Dungeon Crawler Games

Ask people for the best dungeon crawler and you will get five different genres back, which is exactly what makes this list fun. Rather than hand you my favorites, I read sixteen Reddit threads of players asking what to play, counted every upvote on every game anyone suggested, and let the totals decide the order. Legend of Grimrock ran away with the top spot, but the most interesting story is the spread: a decades-old series such as Wizardry, a 2023 cult hit such as Lunacid, and a procedural roguelike such as Caves of Qud all landed in the top five, across 125 games and 3,241 votes.

None of this is my personal ranking. I did not score these by what I like. Every spot is the sum of real Reddit upvotes from the threads people actually find when they search this, so the order is the community's, not mine. I just counted.

If you only want a recommendation, take the quiz below and it will match you to a game based on the kind of crawl you are after. If you want the full picture, keep scrolling. One thing to flag up front: this list sticks to genuine dungeon crawlers, so the open-world RPGs and soulslikes that got tossed around in the broadest thread, like Elden Ring and Skyrim, are not counted here, for the same reason the commenters kept giving, they are not dungeon crawlers.

Written By

Steven SchneiderCo-founder, Rogue Ranker

20+ hours reading 16 Reddit threads and tallying 3,241 upvotes across 125 dungeon crawlers, from Wizardry to modern roguelikes.

Last updated 2026-06-25

Reviewed By

AidenCo-founder, Rogue Ranker

Aiden has been an avid gamer for 15+ years, with hundreds (and thousands) of hours in games like Rust, Risk of Rain, DRGS, Vampire Survivors, Brotato, and more.

Find Your Next Dungeon Crawler in 8 Questions

About My Data Collection Process

If you have read one of our other roundups, this will look familiar, because the method is the same every time. The whole point is to keep my taste out of the ranking. I am not telling you these are the best games because I played them and you should trust me. I am showing you what thousands of other dungeon-crawler players upvoted, and counting it honestly.

How I Chose the Reddit Threads

I searched Google and Reddit the way anyone would, with phrases such as best dungeon crawler games and dungeon crawler recommendations, then collected the threads that ranked and read them directly on Reddit. They came mostly from r/rpg_gamers, r/DRPG, r/gaming, r/JRPG, r/gamingsuggestions, and r/roguelikes. Because "dungeon crawler" also pulls in board games and tabletop RPGs, I kept only video-game threads, and I left out any thread scoped to a single platform. Sixteen qualifying threads made the cut, a little above the usual sweet spot for a credible roundup.

How I Chose the Games

If a game was suggested as a genuine dungeon crawler and no one argued it did not belong, it made the list. Where the genre line mattered, I followed the community: open-world RPGs and soulslikes that commenters explicitly rejected as not-crawlers were left off, and so were store-link self-promotion and joke answers. I also did not count games named only as a comparison, where someone says a pick "feels a bit similar to" another title, since that is a description, not a recommendation.

How I Ranked the Games

A game's score is the sum of upvotes on every comment that suggested it, added up across all sixteen threads. So if one comment recommending Lunacid earned 120 upvotes in one thread and another earned 18 in a different thread, Lunacid is credited with both. A comment naming four games hands its full upvote count to all four, which is how one thoughtful, highly-upvoted reply can lift several picks at once. Nothing is ranked by hand beyond that counting.

One judgment call worth naming: Darkest Dungeon sparked a real argument over whether a side-view party game counts as a dungeon crawler. I kept it because the community kept upvoting it and the in-the-weeds case for it (descend, manage resources, decide how deep to push) held up, and its card is honest about the debate. The votes decide; I just label the caveats.

The Top 10 From 3,241 Upvotes

TL;DR

These ten lead the community vote. The names link to each game store page if you want a closer look, and we do not earn a cent from your purchases.

1		Legend of Grimrock	312 votes
2		Wizardry	270 votes
3		Lunacid	241 votes
4		Etrian Odyssey	191 votes
5		Caves of Qud	105 votes
6		Might and Magic	101 votes
7		Arx Fatalis	99 votes
8		Barony	98 votes
9		Labyrinth of Refrain	84 votes
10		Darkest Dungeon	78 votes

The Full Ranking: All 125 Games

Every game suggested across the sixteen threads, ranked by total upvotes. Sort by any column or filter by platform to find your fit.

