Games like Dead Cells
If Dead Cells is your kind of game, the closest matches are Nightmare: The Lunatic, Skul: The Hero Slayer and Windblown — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers single out its combat feels satisfying, high skill ceiling and incredible replayability. Each pick is ranked by what players of this game also play, shared genres and tags, and review-mined similarity — not a generic popularity list.
Get personalized picks →Dead Cells is a 2018 action-adventure roguelite developed and published by Motion Twin. Set in a procedurally generated castle, the game blends action-platforming with metroidvania exploration, challenging players to navigate interconnected areas while mastering tactical combat and weapon upgrades. Players describe the experience as brutal and challenging, with combat that feels satisfying and a high skill ceiling that keeps them engaged across repeated runs. Cosmetic customization and strategic positioning round out the core mechanics. The game costs $24.99 USD and runs verified on Steam Deck. It holds a 96% positive rating from over 43,000 Steam reviews and earned a Metacritic score of 89.
About Dead Cells: Dead Cells is a roguelite, metroidvania inspired, action-platformer. You'll explore a sprawling, ever-changing castle... assuming you’re able to fight your way past its keepers in 2D souls-lite combat. No checkpoints. Kill, die, learn, repeat.
Players who liked Dead Cells also play
Steam players who put hours into Dead Cells also tend to own these titles — a signal called collaborative filtering. imho.run cross-references millions of library ownership patterns to surface games whose real audiences overlap, regardless of whether their genre tags match.
Nightmare: The Lunatic
WHY THIS
Shares a challenging mood with Dead Cells.
Top pick for Dead Cells fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Nightmare: The Lunatic is a parrying action rogue-lite platformer game about escaping a nightmare. Constantly swap between 3 weapons, use special attacks, and avoid and parry enemy attacks. Strengthen yourself by collecting powerful and unique totems.
Skul: The Hero Slayer
WHY THIS
Shares procedural generation and a brutal mood with Dead Cells.
Second-strongest match for Dead Cells fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Guide 'Skul' on his quest to single-handedly take on the Imperial Army and rescue his King from captivity, in an action-packed rogue-lite 2D platformer for the ages.
Windblown
WHY THIS
Third-strongest match for Dead Cells fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Dash, dive and defy the Vortex. A lightning-fast, 1-3 player co-op roguelite from the crafters of Dead Cells, where every run is a leap into chaos. Absorb the powers of fallen warriors, rebuild their weapons, and WIPE THE FLOOR with anything that gets in the way of a perfect run.
ScourgeBringer
WHY THIS
Shares a challenging mood with Dead Cells.
Ranked #4 for Dead Cells fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
ScourgeBringer is a fast-paced free-moving roguelite platformer. Help Kyhra to explore the unknown and slash her way through ancient machines guarding the seal of her past, and maybe the redemption of humanity.
Aura of Worlds
WHY THIS
Shares procedural generation and a challenging mood with Dead Cells.
Ranked #5 for Dead Cells fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Aura of Worlds is a chaotic, creative tactics rogue-lite platformer. Explore multiple dangerous worlds where you utilize creative abilities & wield the environment to your advantage. Blast, dash, grapple, fight, and charm your way through ever-changing labyrinths & outwit powerful guardians!
Rogue Legacy
WHY THIS
Shares procedural generation and a challenging mood with Dead Cells.
Ranked #6 for Dead Cells fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Rogue Legacy is a genealogical rogue-"LITE" where anyone can be a hero. Each time you die, your child will succeed you. Every child is unique. One child might be colorblind, another might be a dwarf with vertigo. But that's OK, because no one is perfect, and you don't have to be to succeed.
Katanaut
WHY THIS
Shares weapon upgrades, procedural generation and a challenging mood with Dead Cells.
Ranked #7 for Dead Cells fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Katanaut is a fast-paced, Metroidvania-inspired action roguelite blending fluid combat and cosmic horror. Slash, dodge, and wield powerful abilities as you battle through a station sprawling with twisted, once-human horrors. Adapt, survive, and descend into the shadows to uncover dark secrets.
