The Best Dungeon Crawler Games to Play on PC

Best dungeon crawler games at a glance

How these dungeon crawlers were selected

A strong dungeon crawler should make every expedition feel dangerous and rewarding. Combat matters, but so do route choices, resources, character growth and the decision to continue or retreat.

This list prioritizes:

• Satisfying exploration or repeated runs
• Meaningful character, gear or deck progression
• Encounters that reward planning or mechanical skill
• Strong replay value
• Distinct interpretations of the genre
• Solo or cooperative value
• Availability on PC

The selection covers traditional action RPGs, tactical adventures and modern hybrids without including unrelated games that happen to use maze-like levels.

1. Hades II

Best overall dungeon crawler

Hades II follows Melinoë, an immortal witch fighting the Titan of Time. Each run moves through hostile regions filled with encounters, resources, allies and bosses, while returning to the Crossroads advances relationships and permanent progression.

Weapons define the basic combat style, but Boons reshape how each run works. One attempt may emphasize rapid attacks, another may rely on Cast effects, Magick or status combinations. The same weapon can therefore support several builds.

Combat is fast but readable. Dodging, positioning and choosing when to spend Magick matter as enemy groups become more complex. Arcana and other persistent systems provide direction without removing the need to learn encounters.

Story development continues after failed runs. Characters respond to recent events, which makes returning to the hub feel like part of the campaign rather than a simple reset screen.

Choose Hades II for the strongest balance of action, build variety and narrative continuity. Players who prefer turn-based pressure should choose Darkest Dungeon or Slay the Spire.

2. Darkest Dungeon

Best tactical dungeon crawler

Darkest Dungeon asks the player to recruit, equip and lead flawed heroes through expeditions beneath a ruined estate. Physical damage is only one threat. Stress, disease, negative traits and long-term attrition can weaken a party even after it survives.

Combat uses fixed party positions. Many abilities work only from certain ranks or target specific enemy positions, so movement and team composition matter before the first attack.

The stress system creates difficult decisions. A hero approaching a breaking point may act unpredictably, while retreating preserves the party at the cost of time and resources. A successful expedition can still create expensive recovery work in town.

Permanent loss gives recruitment and equipment decisions weight. The game is less about preserving one perfect team and more about maintaining a roster capable of absorbing setbacks.

Choose Darkest Dungeon if planning, risk management and gothic atmosphere matter more than fast action. It rewards players who can recover from bad situations instead of expecting every expedition to proceed cleanly.

3. Grim Dawn

Best classic action RPG dungeon crawler

Grim Dawn is an isometric action RPG set in a world damaged by conflict between supernatural powers. Its campaign combines exploration, quests, factions and extensive loot with a flexible dual-class system.

Characters combine two masteries, allowing builds that mix melee, ranged attacks, pets, magic or defensive support. The Devotion system adds another passive layer through constellations activated by earned points.

Loot supports experimentation rather than providing only higher numbers. Damage conversion, skill modifiers and item sets can change which abilities form the center of a build.

The game supports solo, LAN and online co-op. It also works well for players who prefer a complete campaign and offline-friendly progression rather than a permanently connected seasonal structure.

Choose Grim Dawn for deep builds, dark atmosphere and traditional hack-and-slash progression. Diablo IV offers a more connected live experience, while Last Epoch presents its skill customization more directly.

4. Cult of the Lamb

Best dungeon crawler with settlement management

Cult of the Lamb divides the campaign between action-focused crusades and maintaining a community of followers. Dungeon runs provide resources, recruits and progress, while the settlement turns those gains into rituals, buildings and upgrades.

The contrast is the main attraction. A successful combat run may solve a resource shortage, unlock a new follower or provide materials needed to improve the cult. Settlement decisions then affect preparation for later crusades.

Weapons and Curses change between runs, encouraging adaptation instead of one permanent combat loadout. Tarot Cards and Relics add temporary effects that can support a particular strategy.

Followers have needs, beliefs and traits. Keeping the settlement stable requires food, sleeping space and attention to dissent, especially while the player is away.

Choose Cult of the Lamb for an approachable hybrid with dark humor and clear progression. It supports solo play and split-screen co-op, making it a useful choice for players who want management between combat expeditions.

5. Enter the Gungeon

Best bullet-hell dungeon crawler

Enter the Gungeon sends armed adventurers through procedurally generated floors in search of a weapon capable of changing the past. The basic loop combines twin-stick shooting, dodge rolls, room clearing and increasingly unusual guns.

Enemy bullets create patterns that must be read rather than absorbed. Dodge rolling provides invulnerability during part of the movement, while tables and environmental cover offer temporary protection.