#^	Game	Votesv	Mentionsv	Platforms
1	Legend of Grimrock	312	46	PC, Mac, iOS
2	Wizardry	270	55	PC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox
3	Lunacid	241	16	PC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox
4	Etrian Odyssey	191	42	PC, Switch
5	Caves of Qud	105	14	PC, Mac, Linux
6	Might and Magic	101	21	PC
7	Arx Fatalis	99	10	PC
8	Barony	98	11	PC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox
9	Labyrinth of Refrain	84	16	PC, Switch, PlayStation
10	Darkest Dungeon	78	11	PC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, Mac, iOS
11	Operencia: The Stolen Sun	75	14	PC
12	Bard's Tale	70	12	PC
13	Elminage	69	10	PC
14	Stranger of Sword City	62	12	PC
15	Labyrinth of Galleria	58	12	PC
16	Labyrinth of Zangetsu	57	7	PC
17	Daggerfall	52	12	PC
18	Shin Megami Tensei	47	18	PC
19	Nethack	43	12	PC
20	Ultima Underworld	43	5	PC
21	Dungeon Travelers	41	9	PC
22	Eye of the Beholder	41	8	PC
23	Touhou: Artificial Dream in Arcadia	41	7	PC
24	Lands of Lore	29	6	PC
25	Vaporum	26	7	PC
26	Mary Skelter	25	7	PC
27	Operation Abyss / Babel	24	5	PC
28	Chronicon	24	3	PC
29	Tales of Maj'Eyal	23	10	PC
30	Class of Heroes	23	6	PC
31	Demon Gaze	23	6	PC
32	Dungeon Siege	23	3	PC
33	Legends of Amberland	22	7	PC
34	Elin / Elona	22	3	PC
35	Shiren the Wanderer	21	8	PC
36	Fate	21	7	PC
37	Torchlight	21	7	PC
38	Diablo	21	6	PC
39	Potato Flowers in Full Bloom	21	3	PC
40	Grim Dawn	20	8	PC
41	Hammerwatch	20	4	PC
42	Lord of the Seal	19	3	PC
43	Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup	18	9	PC
44	Infinite Adventures	18	3	PC
45	StarCrawlers	18	3	PC
46	Demise	16	6	PC
47	Icewind Dale	16	4	PC
48	Xanadu Next	14	3	PC
49	Dragon Ruins	13	4	PC
50	Dark and Darker	13	3	PC
51	Labyrinth of Touhou	13	3	PC
52	Dungeon Master	12	5	PC
53	Dungeons of Dredmor	12	3	PC
54	Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi	11	7	PC
55	Path of Exile	11	6	PC
56	Noita	11	5	PC
57	Mon-yu	11	2	PC
58	Saviors of Sapphire Wings	11	2	PC
59	Binding of Isaac	10	4	PC
60	Dark Messiah of Might and Magic	10	4	PC
61	Shining in the Darkness	10	3	PC
62	King's Field	10	2	PC
63	Lost Flame	10	2	PC
64	Sil-Q	10	1	PC
65	Last Epoch	9	5	PC
66	Shadow Tower	9	1	PC
67	Fall of the Dungeon Guardians	8	3	PC
68	Heroes of the Monkey Tavern	8	2	PC
69	Siralim	8	2	PC
70	Hades	7	4	PC
71	Dungeon Encounters	6	5	PC
72	Phantasy Star	6	5	PC
73	Cogmind	6	4	PC
74	Dwarf Fortress	6	3	PC
75	Tangledeep	6	3	PC
76	Dungeonmans	6	2	PC
77	Moero Chronicle	6	2	PC
78	Zanki Zero	6	2	PC
79	Infra Arcana	6	1	PC
80	Persona Q	6	1	PC
81	Brogue	5	3	PC
82	Shattered Pixel Dungeon	5	3	PC
83	Titan Quest	5	3	PC
84	Curse of the Dead Gods	5	2	PC
85	Demon Lord Reincarnation	5	2	PC
86	Jupiter Hell	5	2	PC
87	Crypt of the Necrodancer	5	1	PC
88	Enter the Gungeon	5	1	PC
89	Ray Gigant	5	1	PC
90	Mortal Sin	4	4	PC
91	Exanima	4	3	PC
92	Lufia	4	3	PC
93	Pokemon Mystery Dungeon	4	3	PC
94	Rogue Legacy	4	3	PC
95	Chocobo Mystery Dungeon	4	2	PC
96	Doors of Trithius	4	2	PC
97	Stonekeep	4	2	PC
98	Tiny Rogues	4	2	PC
99	Caveblazers	4	1	PC
100	Dark Spire	4	1	PC
101	Minecraft Dungeons	3	3	PC
102	ADOM	3	2	PC
103	Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead	3	2	PC
104	Dark Cloud	3	2	PC
105	Sword of the Stars: The Pit	3	2	PC
106	Avernum	3	1	PC
107	Book of Demons	3	1	PC
108	Children of Morta	3	1	PC
109	Dungreed	3	1	PC
110	Geneforge	3	1	PC
111	Iratus	3	1	PC
112	Lords of Xulima	3	1	PC
113	Vagante	3	1	PC
114	Zorbus	3	1	PC
115	Stoneshard	2	2	PC
116	Din's Curse	2	1	PC
117	Paper Sorcerer	2	1	PC
118	Swords and Sorcery: Underworld	2	1	PC
119	The Quest	2	1	PC
120	Wizards and Warriors	2	1	PC
121	Backpack Hero	1	1	PC
122	Grimoire	1	1	PC
123	Moonlighter	1	1	PC
124	Sacred	1	1	PC
125	Stolen Realm	1	1	PC

