Streets of Rogue is a roguelite that plays like a top-down immersive sim — every level objective can be completed through combat, stealth, hacking, social manipulation, or pure chaos. Playing as a Gorilla lets you smash through walls, a Hacker opens electronic doors without keys, and a Vampire bites NPCs to convert them. The game's emergent systems interact hilariously: hack a ventilation system to release poison gas, hire a gang to attack a building, or just bribe everyone. With local/online co-op for up to 4 players, Streets of Rogue multiplies the chaos exponentially.
Picking the right build determines how your experience plays out. These builds are ranked by overall effectiveness — factoring in damage, survivability, gear requirements, and how well they scale into endgame.
Quick Rankings
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soldier | A | Shoot everything, tank damage with armor, complete objectives through combat elimination. | Machine Gun, Grenades, Armor, Ammo supply |
| Doctor | A | Heal NPCs for social credits, use favors to bypass security, avoid combat entirely. | Healing items, Chloroform, First Aid Kit |
| Hacker | S | Hack every terminal, disable security, open locked doors remotely, avoid direct confrontation. | Laptop, Hacking tools, EMP grenades |
| Gorilla | S | Smash through walls to reach objectives directly, intimidate NPCs, punch through problems literally. | Fists (devastating melee), wall-breaking ability, banana (healing) |
| Vampire | A | Bite NPCs to convert and heal, build an army of converted allies, stay out of sunlight. | Bite ability (conversion + healing), darkness preference, converted allies |
A-Tier: Soldier
The straightforward combat class with weapon proficiency and extra HP. Soldiers solve problems with firepower. Starting with a machine gun and grenades, they clear objectives through raw force. Simple but effective for players who prefer action over stealth.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Pistol | The standard ranged weapon available from shops and enemy drops. |
| Core Gear | Machine Gun, Grenades, Armor, Ammo supply | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Damage, HP, Accuracy | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | class abilities | Each of the 20+ character classes has unique abilities that fundamentally change how you approach objectives. |
How to Play Soldier
Shoot everything, tank damage with armor, complete objectives through combat elimination.
The straightforward combat class with weapon proficiency and extra HP. Soldiers solve problems with firepower. Starting with a machine gun and grenades, they clear objectives through raw force. Simple but effective for players who prefer action over stealth.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Pistol and class abilities creates a gameplay loop that outperforms other options. Core gear like Machine Gun, Grenades, Armor, Ammo supply amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Clear stat priority (Damage, HP, Accuracy) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Doctor
The social manipulation class — heal NPCs to gain favor, which opens doors and grants free access. Doctors can cure poisoned NPCs and remove debuffs, making everyone friendly. The most pacifist-viable class in the game.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Sledgehammer | A massive melee weapon that deals huge damage and breaks objects. |
| Core Gear | Healing items, Chloroform, First Aid Kit | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Social skills, healing items, stealth | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | NPC interaction | NPCs have faction allegiances, moods, and individual AI. |
How to Play Doctor
Heal NPCs for social credits, use favors to bypass security, avoid combat entirely.
The social manipulation class — heal NPCs to gain favor, which opens doors and grants free access. Doctors can cure poisoned NPCs and remove debuffs, making everyone friendly. The most pacifist-viable class in the game.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Sledgehammer and NPC interaction creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Healing items, Chloroform, First Aid Kit amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Clear stat priority (Social skills, healing items, stealth) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
S-Tier: Hacker
Hacking opens electronic doors, disables security systems, and controls automated defenses remotely. The Hacker bypasses most obstacles without alerting anyone. In a world full of electronic locks, the Hacker has the master key to everything.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Tranquilizer | Puts NPCs to sleep without killing them, perfect for pacifist or stealth approaches. |
| Core Gear | Laptop, Hacking tools, EMP grenades | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Hacking speed, stealth, electronics manipulation | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | environmental manipulation | The procedurally generated levels are full of interactive elements: computer terminals to hack, air vents to poison, windows to break, fires to start, and barrels to explode. |
How to Play Hacker
Hack every terminal, disable security, open locked doors remotely, avoid direct confrontation.
Hacking opens electronic doors, disables security systems, and controls automated defenses remotely. The Hacker bypasses most obstacles without alerting anyone. In a world full of electronic locks, the Hacker has the master key to everything.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Tranquilizer and environmental manipulation creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Laptop, Hacking tools, EMP grenades amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Clear stat priority (Hacking speed, stealth, electronics manipulation) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
S-Tier: Gorilla
A literal gorilla who can't talk to NPCs but can smash through any wall, intimidate enemies into fleeing, and overpower anyone in melee. The Gorilla's wall-breaking ability creates unique paths through every level that other classes can't access.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Boombox | Places a boombox that attracts nearby NPCs to dance, distracting them from their posts. |
| Core Gear | Fists (devastating melee), wall-breaking ability, banana (healing) | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Melee damage, wall-breaking speed, HP | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | multiplayer chaos | Up to 4 players in local or online co-op, each potentially playing a different class. |
How to Play Gorilla
Smash through walls to reach objectives directly, intimidate NPCs, punch through problems literally.
A literal gorilla who can't talk to NPCs but can smash through any wall, intimidate enemies into fleeing, and overpower anyone in melee. The Gorilla's wall-breaking ability creates unique paths through every level that other classes can't access.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Boombox and multiplayer chaos creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Fists (devastating melee), wall-breaking ability, banana (healing) amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Clear stat priority (Melee damage, wall-breaking speed, HP) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
A-Tier: Vampire
Vampires bite NPCs to convert them into allies and heal. They're weak in sunlight but devastating at night or indoors. Converting key NPCs (guards, gang members) gives you an army. The Vampire plays like a social domination class through biting rather than talking.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Banana Peel | A thrown item that causes NPCs who step on it to slip and fall, stunning them briefly. |
| Core Gear | Bite ability (conversion + healing), darkness preference, converted allies | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Bite speed, ally management, indoor positioning | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | mutator system | Game modifiers (mutators) change fundamental rules: everyone is giant, all NPCs are hostile, weapons do extra damage, etc. |
How to Play Vampire
Bite NPCs to convert and heal, build an army of converted allies, stay out of sunlight.
Vampires bite NPCs to convert them into allies and heal. They're weak in sunlight but devastating at night or indoors. Converting key NPCs (guards, gang members) gives you an army. The Vampire plays like a social domination class through biting rather than talking.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Banana Peel and mutator system creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Bite ability (conversion + healing), darkness preference, converted allies amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Clear stat priority (Bite speed, ally management, indoor positioning) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Doctor — the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Soldier once you understand core mechanics and have access to Pistol
- Keep a Hacker setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Vampire for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first — it gives the biggest power spike
- Every class plays completely differently — the Gorilla experience and the Hacker experience share almost no gameplay in common. Try every class at least once.
- Hacking opens most locked doors for free — prioritize electronic locks over physical ones. If a door has an electronic panel, hack it rather than searching for keys.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
See our tier list for current meta rankings, or the beginner's guide if you're just getting started.
