The latest game mode in League of Legends, Swarm, has been met with a warm welcome from players. However, some of them have started to look for alternatives.
In Swarm, players choose one of nine League champions and eliminate hordes of enemies in different difficulties. While it’s fu, jumping between Arena, traditional five-versus-five games, and Swarm, it can make you want to try other games, too. Luckily, there are plenty of options for you.
Swarm was inspired by games from the roguelite-survivor genre. They all have similar rules. You level up your character, obtain gear and different buffs to take on more demanding swarms of enemies and bosses, and so on. There are dozens of titles like that, but here are a few of our picks that are the best to pivot to if you’re looking to explore this genre.
Best games to play if you enjoyed LoL Swarm
Vampire Survivors
Let’s start by breaking down the elephant in the room, arguably the most popular roguelite game on the market: Vampire Survivors.
Released in 2022 by a developer called poncle, it almost instantly became a classic. In Vampire Survivors, players explore rogue-lite elements as one of the multiple available characters. To upgrade them, you fight with different enemies who attack you from every side of the screen. The game has been praised for its dynamic and versatile gameplay, boasting an “overwhelmingly positive” review score on Steam out of 221,000 reviews. It’s also cheap, since it’s available for only $4.99 on the platform.
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor
Another title worthy of your time and accessible for a fair amount of money is Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor. Developed by Funday Games, this game also has a similar set of rules to Vampire Survivors or Swarm. Players explore the mines of automatically generated planet Hoxxes IV and make their way through hordes of aliens eager to take them down. In the meantime, they collect experience, ores, artifacts, and other items that boost their characters.
It has a “very positive” consensus on Steam, and you can get it for $9.99.
Death Must Die
We must admit, Death Must Die is a pretty original-yet-fitting title. It was developed by Realm Archive and released in 2023. It borrows some elements from the RPG genre, like choosing different blessings that enhance your attacks in specific ways. You also collect, sell, buy, and upgrade gear based on your current needs. Like Vampire Survivors, it’s made in a pixel-art style.
Death Must Die is currently available for $6.99, but keep in mind it’s only in early access. It’s bound to receive further updates in the future. On the other hand, it’s already pretty well-made, judging by its “very positive” consensus on Steam.
Soulstone Survivors
By this point, you should have realized everything with “Survivors” in its name likely belongs to the genre. The case is no different with Soulstone Survivors. Like many other on this list, it was released quite recently, coming out in 2022. You also get to modify your character, gear, try out different levels, and so on. Where it differs, though, is the animations, which look way more cartoon-ish and seem to run smoother when compared to other games here.
It also has amassed “very positive” reviews on Steam so far and is currently in early access. It’s also pretty cheap since you can buy it for $9.99.
HoloCure – Save the Fans!
Now, this one’s different. Like most games on this list, HoloCure – Save the Fans! has the same gameplay mechanics of slashing through swarms of enemies and leveling up your characters. It’s animation, though, is like no other. It’s uses anime-like animations, a style that is fairly common, but not so much in survivor games. You might have seen it in Genshin Impact, Ni No Kuni, or Fairy Tail. If you’re a fan of this style, it’s definitely something you should try out.
At the moment of writing, HoloCure – Save the Fans! has recorded over 30,000 reviews, with an “overwhelmingly positive” consensus. It’s also free on Steam.
Halls of Torment
We’re returning to the medieval, dungeon-like vibe with Halls of Torment. It hardly distinguishes itself from the other productions mentioned earlier, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth your attention. The late 90s style animation, where bullets, spells, and arrows are clearly visible when you use them, really jumped out at us. It’s almost as if you took the original Fallout and didn’t make it turn-based.
Reviews for Halls of Torment on Steam have an “overwhelmingly positive” rating, with more than 20,000 players sharing their thoughts about it on the platform. It doesn’t cost much as well, with a $4.99 price tag.
Nordic Ashes: Survivors of Ragnarok
Nordic Ashes: Survivors of Ragnarok is arguably the least reviewed game on the list and looks the most chaotic and original at the same time. It’s also a newer one, being released in April 2024. Perhaps that’s why it’s a perfect choice for those who are keen on exploring new products in the gaming industry. It’s inspired by Norse mythology, with ice golems, trolls, and other mythical creatures in it.
So far, it has recorded a “very positive” rating on Steam and is obtainable for $8.99.
Pizza Hero
At this point, you’ve probably realized how swarmed the market of roguelite/survivor games is. There are a bunch of enjoyable games with “Survivor” in the titles set in medieval surroundings. However, there are some that break the stereotype, like Pizza Hero.
In this game, developed by Astro Hound, you take the form of a… pizza slice. You shoot down enemies and throw grenades at them. You also upgrade your character, and the improvements you get are pizza toppings. There is a plethora of choices, but we haven’t spotted pineapple yet. While I’m personally a fan of it on pizza, maybe it’s good it’s missing, otherwise Italians would sue the developer.
All jokes aside, it’s looks original. It’s also free to play on Steam and has a “very positive” rating so far, so it doesn’t hurt to give it a shot.
