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Explain "Roguelike" game genre

You're supposed to play through multiple times and keep dyin...
Geriatric Gaping
  10/16/22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liRioOpF5sw
lake electric deer antler french chef
  10/16/22
it's like diablo/PoE style games but you actually get to mak...
purple resort
  10/16/22
Apparently Nethack has been proposed as an AI target. htt...
Concupiscible Incel Stage
  10/16/22
I just started playing nethack the other day, it's brutal, e...
Apoplectic Mother
  10/16/22
You never know!
Concupiscible Incel Stage
  10/16/22
neckbeards
insane pink knife
  10/16/22
I also had never encountered this term until a few years ago...
Offensive space
  10/16/22
niggerlike
Geriatric Gaping
  10/16/22
You could be an old time pirate or an Englishman in the time...
Offensive space
  10/16/22
...
razzle-dazzle sick potus hell
  07/04/25
It's a procedurally generated dungeon crawler with permadeat...
Concupiscible Incel Stage
  10/16/22
How is that different from Ultima?
Offensive space
  10/16/22
how do you "beat" them? or do you just play endles...
Geriatric Gaping
  10/16/22
The old wizardry games let you import your stats across rele...
Offensive space
  10/16/22
Most people never will. They're insanely difficult due to th...
Concupiscible Incel Stage
  10/16/22
Roguelikes value gameplay above all.
blathering splenetic lodge sound barrier
  10/16/22
Yes, but with each playthrough you get stronger via better w...
Buck-toothed stain
  10/16/22
i tried binding of issac and i didnt know wtf i was doing an...
Geriatric Gaping
  10/16/22
Play Hades now. It's a 9/10 type of game
Buck-toothed stain
  10/16/22
better than dead cells? heard a lot about both
Geriatric Gaping
  10/16/22
Hades is a little better, but Dead Cells is near the top.
Frisky Antidepressant Drug
  10/16/22
Hades is 180. Have you tried Returnal?
blathering splenetic lodge sound barrier
  10/16/22
Hades doesn’t get easier imo afaik Iirc
beta abnormal voyeur
  10/16/22
It does. Once you unlock enough shit it becomes a joke.
Frisky Antidepressant Drug
  10/16/22
persistent unlocks/stat growths are not an element of the ro...
Frisky Antidepressant Drug
  10/16/22
They're roguelite
Concupiscible Incel Stage
  10/16/22
...
Apoplectic Mother
  10/16/22
The question becomes whether one considers roguelites to be ...
Frisky Antidepressant Drug
  10/16/22
I don't like the term "roguelite" because it basic...
Apoplectic Mother
  10/16/22
I think it's useful to describe stuff like Fatal Labyrinth.
Concupiscible Incel Stage
  10/16/22
...
Apoplectic Mother
  10/16/22
RogueLIKE = Like Rogue, play a single life until you beat th...
startled hot parlour corn cake
  10/16/22
Roguelike sounds like every old school rpg. There was never ...
Offensive space
  10/16/22
Rogue (and roguelikes) was what would now be called an "...
startled hot parlour corn cake
  10/16/22
Ok that sounds neat but it also doesn't sound like any game ...
Offensive space
  10/16/22
They’re extremely tedious and hard but insipid Losers ...
beta abnormal voyeur
  10/16/22
i want to be a Loser
Geriatric Gaping
  10/16/22
I'm on year 9 of my Football Manager 2022 career so i don't ...
Geriatric Gaping
  10/16/22
...
purple resort
  10/16/22
...
frum theatre
  10/16/22
Can they be turn based or do they require an arcade componen...
Offensive space
  10/16/22
They are traditionally turn based. Diablo is not a roguelike...
Concupiscible Incel Stage
  10/16/22
How is "procedurally generated" different from &qu...
Offensive space
  10/16/22
Roguelikes / ROGUE are based on AD&D play mechanics. The...
Concupiscible Incel Stage
  10/16/22
Ok I just realized "Rogue" is older than Wizardry....
Offensive space
  10/16/22
It's like FPS games used to be called "DooM clones"...
Apoplectic Mother
  10/16/22
"Doom clone" was never used to refer to the genre;...
Concupiscible Incel Stage
  10/16/22
Obviously I wasn't alive to see it in person, but I beg to d...
Apoplectic Mother
  10/16/22
I used to play Pixel Dungeon on my phone But then once I ...
Pearly misunderstood pervert
  10/16/22
Obligatory: https://www.vildravn.net/posts/roguelike_chart....
Apoplectic Mother
  10/16/22
...
Concupiscible Incel Stage
  10/16/22
Makes sense. Also I feel good about not having ever a played...
Offensive space
  10/16/22
risk of rain 2 is fucking 180
Maize Library
  10/17/22