Its arsenal ranges from conventional firearms to weapons built around visual jokes and mechanical experiments. Passive items and synergies can transform a modest weapon into the center of a powerful run.

Success depends on resource discipline. Keys, blanks, health and ammunition can all become scarce, so opening every chest immediately is not always the correct decision.

Choose Enter the Gungeon for precise action and weapon variety. Local co-op is available for pairs, although the screen and resource economy become more demanding with two players.

6. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

Best for item combinations and long-term replayability

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a top-down action roguelike built around procedurally generated rooms, unusual enemies and a huge collection of items.

Individual upgrades can alter damage, movement, projectiles, companions or resource systems. The most memorable runs emerge when several effects interact in ways that completely change how attacks behave.

The game reveals its structure gradually. New bosses, areas, characters and items become available after repeated completions, giving successful runs additional goals beyond reaching one ending.

Randomness is important, but knowledge reduces its influence. Recognizing item pools, room layouts and possible sacrifices helps experienced players make stronger decisions from imperfect options.

Choose Rebirth if discovery and unpredictable synergies matter more than a continuous story. Its small storage requirement also makes it an easy addition to a PC library.

7. Diablo IV

Best connected loot-driven dungeon crawler

Diablo IV provides a large shared version of Sanctuary filled with campaign quests, public events, dungeons and seasonal progression.

Classes build around skill trees, equipment and legendary effects. A useful item can strengthen an existing ability or encourage a complete change in the character’s approach.

Dungeons provide objectives, enemies, bosses and rewards within the wider world. Endgame systems turn repeated activities into a search for stronger equipment and more efficient builds.

Online co-op allows groups to complete content together, while cross-platform systems make it easier to maintain mixed-device parties. The game requires an online connection and uses a live seasonal model.

Choose Diablo IV when regular updates and connected progression are part of the appeal. Grim Dawn is better for offline-friendly play, while Last Epoch offers more approachable skill customization.

8. Last Epoch

Best dungeon crawler for accessible build crafting

Last Epoch sits between a straightforward action RPG and the complexity of the deepest loot games. Its mastery classes provide clear identities, while individual skill trees allow important abilities to be transformed.

A normal attack can gain new damage types, triggers or resource interactions through its own tree. This keeps experimentation connected to skills the player can see and understand.

The campaign uses time travel to revisit regions in different eras. Endgame progression expands into repeatable timelines and increasingly difficult encounters.

Crafting gives players direct control over item improvement without removing risk. Affixes can be added or upgraded while the item’s remaining potential limits endless modification.

Choose Last Epoch if builds matter but external research should not be mandatory. It supports solo play and online co-op, with a more guided progression path than Path of Exile 2.

9. Noita

Best dungeon crawler for physics and spell experimentation

Noita is a 2D roguelike in which every pixel participates in the world simulation. Fire spreads, liquids mix, ice melts and explosive reactions can reshape an area or end a run.

Wands are built from spells and modifiers. Changing order, timing and mana use can turn the same collection of components into a safe utility tool or an uncontrollable weapon.

The simulated environment creates solutions unavailable in ordinary dungeon crawlers. Players can burn through obstacles, freeze liquids or create routes with destructive magic.

The same freedom produces danger. A small chemical reaction or poorly tested wand can become more threatening than the intended enemy encounter.

Choose Noita if experimentation and hidden systems matter more than predictable progression. It is strictly single-player and deliberately punishing, but few dungeon crawlers offer the same degree of systemic possibility.

10. Cryptmaster

Best word-based dungeon crawler

Cryptmaster is a first-person dungeon adventure in which words control combat, puzzles and interactions. The party consists of revived adventurers guided by an unusual necromancer through a monochrome underground world.

Typing or speaking answers reveals abilities and solves encounters. Discovering a forgotten word can restore part of a character’s skill set, making vocabulary a form of progression.

The system supports experimentation. The game can respond to unexpected commands, encouraging players to test ideas rather than search only for one highlighted action.

Word games and optional activities break up exploration, while the party-based structure preserves the feeling of moving deeper through a dangerous crypt.

Choose Cryptmaster for the most inventive interpretation of the genre in this list. It supports full controller input, but players interested in its central language mechanic should still be comfortable entering words.

11. Slay the Spire

Best card-based dungeon crawler

Slay the Spire replaces direct movement and attacks with deck-building decisions. Players choose a character, follow a branching route and improve a starting deck through battles, events, shops and relics.

Enemy intentions are visible, allowing each turn to become a planning problem. The challenge comes from balancing immediate defense with damage, setup and long-term deck consistency.

