\
  The most prestigious law school admissions discussion board in the world.
BackRefresh Options Favorite

Explain "Roguelike" game genre

You're supposed to play through multiple times and keep dyin...
Diverse Gaping Alpha
  10/16/22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liRioOpF5sw
trip box office
  10/16/22
it's like diablo/PoE style games but you actually get to mak...
poppy mentally impaired orchestra pit stock car
  10/16/22
Apparently Nethack has been proposed as an AI target. htt...
Appetizing institution
  10/16/22
I just started playing nethack the other day, it's brutal, e...
Startled place of business internal respiration
  10/16/22
You never know!
Appetizing institution
  10/16/22
neckbeards
mind-boggling jap
  10/16/22
I also had never encountered this term until a few years ago...
Titillating double fault
  10/16/22
niggerlike
Diverse Gaping Alpha
  10/16/22
You could be an old time pirate or an Englishman in the time...
Titillating double fault
  10/16/22
...
translucent pea-brained lay
  07/04/25
It's a procedurally generated dungeon crawler with permadeat...
Appetizing institution
  10/16/22
How is that different from Ultima?
Titillating double fault
  10/16/22
how do you "beat" them? or do you just play endles...
Diverse Gaping Alpha
  10/16/22
The old wizardry games let you import your stats across rele...
Titillating double fault
  10/16/22
Most people never will. They're insanely difficult due to th...
Appetizing institution
  10/16/22
Roguelikes value gameplay above all.
Spectacular Dopamine Organic Girlfriend
  10/16/22
Yes, but with each playthrough you get stronger via better w...
Greedy vigorous center half-breed
  10/16/22
i tried binding of issac and i didnt know wtf i was doing an...
Diverse Gaping Alpha
  10/16/22
Play Hades now. It's a 9/10 type of game
Greedy vigorous center half-breed
  10/16/22
better than dead cells? heard a lot about both
Diverse Gaping Alpha
  10/16/22
Hades is a little better, but Dead Cells is near the top.
lilac kitchen codepig
  10/16/22
Hades is 180. Have you tried Returnal?
Spectacular Dopamine Organic Girlfriend
  10/16/22
Hades doesn’t get easier imo afaik Iirc
Mustard menage
  10/16/22
It does. Once you unlock enough shit it becomes a joke.
lilac kitchen codepig
  10/16/22
persistent unlocks/stat growths are not an element of the ro...
lilac kitchen codepig
  10/16/22
They're roguelite
Appetizing institution
  10/16/22
...
Startled place of business internal respiration
  10/16/22
The question becomes whether one considers roguelites to be ...
lilac kitchen codepig
  10/16/22
I don't like the term "roguelite" because it basic...
Startled place of business internal respiration
  10/16/22
I think it's useful to describe stuff like Fatal Labyrinth.
Appetizing institution
  10/16/22
...
Startled place of business internal respiration
  10/16/22
RogueLIKE = Like Rogue, play a single life until you beat th...
Swashbuckling dingle berry stag film
  10/16/22
Roguelike sounds like every old school rpg. There was never ...
Titillating double fault
  10/16/22
Rogue (and roguelikes) was what would now be called an "...
Swashbuckling dingle berry stag film
  10/16/22
Ok that sounds neat but it also doesn't sound like any game ...
Titillating double fault
  10/16/22
They’re extremely tedious and hard but insipid Losers ...
Mustard menage
  10/16/22
i want to be a Loser
Diverse Gaping Alpha
  10/16/22
You’re in luck.
Big Bear Energy
  06/12/26
I'm on year 9 of my Football Manager 2022 career so i don't ...
Diverse Gaping Alpha
  10/16/22
...
poppy mentally impaired orchestra pit stock car
  10/16/22
...
Fishy talented locus filthpig
  10/16/22
Can they be turn based or do they require an arcade componen...
Titillating double fault
  10/16/22
They are traditionally turn based. Diablo is not a roguelike...
Appetizing institution
  10/16/22
How is "procedurally generated" different from &qu...
Titillating double fault
  10/16/22
Roguelikes / ROGUE are based on AD&D play mechanics. The...
Appetizing institution
  10/16/22
Ok I just realized "Rogue" is older than Wizardry....
Titillating double fault
  10/16/22
It's like FPS games used to be called "DooM clones"...
Startled place of business internal respiration
  10/16/22
"Doom clone" was never used to refer to the genre;...
Appetizing institution
  10/16/22
Obviously I wasn't alive to see it in person, but I beg to d...
Startled place of business internal respiration
  10/16/22
I used to play Pixel Dungeon on my phone But then once I ...
multi-colored narrow-minded legal warrant pit
  10/16/22
Obligatory: https://www.vildravn.net/posts/roguelike_chart....
Startled place of business internal respiration
  10/16/22
...
Appetizing institution
  10/16/22
Makes sense. Also I feel good about not having ever a played...
Titillating double fault
  10/16/22
risk of rain 2 is fucking 180
out-of-control shitlib weed whacker
  10/17/22