Poast new message in this thread



Reply Favorite

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

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...id.#45341712)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:53 PM
Author: lake electric deer antler french chef

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

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:53 PM
Author: purple resort

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...id.#45341737)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:54 PM
Author: Concupiscible Incel Stage

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...id.#45341738)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:51 PM
Author: Apoplectic Mother

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...id.#45341957)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:55 PM
Author: Concupiscible Incel Stage

You never know!

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:54 PM
Author: insane pink knife

neckbeards

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:54 PM
Author: Offensive space

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...id.#45341743)



Reply Favorite

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

niggerlike

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:56 PM
Author: Offensive space

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...id.#45341752)



Reply Favorite

Date: July 4th, 2025 4:19 PM
Author: razzle-dazzle sick potus hell



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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:55 PM
Author: Concupiscible Incel Stage

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...id.#45341746)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:57 PM
Author: Offensive space

How is that different from Ultima?

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



Reply Favorite

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

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

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:01 PM
Author: Offensive space

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...id.#45341776)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:02 PM
Author: Concupiscible Incel Stage

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...id.#45341791)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:58 PM
Author: blathering splenetic lodge sound barrier

Roguelikes value gameplay above all.

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:58 PM
Author: Buck-toothed stain

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...id.#45341767)



Reply Favorite

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

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...id.#45341770)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:01 PM
Author: Buck-toothed stain

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

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



Reply Favorite

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

better than dead cells? heard a lot about both

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:34 PM
Author: Frisky Antidepressant Drug

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

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:01 PM
Author: blathering splenetic lodge sound barrier

Hades is 180. Have you tried Returnal?

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:04 PM
Author: beta abnormal voyeur

Hades doesn’t get easier imo afaik Iirc

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:14 PM
Author: Frisky Antidepressant Drug

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

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:13 PM
Author: Frisky Antidepressant Drug

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...id.#45341847)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:28 PM
Author: Concupiscible Incel Stage

They're roguelite

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:54 PM
Author: Apoplectic Mother



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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:02 PM
Author: Frisky Antidepressant Drug

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...id.#45341998)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:03 PM
Author: Apoplectic Mother

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...id.#45342006)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:13 PM
Author: Concupiscible Incel Stage

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

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:53 PM
Author: Apoplectic Mother



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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:01 PM
Author: startled hot parlour corn cake

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...id.#45341782)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:06 PM
Author: Offensive space

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...id.#45341810)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:16 PM
Author: startled hot parlour corn cake

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...id.#45341859)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:24 PM
Author: Offensive space

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...id.#45341877)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:03 PM
Author: beta abnormal voyeur

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...id.#45341794)



Reply Favorite

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

i want to be a Loser

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



Reply Favorite

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

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...id.#45341809)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:10 PM
Author: purple resort



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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:16 PM
Author: frum theatre



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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:10 PM
Author: Offensive space

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

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:11 PM
Author: Concupiscible Incel Stage

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...id.#45341831)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:15 PM
Author: Offensive space

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...id.#45341855)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:16 PM
Author: Concupiscible Incel Stage

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...id.#45341861)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:23 PM
Author: Offensive space

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...id.#45341876)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:02 PM
Author: Apoplectic Mother

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...id.#45342001)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:06 PM
Author: Concupiscible Incel Stage

"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...id.#45342019)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:07 PM
Author: Apoplectic Mother

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...id.#45342029)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:13 PM
Author: Pearly misunderstood pervert

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...id.#45341845)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:53 PM
Author: Apoplectic Mother

Obligatory:

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

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:11 PM
Author: Concupiscible Incel Stage



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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:50 PM
Author: Offensive space

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...id.#45342344)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 17th, 2022 3:24 PM
Author: Maize Library

risk of rain 2 is fucking 180

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