The 10 Best Dungeon Crawler Games, Examined

1

Legend of Grimrock

Source

#1 Most Recommended

312 votes14 threadsPCMaciOS

Community consensus14 of 16 threads

GenreGrid-Based Dungeon Crawler

StyleReal-time grid movement with tile puzzles and party combat

AvailablePC, Mac, iOS

Avg Cost$14.99

Legend of Grimrock and its sequel topped this vote by a wide margin, named in almost every thread and usually as the very first answer. It is the game people point to when they want the classic blobber feeling without the dated edges: you guide a party of four through a hand-built dungeon on a grid, in real time, fighting, dodging, and solving tile puzzles as you descend. For most commenters it is simply the best modern entry point to the whole genre.

The first game is a tight, linear descent into a single mountain prison, while the second opens up into a larger world with outdoor areas, more tile sets, and even trickier puzzles, which is why so many people call Grimrock 2 their favorite. The one recurring caveat is that it leans hard on puzzles, so a couple of players found the combat and loot a little thin. But for delivering the pure dungeon crawl, nothing else got close to its vote total.

What Works Well

• The most-recommended game here by a mile, named in nearly every thread.
• Nails the handcrafted, grid-based crawl with modern controls and visuals.
• Devious tile puzzles and secrets reward careful, slow exploration.
• The sequel adds an open structure and a built-in dungeon editor.

Common Criticisms

• Leans heavily on puzzles, so the RPG and loot side can feel light.
• Real-time combat means dancing around enemies, not pure turn-based.
• The first game is fairly linear compared to the sequel.

Quotes from the Threads

"

Legend of Grimrock (1 and 2) immediately come to mind. It is everything I would ever want from a handcrafted first person dungeon crawler. Srsly.

u/AnAncientMonkr/gamingsuggestionsvia Reddit

"

Strong recommendations for Legend of Grimrock 1 & 2. Outstanding modern take on classical dungeon crawlers.

u/thrilldiggerr/JRPGvia Reddit

"

It is a return to old-school dungeon crawler game design, and really keys in on delivering that dungeon crawling experience.

u/Pedagogicaltafferr/gamingvia Reddit

View on Steam

2

Wizardry

Source

#2 Most Recommended

270 votes14 threadsPCSwitchPlayStationXbox

Community consensus14 of 16 threads

GenreClassic Blobber / DRPG

StyleFirst-person, grid-based, turn-based party combat

AvailablePC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox

Avg Cost$39.99

Wizardry is the series that invented the first-person party crawler, and across these threads it is the name veterans keep returning to. Votes piled onto everything from the brutal old entries (6, 7, and 8 are the perennial favorites) to the 2024 remake of the original, Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, which most people now recommend as the on-ramp. It captures the old-school blobber vibe because it is built directly from the 1981 game, but with modern visuals, quality-of-life, and an adjustable difficulty.

What people love is the purity: you build a party, descend into a deadly maze, manage resources carefully, and learn to fear every corner. The classic entries are famously unforgiving and obtuse, with permadeath and hand-mapping that some players adore and others bounce off. If you want to understand where the entire genre came from, this is the place to start, and the remake means you no longer need an emulator to do it.

