Evil Empire confirmed that updates for The Rogue Prince of Persia are wrapping as the team shifts to Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse. The game leaves early access as a polished, finished roguelite, but “finished” is a hard word for players who wanted more biomes, more weapons, and another run of balance passes. Seven alternatives on PC scratch the same itch: fast platforming, tight combat, and a Dead Cells-style run loop that rewards learning enemy patterns. We tested each one against the specific feel Rogue Prince of Persia nailed.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Price | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead Cells | The direct comparison | No | About $25 | Same team’s older roguelite, deeper mod scene |
| Hades II | Story-driven roguelite | No | About $30 | Best writing in the genre |
| Hollow Knight | Metroidvania mastery | No | About $15 | Vast interconnected map |
| Skul: The Hero Slayer | Character-switch runs | No | About $18 | Swap skulls mid-run for full moveset changes |
| Blasphemous 2 | Weighty melee metroidvania | No | About $30 | Dark, Iberian gothic setting |
| Bright Memory: Infinite | 3D action variant | No | About $10 | FPS mixed with sword combat |
| Katana ZERO | One-hit-kill precision | No | About $15 | Time-manipulation platformer |
Why people look beyond Rogue Prince of Persia
Updates have ended. With Belmont’s Curse taking Evil Empire’s focus, patches and new content stop. Some players want a game still receiving content drops.
Runs feel short. A full clear runs 45 to 75 minutes. Players hooked on longer, more layered runs (Hades II, Dead Cells modded) can want more.
Weapon variety caps out. By the end of early access, most players had tried every weapon a few times each. A wider unlock tree elsewhere feels fresh.
No permanent character progression the way Hades does. Rogue Prince of Persia’s meta layer is lighter than Hades II’s, which some players prefer, others do not.
The 7 best Rogue Prince of Persia alternatives on PC
Dead Cells, the closest neighbour
Dead Cells is Motion Twin’s foundational roguelite (the team that spun off into Evil Empire, developers of Rogue Prince of Persia). Everything Rogue Prince of Persia does mechanically has a DNA link here. Dead Cells has more biomes, more weapons, more mutations, and years of DLC that keep expanding the run loop. If you loved Rogue Prince of Persia’s mechanics, Dead Cells is the obvious next stop.
Where it falls short: Art style is less distinctive than Rogue Prince of Persia’s animated Persian setting. The sheer breadth of unlocks takes time to feel meaningful.
Pricing:
- Free: No, occasional free weekends
- Paid: Around $25 base, DLC bundles push it higher
- vs Rogue Prince of Persia: More content, less setting cohesion
Migrating from Rogue Prince of Persia: Combat feels the same in your hands within an hour. The mutation system replaces the medallion system directly.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: The default recommendation. Pick this first.
Hades II, story-driven roguelite
Hades II is Supergiant’s follow-up to Hades and the current benchmark for narrative-driven roguelite design. Each run advances a story that responds to your relationships with the cast, and the writing rewards the “just one more run” impulse in a way Rogue Prince of Persia does not attempt.
Where it falls short: Camera and movement are different (isometric, not side-scroller). Adjustment takes a few hours.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Paid: Around $30
- vs Rogue Prince of Persia: More story, different perspective
Migrating from Rogue Prince of Persia: Treat it as a fresh genre. The combat rhythm is different, but the run structure feels immediately familiar.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Hades II if writing and characters matter as much as combat. Skip if you want side-scrolling specifically.
Hollow Knight, the metroidvania everyone eventually plays
Hollow Knight is the metroidvania that quietly outclassed everything else in the genre. Not a roguelite, but the platforming precision and boss design overlap heavily with what Rogue Prince of Persia does best. If you want the depth of a huge interconnected world instead of run-based structure, this is where to go.
Where it falls short: Long. First playthrough is 40 hours easily. No run structure, so different fantasy.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Paid: Around $15
- vs Rogue Prince of Persia: Deeper world, no roguelite loop
Migrating from Rogue Prince of Persia: Movement mastery from Rogue Prince of Persia translates directly. Expect to die a lot at bosses.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Hollow Knight if you want to shelve the roguelite loop for a while and explore something bigger.
Skul: The Hero Slayer, character-swap roguelite
Skul: The Hero Slayer puts a full character swap at the centre of every run. Pick up a skull and your entire moveset changes: berserker, mage, sniper, or a hundred other variants. Rogue Prince of Persia’s medallion tinkering scratches a similar itch, but Skul goes further by making the character (not the loadout) the swap point.
