Toejam & Earl

Two wacky aliens, funky music and planet Earth as a bizarre playground – Toejam & Earl is a game that plays like absolutely nothing else, and that was already true back in 1991. It arrived on the SEGA Mega Drive with a recipe so idiosyncratic that it still holds its utterly unique laid-back atmosphere to this day.

The story is simple: a pair of cool aliens crash-lands on Earth and has to collect the pieces of their wrecked ship, scattered across the individual levels. The catch is that the levels are randomly generated, so every playthrough looks different. This roguelite structure, openly inspired by the classic game Rogue, arrived years before the genre had its big boom – in this respect the game was truly ahead of its time.

Around this framework the creators built a world steeped in hip-hop culture and funk. Instead of enemies in the sense of classic opponents, bizarre earthlings lie in wait for you – rampaging dentists, devilish imps, or tomato-throwing hazards – and the game's humor is quirky, lazy and unmistakably cool. The pace is leisurely, the atmosphere relaxed, and the whole thing breathes an unmistakable chill.

The game truly comes alive in co-op mode. When two players explore the planet at once on a split screen, a unique shared experience arises, full of discovery, laughter and unexpected situations. Cooperation and mutual ribbing make co-op the very best way to experience Toejam & Earl.

Few games have managed to build such a distinctive identity. The combination of roguelite structure, funk aesthetics and downright good cheer made it a cult favorite that fans love precisely because it stands entirely outside all the established categories.

Why play it: A uniquely laid-back funky roguelite about two aliens that plays like nothing else – and in co-op it's unforgettable.