What Works Well

• The foundational dungeon-crawler series, endorsed by genre veterans throughout.
• The 2024 remake is a modern, approachable way into the classic formula.
• Deep party and class systems with real, tense resource management.
• Wizardry 6 to 8 remain landmark crawlers available on Steam.

Common Criticisms

• The classic games are punishing, cryptic, and built around permadeath.
• Older entries expect you to map dungeons by hand.
• The remake is pricier than most indie crawlers on this list.

Quotes from the Threads

"

Starting with Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is a solid choice. It captures that classic old-school blobber vibe, because it is built directly from the original, but adds just enough visual polish and quality-of-life options for modern players.

u/JCServantr/DRPGvia Reddit

"

If you want a really old school dungeon crawler, give the Wizardry series a look.

u/John-Leonhartr/gamingvia Reddit

"

I have fond memories of Wizardry 8. The position based combat, and the ability to run or backpedal your party instead of taking combat actions, was peak gameplay.

u/Mdly68r/gamingvia Reddit

View on Steam

3

Lunacid

Source

#3 Most Recommended

241 votes7 threadsPCSwitchPlayStationXbox

Community consensus7 of 16 threads

GenreFirst-Person Action Crawler

StyleSlow underground exploration with melee, magic, and heavy atmosphere

AvailablePC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox

Avg Cost$11.99

Lunacid was the breakout pick of this whole vote, riding a string of glowing recommendations to third place overall. It is a first-person action crawler in the lineage of FromSoftware's old King's Field games: you descend through a flooded, moonlit underworld, exploring at your own pace, fighting with melee and a deep spell list, and slowly piecing the place together. People praised it for nailing pure mystery and exploration while staying cheap and approachable.

The vibe is the whole point here. It is slow, eerie, easy to get lost in, and overwhelmingly positively reviewed, which is exactly why it kept getting named even in threads asking for stricter old-school crawlers. It is more about atmosphere and discovery than tight tactical combat, so players who want a rigid grid blobber should look elsewhere. But for an accessible, modern way to feel that classic first-person dungeon dread, the community could not stop recommending it.

What Works Well

• One of the most enthusiastically recommended games in the entire vote.
• Captures the eerie King's Field exploration feel at a low price.
• A deep, experiment-friendly spell list and rewarding secrets.
• Overwhelmingly positive on Steam and easy to recommend to newcomers.

Common Criticisms

• Lighter on tactical, party-based depth than a true blobber.
• The old-school jank and obtuse navigation are not for everyone.
• Atmosphere-first design means combat is fairly simple.

Quotes from the Threads

"

Lunacid. It is fairly new, cheap, and has an Overwhelming Positive rating on Steam.

u/blackthunder00r/gamingsuggestionsvia Reddit

"

Lunacid is the coolest 1st person dungeon crawler I have ever played, think modern King's Field with a lot of Castlevania influence.

u/0000_v2r/rpg_gamersvia Reddit

"

Lunacid is very good, essentially a love-letter to King's Field. Also only around 10 USD, and the dungeon delving itself is very good, lives up to its biggest inspiration for sure.

u/ResidentEccentricr/rpg_gamersvia Reddit

View on Steam

4

Etrian Odyssey

Source

#4 Most Recommended

191 votes13 threadsPCSwitch

Community consensus13 of 16 threads

GenreDungeon RPG (DRPG)

StyleFirst-person grid crawling with self-drawn maps and class building

AvailablePC, Switch

Avg Cost$59.99 (HD Collection)

Etrian Odyssey is the series most often called the modern heir to Wizardry, and it placed fourth on the strength of how many people simply listed it as the answer. These are turn-based, first-person, party crawlers built around a signature hook: you draw your own map as you explore, originally with the DS stylus and now on Switch and PC. The class-and-skill building is deep, the dungeons are tough but fair, and every trip down forces you to weigh how far to push before retreating.

Story is deliberately thin here; the games are all about mechanics, mapping, and the satisfying loop of getting stronger. The HD Collection brought the first three to PC, with many recommending you start at Etrian Odyssey 3 for its extra quality-of-life. The anime art style and the original mapping mechanic split some players, but for a polished, modern grid crawler with real strategic teeth, it is one of the safest picks on this list.