Xenon Valkyrie
WHY THIS
Shares procedural generation and a challenging mood with Dead Cells.
Ranked #8 for Dead Cells fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Xenon Valkyrie is a rogue-like with many RPG elements in which you will have to get to the deepest part of a moon and finish the plans of a wicked witch. You will be able to get many weapons randomly as you fight in a world that is created every time you play.
Reviewers mention these as similar to Dead Cells
Surfaced from review text: when other players write 'if you liked X, try Y', we catch the name and resolve it back to a Steam game.
Risk of Rain 2
WHY THIS
Shares a challenging mood with Dead Cells.
Reviewers of Dead Cells cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Escape a chaotic alien planet by fighting through hordes of frenzied monsters – with your friends, or on your own. Combine loot in surprising ways and master each character until you become the havoc you feared upon your first crash landing.
Risk of Rain (2013)
WHY THIS
Shares procedural generation and a challenging mood with Dead Cells.
Reviewers of Dead Cells cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Risk of Rain is an action platformer with roguelike elements. With permanent death as a primary feature, players will have to play their best to get as far as possible. Fight on a mysterious planet with randomly spawning enemies and bosses, either alone or with 3 friends in online co-op.
Enter the Gungeon
WHY THIS
Shares procedural generation and a challenging mood with Dead Cells.
Reviewers of Dead Cells cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Enter the Gungeon is a bullet hell dungeon crawler following a band of misfits seeking to shoot, loot, dodge roll and table-flip their way to personal absolution by reaching the legendary Gungeon’s ultimate treasure: the gun that can kill the past.
Hades
WHY THIS
Reviewers of Dead Cells cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Defy the god of the dead as you hack and slash out of the Underworld in this rogue-like dungeon crawler from the creators of Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre.
Transistor
WHY THIS
Reviewers of Dead Cells cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Discover the world of Transistor, a sci-fi-themed action RPG from the creators of Bastion.
Hyper Light Drifter
WHY THIS
Reviewers of Dead Cells cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Explore a beautiful, vast and ruined world riddled with dangers and lost technologies.
Hollow Knight
WHY THIS
Shares a challenging mood with Dead Cells.
Reviewers of Dead Cells cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Forge your own path in Hollow Knight! An epic action adventure through a vast ruined kingdom of insects and heroes. Explore twisting caverns, battle tainted creatures and befriend bizarre bugs, all in a classic, hand-drawn 2D style.
Cheaper alternatives
Games in the same vein priced at least 40% below Dead Cells at current Steam store prices.
Terraria
WHY THIS
Shares procedural generation and a challenging mood with Dead Cells.
Priced ~60% under Dead Cells on Steam right now. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Dig, fight, explore, build! Nothing is impossible in this action-packed adventure game. Four Pack also available!
Garry's Mod
WHY THIS
Priced ~80% under Dead Cells on Steam right now. Shares Indie with Dead Cells.
Garry's Mod is a physics sandbox. There aren't any predefined aims or goals. We give you the tools and leave you to play.
Lethal Company
WHY THIS
Priced ~60% under Dead Cells on Steam right now. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
A co-op horror about scavenging at abandoned moons to sell scrap to the Company.
Left 4 Dead 2
WHY THIS
Priced ~60% under Dead Cells on Steam right now. Shares Action with Dead Cells.
Set in the zombie apocalypse, Left 4 Dead 2 is a co-operative action horror FPS takes you and your friends through the cities, swamps and cemeteries of the Deep South, from Savannah to New Orleans across five expansive campaigns.
People Playground
WHY THIS
Priced ~60% under Dead Cells on Steam right now. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Shoot, stab, burn, poison, tear, vaporise, or crush ragdolls in a large open space.
Fallout: New Vegas
WHY THIS
Priced ~60% under Dead Cells on Steam right now. Shares Action with Dead Cells.
Welcome to Vegas. New Vegas. Enjoy your stay!
Free alternatives
Free-to-play games that recommended players of this title also tend to enjoy.
Life is Strange - Episode 1
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Action and Adventure with Dead Cells.
Episode 1 now FREE! Life is Strange is an award-winning and critically acclaimed episodic adventure game that allows the player to rewind time and affect the past, present and future.
