you’ll equip one of seven unique weapon types and evolve them at your will to discover powerful synergies.
Echoes of Red | TERMAX Studios | March 3| PC (Win)
With a rock-and-roll soundtrack that hits as hard as DOOM, Echoes of Red is a blisteringly fast roguelite shooter that lets you carry up to 11 unique weapons at once. Every run looks delightfully chaotic, with the screen constantly swarmed by enemies and projectiles flying in every direction.
Tin Lord | LegionSword | March 3| PC (Win)
Our final March 3 release is Tin Lord, a game that reminded me a lot of Starship Troopers from its screenshots alone.
Channelling the spirit of ’90s PC classics, this dark strategy game sees you step into the role of the last surviving AI after civilisation’s collapse.
Commanding an army of robots, you’ll fight to reclaim and restore fallen planets, pushing back against the monstrous creatures that have since claimed them as their own.
Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse | Frontside 180 | March 4| PC (Win), PlayStation, Switch, Xbox
The first and currently only game on this list launching across all current platforms is Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse.
This metroidvania-roguelike hybrid introduces a standout possession mechanic, letting you use your cursed hat to take control of enemies and unleash their unique combat abilities against the forces around you.
Beyond the dungeon crawling, it also features light life-sim elements. You’ll rebuild your village, construct new facilities, and cultivate crops to strengthen your world between adventures.
An especially welcome addition is co-op multiplayer for up to four players, giving you the chance to conquer its dungeons alongside friends.
Homura Hime | Crimson Dusk | March 4| PC (Win)
I’ll admit I’m not the biggest anime fan in the world, but I can’t deny that Homura Hime looks absolutely awesome.
This story-driven 3D bullet hell is set within a world where demons and humans co-exist. Playing as the titular Homura Hime, you’ll fight to purify the world from five extremely powerful demon girls.
The action looks fast-paced and intense, and the production values are impressive, with a striking cel-shaded visual style and a full voice cast.
Slay the Spire 2 | Mega Crit | March 5 | PC (Lin, Mac, Win)
The follow-up to the most influential deckbuilder of all-time is arriving earlier than I first expected, when it drops early this month.
Slay the Spire 2 looks to be the next evolution of the beloved original, with it featuring an all-new co-op mode for four players, a cast of new and returning characters, and upgraded visuals thanks to the Godot Engine.
The team at Mega Crit has got an especially solid foundation to build upon, and we can’t wait to see how it develops over the course of its Early Access journey.
Card Cultivation | DarkIndex | March 5| PC (Lin, Mac, Win)
First of all, you have to admire the bravery of a deckbuilder launching on the same day as Slay the Spire 2.
Boasting a Japanese ink wash art style reminiscent of the Capcom classic Ōkami, Card Cultivation, as its name suggests, lets you craft and customise your own cards. The 500+ card combinations represent everything from characters to monsters and magic artefacts.
Genome Guardian 2 | Alpherior | March 5| PC (Win)
This psychedelic twin-stick shooter lets players construct their own biomechanical death machine from hundreds of unique parts.
Design anything from stationary auto-turrets to psychic, water-sprinkler motorbikes, or even a dual-wielding, fidget-spinner Gundam.
Building on the original, it has new weapons, upgrades, mutations, and an improved endless mode to put your skills to the test.
Breaching Harkon | 8x8BitGames, Connor Langan | March 5| PC (Win)
If you’re getting impatient waiting for a release date for Streets of Rogue 2, Breaching Harkon is a good one to keep on your radar.
This pixelated top-down shooter sees you embark on a Taken-style quest for revenge after your daughter is kidnapped by the ruthless ruler of your state. With more than 65+ weapon upgrades and legendary gear to be found, each run offers new and exciting gunplay possibilities.
Trials of Valor | bermrad | March 5| PC (Win)
We decided to sideline several games on this list from our recent Steam Next Fest article, with their release dates being so close. One title that would have easily made the cut, however, is Trials of Valor.