What Works Well

• Widely called the best modern dungeon RPG and the true Wizardry successor.
• Deep class and skill building with tough, fair, handcrafted floors.
• The self-mapping mechanic is a beloved, genre-defining hook.
• The HD Collection finally brought the early games to PC.

Common Criticisms

• Very light on story; it is mechanics-first by design.
• The anime aesthetic is not for everyone.
• The HD Collection is one of the pricier options here.

Quotes from the Threads

"

Etrian Odyssey series.

u/the_light_of_dawnr/JRPGvia Reddit

"

Etrian Odyssey games are pretty much the best dungeon crawlers out there.

u/chuputar/JRPGvia Reddit

"

Etrian Odyssey was and is the Wizardry spiritual successor imo. The original 3 just got remade last year and released on PC, and bring that trademark Atlus polish.

u/PrinceZukosHairr/rpg_gamersvia Reddit

View on Steam

5

Caves of Qud

Source

#5 Most Recommended

105 votes5 threadsPCMacLinux

Community consensus5 of 16 threads

GenreTraditional Roguelike

StyleTurn-based, procedural science-fantasy with deep simulation

AvailablePC, Mac, Linux

Avg Cost$24.99

Caves of Qud was the clear favorite of the roguelike crowd, topping the dedicated roguelikes thread and getting strongly seconded in the broader ones. It is a turn-based, procedurally generated science-fantasy world where you play a mutant or robot exploring caves, ruins, and settlements that generate their own history. The pitch people kept making is freedom: you can find a key, bomb a door, dig through the wall next to it, or talk your way past, and the simulation just rolls with it.

After 17 years in early access it hit 1.0, and fans describe it as one of the deepest, most surprising games they have played, with writing and world-building that punch far above its retro look. The flip side is a steep learning curve and graphics that ask you to use your imagination. If you want the procedural, run-based branch of dungeon crawling rather than a handcrafted grid, this is the one the community pushes hardest.

What Works Well

• The top pick among dedicated roguelike players, recommended across threads.
• Astonishing freedom and emergent solutions to every obstacle.
• Deep, strange lore and world-building you can dig into for hundreds of hours.
• Now fully released as 1.0 after a long early-access run.

Common Criticisms

• A steep learning curve that can overwhelm newcomers.
• The retro, low-fi presentation is divisive.
• Less a handcrafted dungeon than a sprawling procedural world.

Quotes from the Threads

"

You can play as mutants with wild abilities, explore procedurally generated caves, and discover narratives that unfold uniquely in each playthrough. It has that classic roguelike feel, but with a slower pace and a focus on exploration and discovery.

u/TheDollarDesr/roguelikesvia Reddit

"

Caves of Qud is incredible, it is a huge and interesting open world with dungeons and things everywhere. It may not look like much from the graphics but it is great.

u/hyrule5r/gamingvia Reddit

"

Caves of Qud? It is a roguelike RPG with TONS to do.

u/Vladmirfoxr/gamingvia Reddit

View on Steam

6

Might and Magic

Source

#6 Most Recommended

101 votes10 threadsPC

Community consensus10 of 16 threads

GenreClassic Dungeon-Crawl RPG

StyleFirst-person party RPG with an overworld and handcrafted dungeons

AvailablePC

Avg CostVaries (GOG / Steam)

The mainline Might and Magic series was a constant in the classic-crawler conversation, with veterans calling out entries 3 through 8 again and again. These are first-person party RPGs that mix a big explorable overworld with deep, handcrafted dungeons, so you spend as much time charting the surface as descending into vaults full of monsters and loot. The older games (3 to 5, collected as World of Xeen) are grid-based, while 6 to 8 switch to free movement, and 2013's Might and Magic X Legacy is the modern grid-based return that you can grab on Steam.

What keeps people loyal is scope: huge worlds, deep character building, and dungeons that reward methodical mapping and preparation. They are old, and they show it, so expect dated interfaces and the occasional need for a fan patch or mouselook mod. But for players who want that sprawling, exploration-heavy take on dungeon crawling, commenters insisted there is still nothing quite like them.

What Works Well

• A pillar of the genre that genre veterans recommend constantly.
• Huge worlds that blend overworld exploration with deep dungeons.
• Strong party and character building across many entries.
• Might and Magic X Legacy is a modern, grid-based way in on Steam.