Ultimate Custom Night
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Welcome to the ultimate FNAF mashup, featuring 50 selectable characters and custom difficulties!
Bongo Cat
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with Dead Cells.
Bongo cat needs your help. Bongo cat needz more hatz!!! Every time you press a key, Bongo cat will punch your taskbar. Type, click, play, work to collect more points. Which hats will you find?
ENA: Dream BBQ
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Adventure with Dead Cells.
Experience surreal environments and inexplicable characters as ENA in a new wild world.
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with Dead Cells.
Sonic the Hedgehog...was murdered!? Get to the bottom of the mystery in this brand-new adventure!
Indigo Park: Chapter 1
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Explore the abandoned childhood wonder of Indigo Park! Guided by Rambley the Raccoon, help restore power to the destroyed amusement park while you run from the reason it shut down.
The Looker
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with Dead Cells.
You wake up, alone, on a strangely familiar island full of puzzles that will frustrate and annoy you.
Narrow it down
Head-to-head comparisons
Plays great on Steam Deck
Valve-Verified or Playable picks from the similar pool — ready to go on Deck out of the box.
Nightmare: The Lunatic
WHY THIS
Shares a challenging mood with Dead Cells.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Nightmare: The Lunatic is a parrying action rogue-lite platformer game about escaping a nightmare. Constantly swap between 3 weapons, use special attacks, and avoid and parry enemy attacks. Strengthen yourself by collecting powerful and unique totems.
Windblown
WHY THIS
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Dash, dive and defy the Vortex. A lightning-fast, 1-3 player co-op roguelite from the crafters of Dead Cells, where every run is a leap into chaos. Absorb the powers of fallen warriors, rebuild their weapons, and WIPE THE FLOOR with anything that gets in the way of a perfect run.
ScourgeBringer
WHY THIS
Shares a challenging mood with Dead Cells.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
ScourgeBringer is a fast-paced free-moving roguelite platformer. Help Kyhra to explore the unknown and slash her way through ancient machines guarding the seal of her past, and maybe the redemption of humanity.
Aura of Worlds
WHY THIS
Shares procedural generation and a challenging mood with Dead Cells.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Aura of Worlds is a chaotic, creative tactics rogue-lite platformer. Explore multiple dangerous worlds where you utilize creative abilities & wield the environment to your advantage. Blast, dash, grapple, fight, and charm your way through ever-changing labyrinths & outwit powerful guardians!
Rogue Legacy
WHY THIS
Shares procedural generation and a challenging mood with Dead Cells.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Rogue Legacy is a genealogical rogue-"LITE" where anyone can be a hero. Each time you die, your child will succeed you. Every child is unique. One child might be colorblind, another might be a dwarf with vertigo. But that's OK, because no one is perfect, and you don't have to be to succeed.
Katanaut
WHY THIS
Shares weapon upgrades, procedural generation and a challenging mood with Dead Cells.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Action and Indie with Dead Cells.
Katanaut is a fast-paced, Metroidvania-inspired action roguelite blending fluid combat and cosmic horror. Slash, dodge, and wield powerful abilities as you battle through a station sprawling with twisted, once-human horrors. Adapt, survive, and descend into the shadows to uncover dark secrets.
Frequently asked about Dead Cells
- Is Dead Cells verified for Steam Deck?
- Yes — Dead Cells is Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve has confirmed it runs well on the Deck with full controller, text legibility, and default configuration support.
- How much does Dead Cells cost?
- Dead Cells is listed on Steam at 24.99 USD (current store price; Steam sales may reduce this temporarily).
- What games are most similar to Dead Cells?
- Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside Dead Cells are Nightmare: The Lunatic, Skul: The Hero Slayer, Windblown.
- Who developed Dead Cells?
- Dead Cells was developed by Motion Twin.
imho.run ranks Steam game alternatives using a mix of collaborative filtering (ALS / iALS / EASE / LightGCN), content scoring over genres, categories, Steam tags, developers, and publishers, plus AI-extracted vibes mined from review text. The page above is generated in seed mode anchored on Dead Cells.
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