Each character supports different mechanics. Poison, strength, elemental orbs and stances create distinct approaches, while relics can redefine the value of individual cards.

Adding a card is not automatically an improvement. A smaller deck may draw important combinations more reliably, making removal and skipping rewards part of good play.

Choose Slay the Spire for strategic runs without action controls. Players wanting a broader comparison can continue with other deck-building games, but it remains one of the clearest examples of cards replacing conventional dungeon combat.

12. Torchlight II

Best lightweight co-op dungeon crawler

Torchlight II offers traditional action RPG progression through randomized areas, dungeons, loot and four playable classes.

Combat is straightforward and fast. Skills, attributes and equipment support builds around melee, ranged attacks, magic, summons or defensive tools without requiring an enormous passive tree.

Pets can fight, carry items and return to town to sell unwanted loot. This reduces interruptions during an expedition and keeps the player focused on exploration.

Online and LAN multiplayer make Torchlight II useful for groups, while its modest hardware and storage requirements allow it to run on older PCs.

Choose Torchlight II for an accessible co-op loot game with little setup. Grim Dawn provides deeper character development, while Torchlight II reaches its core loop more quickly.

Which dungeon crawler should you play first?

Choose according to what you want from the descent:

• Best overall action: Hades II
• Turn-based party pressure: Darkest Dungeon
• Classic loot-driven ARPG: Grim Dawn
• Combat and settlement management: Cult of the Lamb
• Bullet-hell shooting: Enter the Gungeon
• Item combinations: The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
• Online seasonal action RPG: Diablo IV
• Accessible build crafting: Last Epoch
• Physics and spells: Noita
• Words and puzzles: Cryptmaster
• Card-based runs: Slay the Spire
• Lightweight co-op: Torchlight II

Hades II is the safest first recommendation for responsive action. Cult of the Lamb is more approachable for players who want breaks between runs, while Torchlight II provides the clearest traditional co-op loot loop.

Action RPGs versus roguelike dungeon crawlers

Action RPG dungeon crawlers usually preserve a character across the campaign. Gear, levels and builds continue developing as the player repeats dungeons and reaches harder content. Grim Dawn, Diablo IV, Last Epoch and Torchlight II fit this structure.

Roguelike and roguelite crawlers organize progress around repeated attempts. A failed run may remove temporary power while preserving knowledge, unlocks or selected permanent upgrades. Hades II, Enter the Gungeon, The Binding of Isaac, Noita and Slay the Spire use different versions of this format.

Choose an action RPG for one long character-building journey. Choose a roguelike when restarting with different tools is part of the attraction.

Best dungeon crawler for co-op

Grim Dawn is the strongest complete co-op recommendation because it supports a full campaign, flexible builds and both LAN and online play.

Diablo IV is better for a connected seasonal ecosystem. Last Epoch offers visible skill customization, while Torchlight II is the easiest choice for older hardware.

Cult of the Lamb supports split-screen co-op, and Enter the Gungeon includes local cooperative play. Those games are better for one shared screen than the online-focused action RPGs.

Best dungeon crawler for difficult runs

Noita creates the most unpredictable danger because the world’s physics and spell combinations can punish small mistakes. Darkest Dungeon creates longer-term pressure through stress, disease and permanent loss.

Enter the Gungeon tests dodging and resource control, while The Binding of Isaac rewards extensive knowledge of items and routes.

What defines a dungeon crawler?

Dungeon crawlers focus on expeditions through dangerous, contained spaces filled with enemies, resources, traps or branching routes. The player normally becomes stronger through equipment, abilities, cards or permanent upgrades.

Common features include:

• Repeated descents or expeditions
• Resource management
• Loot or build progression
• Procedural or maze-like levels
• Boss encounters
• Risk associated with continuing deeper
• A safe hub, town or camp between expeditions

A game does not need every feature. Slay the Spire uses a branching map instead of direct movement, while Cryptmaster preserves first-person exploration but replaces ordinary commands with language.

Final dungeon crawler recommendations

Hades II is the best dungeon crawler for most players. Darkest Dungeon offers the strongest tactical pressure, Grim Dawn provides the best classic loot campaign, and Cult of the Lamb delivers the most approachable genre hybrid.

Choose Enter the Gungeon for bullet-hell action, Noita for systemic experimentation, Cryptmaster for word-based play, or Slay the Spire for strategic card runs.

The best dungeon crawlers make the next room feel tempting and dangerous at the same time. Whether progress comes from equipment, cards, followers or knowledge, every descent should force a decision about how much risk is worth taking.