Poast new message in this thread



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:46 PM
Author: Diverse Gaping Alpha

You're supposed to play through multiple times and keep dying but eventually you beat it or something? I don't understand, seems tedious

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341712)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:53 PM
Author: trip box office

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liRioOpF5sw

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341732)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:53 PM
Author: poppy mentally impaired orchestra pit stock car

it's like diablo/PoE style games but you actually get to make meaingful decisions instead of just mindlessly aoe'ing down AI bots for hours

i don't play those games but they seem alright if you're into the single player exploration type games

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341737)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:54 PM
Author: Appetizing institution

Apparently Nethack has been proposed as an AI target.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.11889

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341738)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:51 PM
Author: Startled place of business internal respiration

I just started playing nethack the other day, it's brutal, especially unspoilered. Tbh I never expect to ascend because I'm unspoilered

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341957)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:55 PM
Author: Appetizing institution

You never know!

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341972)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:54 PM
Author: mind-boggling jap

neckbeards

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341740)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:54 PM
Author: Titillating double fault

I also had never encountered this term until a few years ago. I imagine it being a game where you play like a rogue. Breaking the law, assaulting people, taking their money etc.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341743)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:55 PM
Author: Diverse Gaping Alpha

niggerlike

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341744)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:56 PM
Author: Titillating double fault

You could be an old time pirate or an Englishman in the time of Robin Hood.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341752)



Reply Favorite

Date: July 4th, 2025 4:19 PM
Author: translucent pea-brained lay



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#49072276)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:55 PM
Author: Appetizing institution

It's a procedurally generated dungeon crawler with permadeath in the fashion of the old game ROGUE

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341746)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:57 PM
Author: Titillating double fault

How is that different from Ultima?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341755)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:57 PM
Author: Diverse Gaping Alpha

how do you "beat" them? or do you just play endlessly

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341757)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:01 PM
Author: Titillating double fault

The old wizardry games let you import your stats across releases but you were never overpowered. One series I forget let you build your whole crew of specialists, and any that didn't die by the end could be ported over. It was a 180 incentive to defeat the demon or whatever was the main issue.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341776)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:02 PM
Author: Appetizing institution

Most people never will. They're insanely difficult due to the randomness and permadeath. But there are winning conditions — like in nethack you ascend.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341791)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:58 PM
Author: Spectacular Dopamine Organic Girlfriend

Roguelikes value gameplay above all.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341762)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:58 PM
Author: Greedy vigorous center half-breed

Yes, but with each playthrough you get stronger via better weapons or abilities so that each subsequent playthrough is a little easier than the last. Some games do it way better than others. Hades and Dead Cells are great games for people with limited time, e.g, parents

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341767)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:59 PM
Author: Diverse Gaping Alpha

i tried binding of issac and i didnt know wtf i was doing and died almost immediately

i don't think i even got any power ups

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341770)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:01 PM
Author: Greedy vigorous center half-breed

Play Hades now. It's a 9/10 type of game

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341775)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:03 PM
Author: Diverse Gaping Alpha

better than dead cells? heard a lot about both

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341792)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:34 PM
Author: lilac kitchen codepig

Hades is a little better, but Dead Cells is near the top.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341908)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:01 PM
Author: Spectacular Dopamine Organic Girlfriend

Hades is 180. Have you tried Returnal?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341784)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:04 PM
Author: Mustard menage

Hades doesn’t get easier imo afaik Iirc

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341797)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:14 PM
Author: lilac kitchen codepig

It does. Once you unlock enough shit it becomes a joke.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341853)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:13 PM
Author: lilac kitchen codepig

persistent unlocks/stat growths are not an element of the roguelike genre. some roguelike games have it, but many do not.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341847)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:28 PM
Author: Appetizing institution

They're roguelite

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341892)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:54 PM
Author: Startled place of business internal respiration



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341969)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:02 PM
Author: lilac kitchen codepig

The question becomes whether one considers roguelites to be an entirely separate genre from roguelikes, or whether they are a roguelike subgenre. I fall pretty strongly in the subgenre camp because these games all have common origins. I'd call them all "roguelikes" and then split roguelikes into "true roguelikes" and "roguelites."

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341998)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:03 PM
Author: Startled place of business internal respiration

I don't like the term "roguelite" because it basically means "anything the developers call a roguelike but is nothing like a roguelike except you die a lot." See chart linked below.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45342006)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:13 PM
Author: Appetizing institution

I think it's useful to describe stuff like Fatal Labyrinth.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45342075)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:53 PM
Author: Startled place of business internal respiration



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341967)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:01 PM
Author: Swashbuckling dingle berry stag film

RogueLIKE = Like Rogue, play a single life until you beat the game or die. If you die you lose all progress and must start again on a new character. Runs often have large procedurally generated components. For example, you may pick up an "orange potion" on one run and the only way to find out what it does is to drink it. Then you know what "orange potion" does on that run. But next run "orange potion" might do something different.

