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Rogue Legacy

A Genealogical Rogue-"LITE"

Ratings

Age

13+

Category

Action

Languages

English

Rogue Legacy is a genealogical rogue-lite where everyone can be a hero. Each time you die, your child will succeed you. Every child is unique; one might be color-blind, another might have dwarfism, and another could be a literal giant. Spend the gold you found in the castle to upgrade your family manor, giving your next heir a better chance at surviving the shifting rooms and deadly bosses of the ever-changing castle.

Dinsun Expert Review

Our Expert Score

95/100

Rogue Legacy is the game that arguably perfected the 'Rogue-lite.' Its genius lies in its loop: every time you die, your children take up your quest. Each heir has unique traits—some are beneficial (like being huge and strong), while others are hilariously debilitating (like being color-blind or having 'vertigo' which flips the screen). This ensures that every run feels fresh and often funny.

The mobile port is surprisingly smooth, though the high-speed platforming and combat definitely benefit from a controller. The 'permanent' progression system—where you spend your gold on a persistent castle and equipment—means you never feel like a failed run was a waste of time. It is a tough, rewarding, and incredibly clever game that set the standard for the genre. If you love action-platformers and the feeling of gradual mastery, this is a must-have.

Dinsun reviewed on: Thu Feb 26 2026

Features

1

Procedurally generated shifting castle

2

Over 8 unique classes to unlock

3

Massive skill tree (Family Manor)

4

Hundreds of unique character traits

Tips & Walkthrough

Gameplays

Screenshot

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Q&A

Yes, playing with a physical controller is highly recommended for the best experience.

Ratings & Reviews

Metal Update = Stutter
Wed Jan 22 2020 Jeratain

I absolutely love this game and have been playing it for months, but I have to remove a star from an otherwise perfect game due to the latest update. The move from OpenGL to metal is a great idea and I love it conceptually. Unfortunately the execution leaves something to be desired. Rather than the smoothness I would experience on OpenGL, the new metal update results in a slight stutter as I move side to side. This is experienced on a brand new iPhone 11 Pro, which is more than capable. I’m sure this will be resolved in coming updates, but I wanted to bring awareness to the devs. Otherwise amazing job and I love this game!!

Controls are terrible
Sat Sep 05 2020 Some wy guy

Its a fun game for sure but atleast 50% of your deaths will be from the controls on phones being so terrible you will try to do an action and something else will happen, or it wont register what you want to actually do. I have an iphone 11 and no other games give me the same unresponssiveness as this. Things like dropping down from platforms or attacking down just dont feel good... you cant just port a keyboard / controller game to phones without changing anything... you should remove collission damage with enemies atleast for phones so theres some sort of balance with the horrible controls. Other than the control issues its super fun but the control issues like i said before will cause you to die so much because of how badly theyre implimented

One of the originals!
Wed Aug 28 2019 Aka:Traps

It’s a hard game on PC. It’s extremely hard on mobile even with the said, “rebalancing”. Some people are just good at these types of games. You have to have lightning quick reflexes and I just don’t, the people that do, will love it. Like one guy said you will die multiple times with nothing to show for it cause you have to get gold to upgrade castle to progress but, when you can’t even make it past the first room, it’s tough. That being said, it’s fun to try. I’ve been playing the hell out of it and having fun doing so.

Fun but too hard
Sun Aug 11 2019 cal23245

Hi there— i’ll start by saying I love the game, but would appreciate if you could add different difficulty modes and possibly remove the money depletion events as it’s terribly difficult to keep up with the rate at which the prices increase as we level compared to the actual gold we can get in the dungeon.

Perfect port from the PC to iOS
Sat Aug 31 2019 Tsubasa2679

Rogue Legacy is my favorite rogue style game. I played this when it first came out and throughout the years since. There have been a lot of reviews saying this game is too hard. The game play and difficulty seems to be exactly the same from the PC version. It's a rogue based game and you're supposed to die then come back. The controls are nice and precise. And you can even customize the control layout. My favorite part about playing the iOS version are all the little Easter eggs and new traits that a heir can get. These new traits make playing on a touch screen as a unique game play experience. If you have played Rogue Legacy before, you should definitely get the game. If you have never played this game before, get it. You'll have plenty of fun surprises in store for you! Thank you to the developers for making such a clean and fun iOS version of the game!