Common Criticisms

• The classic games have dated interfaces and need a little setup.
• Spread across many entries and storefronts, which can confuse newcomers.
• Big and slow; not a quick pick-up-and-play crawl.

Quotes from the Threads

"

Might and Magic 6, 7 and 8 are all amazing. First person party of 4, realtime with optional pause, pseudo open world, and tons of fantastic handcrafted dungeons.

u/Foleylantzr/gamingsuggestionsvia Reddit

"

Might and Magic 3, it is interesting because you explore a world map and go from city to city while also descending into dungeons, so it has more exploration than your typical dungeon crawler.

u/Odd__Dragonflyr/JRPGvia Reddit

"

Might and Magic 4 and 5 combined into one game as World of Xeen. It is a grid based classic.

u/thejewkr/rpg_gamersvia Reddit

View on Steam

7

Arx Fatalis

Source

#7 Most Recommended

99 votes6 threadsPC

Community consensus6 of 16 threads

GenreFirst-Person Dungeon RPG / Immersive Sim

StyleReal-time melee and draw-them-yourself gesture spells, all underground

AvailablePC

Avg Cost$6.99

Arx Fatalis is the immersive-sim-flavored crawler that genre fans keep pressing on people, and it climbed to the top of this list on the strength of repeat recommendations. Made by the studio that later created Dishonored, it sets an entire RPG beneath the surface after the world's sun dies, so everything plays out in interconnected caves, mines, and tunnels. Combat is real-time and physical, and the standout feature is gesture-based magic, where you literally draw runes to cast spells.

It is a 2002 game, so it is rough around the edges, but the open-source Arx Libertatis engine keeps it running smoothly on modern systems. People praise it for freedom and atmosphere: you can cook food, sneak, brew potions, and solve problems in unscripted ways rather than just hacking through. If you want a first-person crawl that leans into systemic, immersive-sim ideas instead of a strict grid, this is a beloved deep cut.

What Works Well

• A repeat favorite that rose to the top tier on word of mouth alone.
• Hand-drawn gesture spellcasting that still feels unique today.
• Systemic, immersive-sim freedom from the team behind Dishonored.
• The Arx Libertatis engine keeps it running great on modern PCs.

Common Criticisms

• A 2002 game with dated visuals and some clunk.
• Single-character, free-roam design rather than a party blobber.
• Best experienced with the community engine and a little setup.

Quotes from the Threads

"

Arx Fatalis, a 2002 first-person role-playing game / dungeon crawler / immersive sim developed by Arkane Studios. Arx Libertatis is an improved, cross-platform and open source engine for it.

u/AnAncientMonkr/gamingsuggestionsvia Reddit

"

Arx Fatalis.

u/slothtrop6r/gamingsuggestionsvia Reddit

"

Check wizardry series OP, the games you describe are very rarely made nowadays. Also original Demon's Souls, Arx Fatalis, Ultima Underworld.

u/ShinMagalr/gamingvia Reddit

View on Steam

8

Barony

Source

#8 Most Recommended

98 votes6 threadsPCSwitchPlayStationXbox

Community consensus6 of 16 threads

GenreRoguelike Dungeon Crawler

StyleFirst-person, real-time, with drop-in online co-op

AvailablePC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox

Avg Cost$14.99

Barony was the most-cited co-op pick on this list, a first-person roguelike crawler that openly takes after Eye of the Beholder and the other classics. You drop into a deadly dungeon, in real time, and either go it alone or bring friends along for the descent, which is where most of the praise lands. It is light-hearted on the surface but has a genuinely harsh learning curve, and people describe it as a slow, methodical crawl rather than a twitchy action game.

Several commenters warned it took them dozens of hours of patient play to win even once, which is exactly what fans love about it. It is not the strongest game here on exploration depth, and the voxel art is an acquired taste, but as an affordable, friend-friendly way to capture the old fantasy-dungeon feeling, it kept getting seconded and thirded. If your dungeon crawling is best enjoyed with a party of actual humans, this is the one to grab.

What Works Well

• The standout co-op dungeon crawler, great with a group of friends.
• Captures the old Eye of the Beholder fantasy-dungeon feel.
• A slow, methodical, genuinely challenging crawl that rewards patience.
• Cheap and available on basically every platform.

Common Criticisms

• A harsh learning curve that can take many runs to overcome.
• Thinner on exploration than the handcrafted blobbers here.
• The voxel art style is divisive.

