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Explain "Roguelike" game genre

You're supposed to play through multiple times and keep dyin...
Charismatic indian lodge famous landscape painting
  10/16/22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liRioOpF5sw
filthy codepig menage
  10/16/22
it's like diablo/PoE style games but you actually get to mak...
Nudist exhilarant gas station
  10/16/22
Apparently Nethack has been proposed as an AI target. htt...
violent trailer park striped hyena
  10/16/22
I just started playing nethack the other day, it's brutal, e...
Bright Mexican Location
  10/16/22
You never know!
violent trailer park striped hyena
  10/16/22
neckbeards
talking bull headed business firm
  10/16/22
I also had never encountered this term until a few years ago...
pearly fanboi
  10/16/22
niggerlike
Charismatic indian lodge famous landscape painting
  10/16/22
You could be an old time pirate or an Englishman in the time...
pearly fanboi
  10/16/22
...
mentally impaired milk
  07/04/25
It's a procedurally generated dungeon crawler with permadeat...
violent trailer park striped hyena
  10/16/22
How is that different from Ultima?
pearly fanboi
  10/16/22
how do you "beat" them? or do you just play endles...
Charismatic indian lodge famous landscape painting
  10/16/22
The old wizardry games let you import your stats across rele...
pearly fanboi
  10/16/22
Most people never will. They're insanely difficult due to th...
violent trailer park striped hyena
  10/16/22
Roguelikes value gameplay above all.
Wine tattoo library
  10/16/22
Yes, but with each playthrough you get stronger via better w...
abusive becky
  10/16/22
i tried binding of issac and i didnt know wtf i was doing an...
Charismatic indian lodge famous landscape painting
  10/16/22
Play Hades now. It's a 9/10 type of game
abusive becky
  10/16/22
better than dead cells? heard a lot about both
Charismatic indian lodge famous landscape painting
  10/16/22
Hades is a little better, but Dead Cells is near the top.
Sinister shitlib theater
  10/16/22
Hades is 180. Have you tried Returnal?
Wine tattoo library
  10/16/22
Hades doesn’t get easier imo afaik Iirc
fiercely-loyal church
  10/16/22
It does. Once you unlock enough shit it becomes a joke.
Sinister shitlib theater
  10/16/22
persistent unlocks/stat growths are not an element of the ro...
Sinister shitlib theater
  10/16/22
They're roguelite
violent trailer park striped hyena
  10/16/22
...
Bright Mexican Location
  10/16/22
The question becomes whether one considers roguelites to be ...
Sinister shitlib theater
  10/16/22
I don't like the term "roguelite" because it basic...
Bright Mexican Location
  10/16/22
I think it's useful to describe stuff like Fatal Labyrinth.
violent trailer park striped hyena
  10/16/22
...
Bright Mexican Location
  10/16/22
RogueLIKE = Like Rogue, play a single life until you beat th...
Floppy dun legend yarmulke
  10/16/22
Roguelike sounds like every old school rpg. There was never ...
pearly fanboi
  10/16/22
Rogue (and roguelikes) was what would now be called an "...
Floppy dun legend yarmulke
  10/16/22
Ok that sounds neat but it also doesn't sound like any game ...
pearly fanboi
  10/16/22
They’re extremely tedious and hard but insipid Losers ...
fiercely-loyal church
  10/16/22
i want to be a Loser
Charismatic indian lodge famous landscape painting
  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 ...
Charismatic indian lodge famous landscape painting
  10/16/22
...
Nudist exhilarant gas station
  10/16/22
...
Seedy Voyeur Market
  10/16/22
Can they be turn based or do they require an arcade componen...
pearly fanboi
  10/16/22
They are traditionally turn based. Diablo is not a roguelike...
violent trailer park striped hyena
  10/16/22
How is "procedurally generated" different from &qu...
pearly fanboi
  10/16/22
Roguelikes / ROGUE are based on AD&D play mechanics. The...
violent trailer park striped hyena
  10/16/22
Ok I just realized "Rogue" is older than Wizardry....
pearly fanboi
  10/16/22
It's like FPS games used to be called "DooM clones"...
Bright Mexican Location
  10/16/22
"Doom clone" was never used to refer to the genre;...
violent trailer park striped hyena
  10/16/22
Obviously I wasn't alive to see it in person, but I beg to d...
Bright Mexican Location
  10/16/22
I used to play Pixel Dungeon on my phone But then once I ...
Awkward feces theatre
  10/16/22
Obligatory: https://www.vildravn.net/posts/roguelike_chart....
Bright Mexican Location
  10/16/22
...
violent trailer park striped hyena
  10/16/22
Makes sense. Also I feel good about not having ever a played...
pearly fanboi
  10/16/22
risk of rain 2 is fucking 180
obsidian hyperventilating persian
  10/17/22