Worth the buy
Thu Sep 19 2019 the3rdhorseman

This game is one of the best iOS purchases I’ve made in awhile. No play through is ever the same which keeps it fresh every time. I also like the fact that you can just pick it up whenever and not feel totally lost if you haven’t played in awhile. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

A "bullet hell" marketed as a "rogue"
Thu Aug 22 2019 TTTTGGGGTT

I bought this the day it came out because it looked like a fun, casual rogue-like game. Wrong. This is a bullet hell game. Expect to run, be insta-killed, and lose most of your gold. Again, and again, and again, and again. Be aware that you should expect to die nine times out of ten while making zero progress towards upgrading your character. I can see this might be fun to beat on a console, but on an iPhone? Not really. The description states the game has been "rebalanced" for the more casual gamer. If you are looking for a casual pick up and play game that you can play for a few minutes at a time, this ain't it. If you are looking for a bullet hell game, or a thankless grinder, or are simply masochistic, them by all means, consider this game.

Have this on the PC
Sat Aug 10 2019 SamuraiZack

I played this to death on the PC. The game requires precise movement to excel in the later stages when bullets and enemies are all over the screen and the touch controls just don’t cut it. Still, it’s better than nothing and I’m glad this made it to mobile. It’s lots of fun and if you can get over the controls, there is a lot of replayability for a mobile game and no in app purchases.

Some Youtube Videos found!

News found!

Indie dev behind one of the best roguelikes of all time releases its source code to the public "in the pursuit of sharing knowledge"Indie dev behind one of the best roguelikes of all time releases its source code to the public "in the pursuit of sharing knowledge"

Rogue Legacy, a 2013 gem regarded by many as one of the best roguelikes around, has gone public with its source code - all in the name of preservation.

GamesRadar+ Fri Nov 29 2024

The developer of Rogue Legacy has officially released its source code 'in the pursuit of sharing knowledge'The developer of Rogue Legacy has officially released its source code 'in the pursuit of sharing knowledge'

Rogue Legacy developer Cellar Door Games is securing its legacy all over again by officially releasing the game's source code.

PC Gamer Fri Nov 29 2024

Rogue Legacy 2's last major patch has arrived, appropriately called 'The Swan Song Update'Rogue Legacy 2's last major patch has arrived, appropriately called 'The Swan Song Update'

New game modes, Fabled Weapons, and Dream challenges have been added as Cellar Door Games lowers the curtain on new Rogue Legacy 2 content.

Shacknews Thu Jun 29 2023

Rogue Legacy 2Rogue Legacy 2

Rogue Legacy 2 is a genealogical rogue-LITE. That has all the trappings of a typical rogue-like, but with persistent upgrades, and persistent dead heirs.

Nintendo Thu Dec 29 2022

Rogue Legacy 2 will leave Early Access, launch later this monthRogue Legacy 2 will leave Early Access, launch later this month

After a little less than two years since releasing Rogue Legacy 2 on Early Access via Steam and the Epic Games store, Cellar Door Games...

Polygon Sun May 29 2022

Rogue Legacy 2 Officially AnnouncedRogue Legacy 2 Officially Announced

No release date or projected platforms have been announced by Cellar Door Games yet, but the tweet today confirms a tease Cellar Door posted...

IGN Fri May 29 2020

Rogue Legacy 2 Available Now On PS PlusRogue Legacy 2 Available Now On PS Plus

Rogue Legacy 2 has launched today on Sony's PlayStation 4 and 5 and PS Plus as a cross-buy title. Available on the official store for $24.99/€24.99 or via the...

Games Press Tue Aug 29 2023

Review : Rogue Legacy 2 : A Breath of Fresh HeirReview : Rogue Legacy 2 : A Breath of Fresh Heir

You can find Seasoned Gaming's review policy here. In 2013, a small, independent studio named Cellar Door Games released a game titled Rogue...

Seasoned Gaming Wed Jun 29 2022

Rogue Legacy 2 Confirmed To Release Later This MonthRogue Legacy 2 Confirmed To Release Later This Month

Cellar Door Games announced today that they will be releasing the full version of Rogue Legacy 2 as the game comes to PC and consoles this...

Bleeding Cool News Sun May 29 2022

Rogue Legacy 2 review - more of the brilliant same in this impressive sequelRogue Legacy 2 review - more of the brilliant same in this impressive sequel

Cellar Door adds more depth and plenty of new ways to enjoy its charming roguelike formula.

Eurogamer Wed Jun 29 2022

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