Quotes from the Threads

"

Check out Barony, relatively recent game inspired by old school games like Eye of the Beholder and such. It is a blast, especially with friends.

u/Total_Weaknessr/gamingsuggestionsvia Reddit

"

BARONY is a great slowpaced dungeon crawler, its light hearted but still has a pretty harsh learning curve. It reminds me of old school fantasy dungeon crawlers.

u/lunarlunacy425r/gamingvia Reddit

"

Seconding Barony, took me 50 hours of careful play just to beat it once. A slow methodical dungeon crawler is spot on for this game.

u/XBannannersr/gamingvia Reddit

View on Steam

9

Labyrinth of Refrain

Source

#9 Most Recommended

84 votes5 threadsPCSwitchPlayStation

Community consensus5 of 16 threads

GenreJRPG Dungeon Crawler

StyleFirst-person grid crawling commanding a large brigade of puppets

AvailablePC, Switch, PlayStation

Avg Cost$39.99

Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk was the most-loved JRPG crawler in the vote, repeatedly called one of the best dungeon crawlers in recent memory. You command a large brigade of customizable puppet soldiers through a sprawling labyrinth, with deep party building and a turn-based, first-person structure. The twist that won people over is the story: the dungeon-crawling puppets are blank slates, but the characters who send them down, and the mystery of the labyrinth itself, carry a genuinely affecting and unexpectedly dark tale.

Fans single it out as proof that a grid crawler can have a story worth caring about, with several calling it one of the best narratives they have experienced in any game. Its sequel, Labyrinth of Galleria, ranked elsewhere on this list for players who want more. The deep systems and heavy text are a big commitment, but if you want a dungeon crawler that pairs serious mechanics with real emotional payoff, this was the community's clear answer.

What Works Well

• The top-voted JRPG dungeon crawler, called a hidden masterpiece.
• A genuinely dark, affecting story uncommon for the genre.
• Deep party building around a large, customizable puppet brigade.
• A full sequel, Labyrinth of Galleria, waiting if you want more.

Common Criticisms

• Heavy on text and systems; a real time commitment.
• The puppet soldiers themselves are intentionally blank slates.
• Mature, sometimes uncomfortable themes are not for everyone.

Quotes from the Threads

"

Honestly, the best dungeon crawlers in recent memory would be the Labyrinth of Refrain and Labyrinth of Galleria. The story does not revolve around your puppets, it revolves around the people who send you into the dungeon. Highly recommend them both.

u/Hexatonar/JRPGvia Reddit

"

I second Labyrinth of Refrain. I think it is one of the best stories I have experienced across any medium.

u/ntmrkd1r/JRPGvia Reddit

"

Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk. A dungeon crawling and turn based JRPG and a hidden masterpiece. One of the few games that makes me cry like a baby.

u/ulyssesricr/gamingvia Reddit

View on Steam

10

Darkest Dungeon

Source

#10 Most Recommended

78 votes6 threadsPCSwitchPlayStationXboxMaciOS

Community consensus6 of 16 threads

GenreRoguelike Party Crawler

StyleSide-view expeditions with stress, attrition, and turn-based combat

AvailablePC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, Mac, iOS

Avg Cost$24.99

Darkest Dungeon was the most divisive entry to crack the top ten, and the debate it sparked is exactly why it belongs here. Some commenters argued a side-view, party-management game is not a true dungeon crawler; many more pointed out that descending into rooms, managing torchlight and resources, and weighing how deep to push before retreating is the dungeon crawl, just dressed differently. The community kept upvoting it, so the votes carried it onto the list.

What it does brilliantly is attrition and dread. You lead flawed heroes into grim expeditions where stress, disease, and bad luck wear them down as much as monsters do, and the slow, deliberate pace is the appeal rather than a flaw. The brutal difficulty curve turns some players away early, and it is a different shape from the first-person crawlers above, but for a tense, atmospheric, deeply replayable take on dungeon delving, it earned its spot fairly.

What Works Well

• A tense, original spin on dungeon delving built around stress and attrition.
• Slow, deliberate pacing that rewards careful, methodical play.
• Striking art and narration with huge replayability.
• On nearly every platform, and frequently very cheap.

Common Criticisms

• Some players argue it is not a true dungeon crawler.
• A famously brutal difficulty curve early on.
• Side-view party management, not a first-person crawl.