RogueLITE = Play until you beat it or die. Playthroughs unlock additional content for future runs (e.g., more health, new powers, new items, shortcuts, etc.). Even if you're bad at the game you can eventually grind your way to victory. This persistent progress augments the procedurally generated aspects of the game so that you feel a sense of accomplishment even when you lose a run.

There are very few roguelikes these days. Lots of roguelites.



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341782)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:06 PM
Author: Titillating double fault

Roguelike sounds like every old school rpg. There was never a single one where you could get killed and get reborn with all your progress. The most you could ever do was load a saved game. Games that let you die over and over and over again didn't even become a thing until everyone started getting "consoles." Old games gave you three lives, none gave you unlimited lives without putting in more quarters.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341810)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:16 PM
Author: Swashbuckling dingle berry stag film

Rogue (and roguelikes) was what would now be called an "ironman" game. You can't save and reload later. This is vastly different from a traditional JRPG where dying only costs you progress from your last save point. Of course save points are one of the things that enable 8+ hour story-driven games. A complete run of a roguelike might be 30-120 minutes. Some modern roguelikes (e.g., Noita) may have iterations of runs that are longer (~6 hours) but they allow you to save and quit out so you can play over multiple sessions (but can never reload an old save after dying).

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341859)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:24 PM
Author: Titillating double fault

Ok that sounds neat but it also doesn't sound like any game I've ever played.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341877)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:03 PM
Author: Mustard menage

They’re extremely tedious and hard but insipid Losers and Winners who excel at video games wear by them

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341794)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:05 PM
Author: Diverse Gaping Alpha

i want to be a Loser

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341805)



Reply Favorite

Date: June 12th, 2026 10:40 PM
Author: Big Bear Energy

You’re in luck.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#49935065)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:06 PM
Author: Diverse Gaping Alpha

I'm on year 9 of my Football Manager 2022 career so i don't mind a tedious game btw

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341809)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:10 PM
Author: poppy mentally impaired orchestra pit stock car



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341823)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:16 PM
Author: Fishy talented locus filthpig



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341860)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:10 PM
Author: Titillating double fault

Can they be turn based or do they require an arcade component?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341825)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:11 PM
Author: Appetizing institution

They are traditionally turn based. Diablo is not a roguelike, it's an action rpg.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341831)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:15 PM
Author: Titillating double fault

How is "procedurally generated" different from "randomly generated?" The original tabletop games were all about rolling dice with different numbers of facets. A guy with a book was generating the story as the players went along.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341855)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:16 PM
Author: Appetizing institution

Roguelikes / ROGUE are based on AD&D play mechanics. They and other RPG's have a common ancestor. But Diablo is not turn based. It's an action RPG.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341861)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:23 PM
Author: Titillating double fault

Ok I just realized "Rogue" is older than Wizardry. Lmao, they are same games that used to be called RPGs. I guess they didn't want to call them that anymore.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341876)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:02 PM
Author: Startled place of business internal respiration

It's like FPS games used to be called "DooM clones". """They""" don't want to call them RPGs because RPG is incredibly vague. If you want the autistic and precise answer on what a roguelike is, check here:

http://www.roguebasin.com/index.php?title=Berlin_Interpretation

non-modality is very important imo. Eg in Fallout, there's a "combat" sequence, where you go into a different mode to fight turnbased. In roguelikes, all actions you can make with your equipment/skills are available *at all times,* ostensibly leading to more dynamic and innovative possible solutions for the player.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45342001)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:06 PM
Author: Appetizing institution

"Doom clone" was never used to refer to the genre; rather, there was not much of a notion of genre. But recall that Wolfenstein was a huge hit and preceded Doom.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45342019)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:07 PM
Author: Startled place of business internal respiration

Obviously I wasn't alive to see it in person, but I beg to differ:

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/doom/images/6/64/Doom_clone_vs_first_person_shooter.png/revision/latest?cb=20050205003326

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45342029)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:13 PM
Author: multi-colored narrow-minded legal warrant pit

I used to play Pixel Dungeon on my phone

But then once I had a run where I did massively better than all previous runs. I put it on pause and I was essentially too afraid of restarting and dying that I never did and just quit the game lmao

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341845)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:53 PM
Author: Startled place of business internal respiration

Obligatory:

https://www.vildravn.net/posts/roguelike_chart.png

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45341966)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:11 PM
Author: Appetizing institution



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45342052)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:50 PM
Author: Titillating double fault

Makes sense. Also I feel good about not having ever a played a single game listed there.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45342344)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 17th, 2022 3:24 PM
Author: out-of-control shitlib weed whacker

risk of rain 2 is fucking 180

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5213806&forum_id=2#45345803)