Poast new message in this thread



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:46 PM
Author: Charismatic indian lodge famous landscape painting

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=2Firm#45341712)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:53 PM
Author: filthy codepig menage

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

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:53 PM
Author: Nudist exhilarant gas station

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=2Firm#45341737)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:54 PM
Author: violent trailer park striped hyena

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=2Firm#45341738)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:51 PM
Author: Bright Mexican Location

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=2Firm#45341957)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:55 PM
Author: violent trailer park striped hyena

You never know!

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:54 PM
Author: talking bull headed business firm

neckbeards

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:54 PM
Author: pearly fanboi

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=2Firm#45341743)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:55 PM
Author: Charismatic indian lodge famous landscape painting

niggerlike

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:56 PM
Author: pearly fanboi

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=2Firm#45341752)



Reply Favorite

Date: July 4th, 2025 4:19 PM
Author: mentally impaired milk



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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:55 PM
Author: violent trailer park striped hyena

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=2Firm#45341746)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:57 PM
Author: pearly fanboi

How is that different from Ultima?

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:57 PM
Author: Charismatic indian lodge famous landscape painting

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

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:01 PM
Author: pearly fanboi

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=2Firm#45341776)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:02 PM
Author: violent trailer park striped hyena

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=2Firm#45341791)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:58 PM
Author: Wine tattoo library

Roguelikes value gameplay above all.

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:58 PM
Author: abusive becky

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=2Firm#45341767)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 5:59 PM
Author: Charismatic indian lodge famous landscape painting

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=2Firm#45341770)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:01 PM
Author: abusive becky

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

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:03 PM
Author: Charismatic indian lodge famous landscape painting

better than dead cells? heard a lot about both

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:34 PM
Author: Sinister shitlib theater

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

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:01 PM
Author: Wine tattoo library

Hades is 180. Have you tried Returnal?

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:04 PM
Author: fiercely-loyal church

Hades doesn’t get easier imo afaik Iirc

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:14 PM
Author: Sinister shitlib theater

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

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:13 PM
Author: Sinister shitlib theater

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=2Firm#45341847)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:28 PM
Author: violent trailer park striped hyena

They're roguelite

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:54 PM
Author: Bright Mexican Location



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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:02 PM
Author: Sinister shitlib theater

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=2Firm#45341998)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:03 PM
Author: Bright Mexican Location

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=2Firm#45342006)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:13 PM
Author: violent trailer park striped hyena

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

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:53 PM
Author: Bright Mexican Location



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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:01 PM
Author: Floppy dun legend yarmulke

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=2Firm#45341782)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:06 PM
Author: pearly fanboi

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=2Firm#45341810)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:16 PM
Author: Floppy dun legend yarmulke

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=2Firm#45341859)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:24 PM
Author: pearly fanboi

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=2Firm#45341877)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:03 PM
Author: fiercely-loyal church

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=2Firm#45341794)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:05 PM
Author: Charismatic indian lodge famous landscape painting

i want to be a Loser

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:06 PM
Author: Charismatic indian lodge famous landscape painting

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=2Firm#45341809)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:10 PM
Author: Nudist exhilarant gas station



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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:16 PM
Author: Seedy Voyeur Market



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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:10 PM
Author: pearly fanboi

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

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:11 PM
Author: violent trailer park striped hyena

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=2Firm#45341831)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:15 PM
Author: pearly fanboi

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=2Firm#45341855)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:16 PM
Author: violent trailer park striped hyena

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=2Firm#45341861)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:23 PM
Author: pearly fanboi

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=2Firm#45341876)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:02 PM
Author: Bright Mexican Location

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=2Firm#45342001)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:06 PM
Author: violent trailer park striped hyena

"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=2Firm#45342019)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:07 PM
Author: Bright Mexican Location

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=2Firm#45342029)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:13 PM
Author: Awkward feces theatre

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=2Firm#45341845)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 6:53 PM
Author: Bright Mexican Location

Obligatory:

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

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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:11 PM
Author: violent trailer park striped hyena



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



Reply Favorite

Date: October 16th, 2022 7:50 PM
Author: pearly fanboi

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=2Firm#45342344)



Reply Favorite

Date: October 17th, 2022 3:24 PM
Author: obsidian hyperventilating persian

risk of rain 2 is fucking 180

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