Where it falls short: Balance across skulls is imperfect. Some early-game skulls fall off hard in later biomes.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Paid: Around $18
- vs Rogue Prince of Persia: More variety per run, weaker platforming
Migrating from Rogue Prince of Persia: Different rhythm. Take a run or two to accept that switching characters is the game’s core loop.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Skul if variety within a run matters more than pure movement precision.
Blasphemous 2, weighty melee metroidvania
Blasphemous 2 is the direct sequel to The Game Kitchen’s dark, Iberian-Catholic metroidvania. Combat is heavier and slower than Rogue Prince of Persia’s, but the platforming precision and the sense of a world with its own iconography are as strong as anything in the genre.
Where it falls short: Story is unrelenting. Not for players who want lighter fare.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Paid: Around $30
- vs Rogue Prince of Persia: Slower combat, richer setting
Migrating from Rogue Prince of Persia: Slow down. Blasphemous 2 rewards patience the way Rogue Prince of Persia rewards momentum.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Blasphemous 2 if you want a metroidvania with the same platforming rigor and a heavier tone.
Bright Memory: Infinite, 3D action for the parkour crowd
Bright Memory: Infinite is a solo-developer 3D action game that mixes gunplay with sword combat and light platforming. It is short (roughly 5 hours) and cheap, and it captures the “always moving, always chaining” feel Rogue Prince of Persia rewards, translated to a first-person 3D perspective.
Where it falls short: Not a roguelite. Not side-scrolling. Purists will call it a stretch.
Pricing:
- Free: No, frequent sales under $5
- Paid: Around $10
- vs Rogue Prince of Persia: 3D, action, no run structure
Migrating from Rogue Prince of Persia: Treat it as a palate cleanser between roguelite runs.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Bright Memory: Infinite for a short, focused action injection. Skip if you want side-scrolling or roguelite structure.
Katana ZERO, precision one-hit-kill platformer
Katana ZERO is the neon-noir katana platformer that trades roguelite runs for hand-crafted levels where one hit kills you (and every enemy). The “read the room, plan a path, execute” loop overlaps hard with Rogue Prince of Persia’s late-game challenge rooms.
Where it falls short: Short. Story-driven rather than run-driven, so different pacing.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Paid: Around $15
- vs Rogue Prince of Persia: Precise, story-first, not roguelite
Migrating from Rogue Prince of Persia: Your platforming reflexes transfer cleanly. Expect to restart levels a lot.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Katana ZERO if precision platforming is what you loved most about Rogue Prince of Persia.
How to choose
Pick Dead Cells first, it is the closest match on every axis. Pick Hades II if writing and character relationships matter as much as combat. Pick Hollow Knight if you want the metroidvania depth without the roguelite loop. Pick Skul if variety within a run appeals more than pure precision. Pick Blasphemous 2 if you want a metroidvania with a heavy, deliberate combat rhythm. Pick Bright Memory: Infinite for a short 3D palate cleanser between longer games. Pick Katana ZERO if the level-by-level precision of Rogue Prince of Persia’s challenge rooms is what stuck with you. Stay on The Rogue Prince of Persia for the game itself, it is complete and well worth finishing even without more updates.
FAQ
Is Dead Cells the same team as Rogue Prince of Persia?
Evil Empire (developer of Rogue Prince of Persia) is a spin-off from Motion Twin, the original Dead Cells team. Both teams collaborate on Dead Cells DLC, so the mechanical lineage is direct.
Is Rogue Prince of Persia still worth playing after updates stop?
Yes. The 1.0 release is a full, polished game with several biomes, a full boss lineup, and many weapons. “Updates ending” does not mean it stops working.
What is the best free Rogue Prince of Persia alternative?
None of the seven are free. Dead Cells runs regular free weekends on Steam, so watch the store.
Which alternative is closest to Rogue Prince of Persia’s combat feel?
Dead Cells, without question. Same DNA, similar dodge-and-strike rhythm.
Are there Rogue Prince of Persia alternatives on Steam Deck?
Yes. Dead Cells, Hades II, Hollow Knight, Skul, and Katana ZERO all run beautifully on Steam Deck. Blasphemous 2 also has an official Deck Verified badge.
