Who would’ve thought that Deep Rock Galactic would ever grow beyond the original game. If the recent release of Rogue Core made you interested in the series, there must a question lingering in your mind: which DRG should you start with?
The original Deep Rock Galactic remains the best first step, since other entries play with the formula, but what then? DRG Survivor simplifies the gameplay down to a Bullet Heaven, while Rogue Core branches from the original to create a more, well, roguelite experience, so it’s down to your preferences.
Let’s dive into details
Table of Content
Deep Rock Galactic
The original remains a fantastic game to start with whether you like first-person action or not. After six years (or eight, if we count the Early Access period) it’s fleshed out, polished, and extremely fair.
It also enjoys fantastic diversity, thanks to multiple biomes which introduce unique risks and opportunities of their own, many different mission types, various special assignments, and permanently available, free seasons with their own additional objectives. There are also rich cosmetic customisation options, and a satisfying flexibility of gear and perk loadouts for your space dwarf and his equipment.
The core gameplay is simple, but effective: you descend from a space station into the interior of a planet, usually with the objective to acquire precious minerals or other valuable resources through mining or operating deployed machinery. Frequently you’ll be interrupted by local wildlife, which is why, in addition to exploration and mining gadgets, you also have weapons. The weapon and gadget selection depends on the chosen class, one of four.
You can clear missions in as minimal or as committed manner as you like, as long as you achieve the main objective, there is a helpful difficulty scaling, and the stakes are low enough to make many mission types a relatively relaxing experience.
Developer Ghost Ship Games also keeps releasing new content, including new biomes and cosmetics-rich seasons you are free to play at your own pace forever with no extra price, optional or otherwise.
Deep Rock Galactic
Release Date: February 28, 2018
Genres: Shooter, Adventure, Indie
You just need to enjoy the first-person perspective action, because there is no TPP option available.
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor
DRG Survivor fuses together certain gameplay ideas of original DRG (destructible environments, mining precious resources, objective-driven missions) with elements of the Bullet Heaven genre (auto-firing weapons, rogue-lite progression, distant camera angle) to create something synergistically unique.
It is a solo-only game about a single space dwarf and a faithful drone descending into multi-stage depths of the planet to mine for minerals and slay troublesome alien wildlife. There are mission types with other objectives and conditions, but boss elimination is the core experience.
Thanks to relatively (compared to DRG) short missions, very simple controls (directional inputs + buttons to confirm and cancel), and simple gameplay core, Survivor is probably the most accessible DRG-license game out there.
It isn’t necessarily EASY, as it is easy to get overwhelmed by enemies or miss an extraction timer, but it’s easy to get into or fire up for a quick run during a break.
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor
Release Date: February 14, 2024
Genres: Adventure, Shooter
It’s hard to speak on it’s longevity. It launched with lots of things to do and grind for, and recently (at the time of writing) received a DLC with a brand new class, biome, and mission type, but it feels generally finite.
Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core
Finally we have the hottest, freshest, freshly combed release, Rogue Core, launched into Early Access on May 20th. Rogue Core has a core (get it?) gameplay similar to the original DRG: a first-person action game with distinct classes (five rather than four this time).
However, it makes several important changes.
It’s a roguelite, so you get most of your important gear and upgrades during the given run. Additionally, its baseline is significantly faster, harder, and build-oriented than a reasonably relaxed original DRG’s.
There is also less space for leisurely cave exploration: the threat level increases as the mission goes on and you will be overwhelmed if you snooze while appreciating the sights. Finally, teamwork is more important, since certain upgrades require gathering lots of resources or fixing some broken hardware through collective effort.
Because of all that, Rogue Core might be less accessible than other video games in the series. Since it’s a fresh release, it is also currently at its least fully-featured state, and will only get better from here.
Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core
Release Date: March 20, 2026
Genres: Shooter
Studio Ghost Ship Games has an excellent track record regarding updating their creations, so there shouldn’t be too much worry about content and quality.
Diggy, diggy hole
DRG is a series with massive potential, and so far it’s never been wasted. Our recommendation is to start with the original DRG first and decide whether you like its gameplay or not.
If you do, get your money worth out of the game and shift your look towards Rogue Core, as it goes harder into the tense action of higher-level missions of DRG and tighter teamplay.
If you don’t like the gameplay, but like the vibe, check DRG Survivor, as it follow a completely different, more low-commitment formula while maintaining a lot of the original’s stylistic identity.
The two spin-offs couldn’t be more different, gameplay wise, so you might strike gold with either, or maybe even both. And if you really love it all and also enjoy tabletop games, you might want to try to scout out the Deep Rock Galactic board game. We’re hearing it’s even playable solo, which drastically improves any board game’s accessibility.
Now go forth and bring profits to the Deep Rock Galactic mining company.