What Is a Roguelike Game?
In This Article
by Garry Murdock
What is a roguelike game?
What Is a Roguelike Game?
Roguelike games are action-adventure video games that follow a similar set of rules. Among other game features, they involve the player exploring a dungeon or labyrinth, and the dreaded “permadeath” (more on that below).
At the first International Roguelike Development Conference, held in 2008, the Berlin Interpretation was created. This list proved to be a helpful reference in classifying whether a game was roguelike or not.
what is a roguelike game?
Characteristics of Roguelike Games
Roguelike games share the following core characteristics:
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They are turn based: players take turns, as opposed to playing simultaneously. This means a player can take their time deciding on their next course of action.
- Grid-based movement: the playing area consists of squares or tiles or sometimes rectangular, parallelogram, or hexagonal images laid out in a grid formation. A player or a monster would take up one tile. In most games, the player does not see the grid—it is simply the technology that the game uses for visual representation.
- Exploration and Discovery: the player navigates a labyrinth or dungeon and avoids monsters and traps along the way. They will find items that they will need to identify.
- Procedurally generated content (also known as ‘random environment generation’): this is where the game generates new content automatically, using an algorithm as opposed to having been manually programmed for every possible player action. This content often applies to generating new game levels, but it could be maps, worlds or even unique challenges for the player. This randomness makes the game much more interesting as the player cannot predict what will happen the next time they play. Rules do guide procedurally generated content, meaning the algorithm does not make it impossible to complete a level or win the game. A perfect example of a game designed with procedurally generated content is Minecraft, where no two worlds are ever alike.
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Additional Characteristics of Roguelike Games
- Complexity: this allows for several different solutions to common goals.
- Resource Management: the player must find resources to survive and once obtained, decide when and how to use them to their best advantage.
- Non-modal: the player should be able to perform any action regardless of where they are in the game (for example, in battle).
- Hack ‘n’ Slash Combat: well, it is a video game; there should be a lot of monsters or zombies (or some kind of enemy) to kill.
- Permadeath: this means when a player’s character dies, it’s game over for real. The only way to continue playing is to restart the game from the beginning. This means the player loses all their progress, weapons and upgrades. Although that can be frustrating, permadeath can make video games more challenging because the player knows there are no second chances.
What is a roguelike game?
Where Did the Name “Roguelike” Originate?
The name comes from a 1980 video game titled Rogue, which designers created as a single-player game for Unix-based microcomputer systems. Rogue was based on the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.
The player moves downward through a dungeon looking for the ultimate prize: the Amulet of Yendor. Of course, getting to the lower level is not that simple, as along the way the player must take on the monsters that live there, while also watching out for traps. Then there’s the matter of escaping once the amulet has been found.
The game randomly generated new dungeons, maps, and obstacles with each new playthrough, meaning the player had to adapt to new challenges every time they started a new game.
roguelike game
What is a roguelike game?
Even though it was released two years earlier than Rogue (in 1978), many gamers consider Beneath Apple Manor to be the first roguelike game. The developers wrote it for the Apple II. In the game, the player must make it to the bottom floor of a dungeon to find a golden apple. Each level has ten rooms.
Beneath Apple Manor was unique because it was the first role-playing game developed for the home computer. Eventually further installments would be released, including a version for the Atari 8-bit computers: the Atari 400 and 800 models.
What is a roguelike game?
What Are Some Examples of Roguelike Games?
Many roguelike games have been released on the market over the years. Here are just a few:
ALTF4 (released 2021)
You are a clumsy knight making your way through a medieval-style obstacle course. Your sidekick is a chicken and your problem is that traps are everywhere. You can expect permadeath many times over as you try to get through the game in a single play.
Jupiter Hell (released 2019)
You have your choice of characters: you can play a marine, technician or scout. The game takes place on one of Jupiter’s moons, where you’ll find yourself in a station infested by zombies and demons. The game developers funded Jupiter Hell through a Kickstarter campaign and its website boasts a cinematic trailer.
Pokémon Mystery DungeonTM: Rescue Team DX (released 2020)
You have been transformed into a Pokémon! Your mission is to recruit other Pokémans (up to 400 of them, each with their own unique abilities) and navigate a multitude of mysterious dungeons that keep changing, hoping to discover your true purpose along the way.
What is a roguelike game
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What Is a “Roguelite” Game?
The gaming community has not always agreed upon the exact definition of “roguelike.” It has led to the emergence of another term: roguelite. These are games that share some, but not all, of the core characteristics of traditional roguelikes.
Roguelite games have a more relaxed interpretation than roguelike games, and allow for a more forgiving player experience. Although permadeath is often a feature, players can sometimes carry over actions, abilities, achievements, and even weapons between playthroughs.
Often roguelite games blend with other genres, such as JRPG (Japanese Role-Playing Games) or Tactical RPG.
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Examples of Roguelite Games
Examples of roguelite games include:
Star Renegades (released 2020)
Your mission is to defend the solar system from an army of cyborgs. You must get through three dungeons. Since there are multiple dimensions, failure means restarting in another dimension (or another dungeon). What makes this different from a roguelike game is that when you die and start over, some of your resources go with you into the next run.
What is a roguelike game
Spiritfall (released 2023)
The Great Spirits have chosen you to discover the mystery surrounding the world’s destruction. There’s a lot of combat, but what makes this different from a roguelike game is that there is no permadeath here, you can keep going down the same path over and over again until you’ve resolved the conflict.
Hades (released 2020)
You are Zagreus, the son of Hades. You want to break free of the underworld and journey to Olympus. Of course, the underworld is a labyrinth teeming with the undead. However, escape remains possible. Unlike typical roguelike games, you don’t lose all your progress upon death. Your abilities steadily improve, making it easier to navigate each room and inch closer to freedom.
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The Last Word on Roguelike and Roguelite Games
Understanding the difference between roguelike and roguelite games is essential for both game designers and players. Correctly classifying a game ensures effective marketing strategies for developers and realistic expectations for players.
While one genre isn’t inherently superior to the other, understanding the core mechanics and player expectations associated with each can help create more engaging and satisfying gaming experiences.
Keep in mind that what really matters is the user experience and whether the game is fun or not. If you’re a gaming developer and you’re conflicted because following the rules to get your game classified ‘roguelike’ will take some of the fun out of playing your game—then perhaps you should rethink your vision. If you’re not a developer, but are interested in learning more about video game development, you can check out Toronto Film School’s Video Game Design & Development Diploma Program here.
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