Rogue Empire: Dungeon Crawler RPG

As someone who has already beaten both Dungeon Crawl: Stone Soup and ToME4 that this game takes its mechanics from, I can testify that this is just an inferior game to those that inspired it. Nearly every semi-original idea that this game has over the others does not fit in very well and seems poorly designed. Potions that temporarily raise a certain stat? Why? Have we not grown out of this already? To top it off, I have already encountered a numerous amount of bugs during my 2 hours short gameplay and even without them, the game was just too dull for me to go on. Hard pass, just because there are SO much better paid alternatives and they are even much cheaper. Just to name Rogue Fable III and Path of Achra as examples.

Rogue Empire: Dungeon Crawler RPG, developed by Portal Entertainment, is a love letter to old-school roguelikes wrapped in a modern user interface. Beneath its pixelated surface lies a surprisingly deep experience with randomized worlds, permadeath tension, and just enough narrative to keep you pushing deeper into the darkness. It may not have the flashiest presentation, but for fans of strategic combat, procedural dungeons, and character customization, Rogue Empire is a hidden gem that punches well above its weight. At its core, Rogue Empire is about survival, exploration, and tactical decision-making. You choose from a range of races and classes, then dive into turn-based grid combat across procedurally generated dungeons. The moment-to-moment gameplay is classic roguelike: tight corridors, traps, hidden loot, and a steady stream of monsters to overcome. What makes it shine is the sheer variety of systems. You’ll find magical weapons with randomized effects, dozens of skills to unlock, pets that can fight by your side, and a hunger system that adds constant pressure. The game rewards patience, planning, and a willingness to learn from each brutal defeat. Rogue Empire offers both a Campaign Mode and a more traditional Challenge Dungeon. The Campaign has a light story and a world map with multiple dungeons to conquer, while the Challenge Mode focuses on pure roguelike survival. Both are packed with replay value. Classes like Assassin, Wizard, and Beastmaster play dramatically differently, and the game encourages experimentation. Some combinations are devastating. Others? Less so—but failure is part of the fun. The game's leveling system is flexible, letting you shape your hero through attributes, gear choices, and a skill tree that opens up as you go. Every run feels distinct. Let’s be honest—Rogue Empire isn’t winning any beauty contests. Its pixel art is serviceable, but lacks the polish and cohesion of higher-budget indie titles. That said, enemy sprites are distinct, spell effects are clear, and the UI is surprisingly intuitive given how many systems are at play. It’s not ugly—it’s just humble. And in a genre built on ASCII roots, that’s almost part of the appeal. The soundtrack is minimalist but effective, offering ambient tracks that don’t distract from the gameplay. Sound effects get the job done, though they're not particularly memorable. It’s clear the focus is on gameplay over immersion—but you’ll be too busy trying not to die to notice much. One of Rogue Empire’s strengths is its ability to cater to both hardcore roguelike veterans and more casual players. While permadeath is present (and brutal), you can toggle various options to make the experience more forgiving, such as save slots or tutorial tips. However, the difficulty curve is sharp. Some enemies can wipe you out if you're not prepared, and environmental hazards can feel unfair at times. But if you're looking for a challenge that respects your intelligence, this is it. Rogue Empire is a passionate, well-crafted roguelike that nails the fundamentals and adds just enough depth to keep you coming back. It’s not the most polished or modern-looking game out there, but its smart systems, strategic gameplay, and replayability make it worth the dive for genre fans. Pros: -Deep character customization -Excellent turn-based tactical combat -Multiple modes and races/classes -High replay value Cons: -Dated visuals and basic animations -Occasional balance spikes -Story and writing are functional, not compelling If you're craving a no-nonsense roguelike dungeon crawler with satisfying depth and strategic challenge, Rogue Empire is a strong pick—especially for fans of games like Tales of Maj’Eyal or ADOM. Just be prepared to die a lot... and love it. Rating: 8/10

I am constantly on the search for new Rogue-likes. Trying to find that perfect one. For me that perfect one is ToME (Tales of Maj'Eyal) , and I'm always on the look out for other's like it. Many come close, but just don't do it for me. Well Rogue Empire is the best I've found to date, to compare to ToME. Granted I think it's biggest issue, is the interface. It's big and clunky. Almost gave up on it at the start, for that reason. Give it a minute. Actually play it. You'll realize with the "X" key, to explore fast on the maps, and the depth of the classes. The level up system is incredible. Best I've seen in a long time. Makes me excited to keep playing and try new builds and new classes. I'm really hoping to see new content in the future. This games deserves the praise, and the love. It should be 10x the size it is (both in content), and in it's player base. All Rogue-Like fans should be flocking to this in my opinion. Especially if you are a fan of ToME.

Great turn based dungeon crawler, graphics are pretty nice compared to many in the ''traditional rougelikes'' genre, with a decent number of races, I would prefer more classes (I come from ADOM). There is an infinite dungeon mode that each level enemies get a buff for each level depth it's quite nice. Campaign maps. Each game played gives an amount of currency which you can spend on perma-buffs for future characters generated.

The game is decent but honestly the UI and scaling of evrything. Evrything is REALY big makes it feels like a mobile game. Also the game loop no matter gameplay version is clearing map, buying/selling to random merchant, going down next level. Yes this is most rogue-like but theres no real extra. All you have is attack abilities. You can strategize your recovery but thats it. Feels like a lesser version of ToME.

I just beat this game as a Warrior and had a blast! I would highly recommend this game to anyone who likes this genre. It is well-balanced and has a large variety of items, skills and attributes. If anyone has any questions about this game, I'd be happy to answer them. Well done developer!

I bounced off of ToME 4 and some of the older roguelike titles because their clunky, outdated UIs made it hard for me to stay engaged. This one, though, hits the sweet spot. It keeps that classic roguelike depth while feeling modern and approachable enough for me to actually enjoy. The interface doesn’t get in the way of the gameplay, which makes a huge difference. Instead of fighting the controls or the menus, I can just dive into the game itself. It feels like the devs respected the traditions of the genre but also recognized what needed updating to keep it fun and playable today. That balance of old-school challenge with modern accessibility is what really makes it click for me.

not sure why such low popularity. Game is great!

Als "Rogue Empire" 2019 herauskam (und ich es auch gekauft habe), habe ich es mehr oder weniger links liegengelassen. Wahrscheinlich habe ich kurz zuvor zu viele Stunden mit "ADOM" verbracht, dass mich kurz darauf ein anderer Roguelike-Crawler so hätte begeistern können. Fünf Jahre später habe ich "Rogue Empire" jetzt einmal richtig begonnen - und es ist wirklich klasse. Mir gefällt der Art-Style, die Möglichkeit, dicht ins Geschehen hineinzoomen und die Figuren bewundern zu können. Mir gefallen die Klassen und Fähigkeiten und mir gefallen die zufälligen Perks in Kartenform, die man bei jedem Levelaufstieg bekommt, denn das motiviert höllisch. "Rogue Empire" zieht bei Fans des Genres ohne jeden Zweifel!

Very fun game, the interface is awesome, can tell a lot of work went into it, best interface I've seen in a long time. Great class, treasure, abilities variety, highly recommend!