Quotes from the Threads

"

Might not be exactly what you are looking for, but definitely checks some boxes: Darkest Dungeon.

u/AuReaperr/gamingvia Reddit

"

Darkest Dungeon is all about managing your team and resources and weighing how far to risk progressing in each dungeon vs how much loot you can make it out with, which makes the pacing of the crawl somewhat slower than other games.

u/Simon_Hansr/gamingvia Reddit

View on Steam

Legend of Grimrock vs. Etrian Odyssey

Legend of Grimrock

vs

Etrian Odyssey

These two are the modern faces of the grid crawler, and they came up together constantly. Grimrock is the real-time, puzzle-forward dungeon; Etrian Odyssey is the turn-based, map-it-yourself DRPG.

Pick Grimrock for hands-on puzzling, Etrian Odyssey for deep turn-based party strategy.

Wizardry vs. Lunacid

Wizardry

vs

Lunacid

This is the old-guard versus the modern cult hit. Wizardry is the genre's turn-based grandfather; Lunacid is the cheap, atmospheric action crawler people kept discovering this year.

Wizardry rewards patience and tradition; Lunacid is the easier, cheaper way to fall in love with the genre.

What Is a Dungeon Crawler, Exactly?

A dungeon crawler is any game where the heart of the experience is descending into a maze of rooms and corridors, fighting monsters, grabbing loot, and pushing deeper while you manage limited resources. That umbrella is wide, which is why this list spans so many shapes: first-person grid "blobbers" such as Legend of Grimrock and Wizardry where a party steps tile by tile, dungeon RPGs such as Etrian Odyssey where you draw your own maps, action crawlers such as Lunacid and Arx Fatalis that play out in real time, and procedural roguelikes such as Caves of Qud where the dungeon is rebuilt every run. The thread regulars drew one firm line, though: open-world RPGs and soulslikes such as Elden Ring and Skyrim kept getting suggested and kept getting shot down, because wandering into the occasional cave is not the same as a true crawl. If the procedural, run-based branch is what pulls you, our best roguelike games ranking and the roguelike vs roguelite explainer go deeper on those neighbors, and our Risk of Rain 2 recommendations cover the action-roguelike side the same way.

Dungeon Crawler Games: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best dungeon crawler game?

By the community's count, Legend of Grimrock, and it was not close. The two Grimrock games topped the vote across nearly every thread as the go-to modern grid crawler, with the sequel especially beloved. Wizardry and Lunacid rounded out the top three: Wizardry for genre veterans who want the classic blobber, and Lunacid for an affordable, atmospheric modern crawl.

What is the best first-person dungeon crawler?

For the classic grid-based style, the threads point to Legend of Grimrock, Wizardry, and Etrian Odyssey, with Might and Magic close behind. If you want first-person but in real time rather than on a grid, Lunacid and Arx Fatalis are the most-recommended picks. All five show up constantly when people ask for a true first-person crawl.

What is a good dungeon crawler for beginners?

Lunacid is the easiest on-ramp here: it is cheap, modern, and overwhelmingly well reviewed. Legend of Grimrock is the friendliest classic-style pick thanks to its clean controls, and the 2024 Wizardry remake adds adjustable difficulty so newcomers are not thrown straight into the deep end. If you want co-op, Barony is a forgiving way to learn the ropes with friends.

Why is Darkest Dungeon on a dungeon crawler list?

Because the community kept recommending it, even though some argued a side-view party game is not a true crawler. The case that won out: you descend into rooms, manage torchlight and resources, and constantly weigh how deep to push before retreating, which is the dungeon crawl in spirit if not in camera angle. It earned its spot on votes, and its card is honest about the debate.

Are Diablo and Elden Ring dungeon crawlers?

Diablo made the list as a top-down loot crawler, since the community has long called the Diablo style a dungeon crawler. Elden Ring did not. In the threads, players repeatedly pushed back on soulslikes and open-world RPGs (Elden Ring, Skyrim, Kingdom Come), arguing that the occasional cave does not make a dungeon crawler, so this ranking leaves them out.

How are these games ranked?

Entirely by Reddit upvotes. I read sixteen threads asking for the best dungeon crawlers, tallied the upvotes on every comment that suggested a game, and added them up across all of them. The total decides the order, with no personal scoring. Every source thread is linked at the bottom of the page.

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