History Main / Roguelike

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Roguelikes are a subgenre of {{Role Playing Game}}s, so named for being like ''VideoGame/{{Rogue}}'', a [[OlderThanTheNES very early]] computer game.

Adding to the addictive nature of the game was the thrill of {{permadeath}} - the fact that the death of your character would end the game, forcing you to start again from the beginning no matter how far into the dungeon you got. This ensured that players were very attached to their characters, and would play with tactical caution, weighing up their options whenever things became dangerous.

One factor that almost certainly contributed to the rise of roguelikes was the fact that they have no graphical requirements. Any coder can create one without having to worry about graphical or audio resources -- the only requirement of a roguelike is the ability to manipulate a grid of text characters, which any computer system can do trivially -- especially the [[UsefulNotes/CursesAPI terminal-based systems]] in common use during the 1980s, when the first roguelikes began to appear.

Because of the lack of reliance on graphics, roguelikes tend to focus far more on game mechanics instead, with the result that they are often extremely intricate, and allow for complex strategies and interactions.

Roguelikes (also known by the [[WritingAroundTrademarks unencumbered]] but less popular name of Procedural Death Labyrinths or PDL) are a subgenre of {{Role Playing Game}}s, so named for being like ''VideoGame/{{Rogue}}'', a [[OlderThanTheNES very early]] computer game.

!!roguelike games

* ''VideoGame/VampireSurvivors'', a survival roguelike with a style reminiscent of old ''Castlevania'' games.

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** ''VideoGame/RiskOfRain2''

* ''VideoGame/ToejamAndEarl'' has plenty of Rogue-lite elements and isn't super difficult, but with longer games and a lack of carry-over between games more akin to a traditional roguelike. The fourth game, ''Back in the Groove'', adds a {{Macrogame}} that places it firmly in Rogue-lite territory.
* ''VideoGame/TowerOfGuns'' is a [[FirstPersonShooter 90s-style]] FirstPersonShooter with all typical random elements, including the ''[[UpToEleven plot]]''.

** ''VideoGame/{{Hades}}'', blended with ActionRPG.

* ''VideoGame/DeadlyRoomsOfDeath''

* ''VideoGame/OperationSTEEL'', a [[/index]]HorizontalScrollingShooter[[index]] that randomizes enemy formations and their attacks, and features powerup drops and shops, the contents of which are also randomized. Bosses are randomly picked from a pool of pre-made bosses at the end of every stage except for the FinalBoss.

* ''VideoGame/OperationSTEEL'', a [[/index]]HorizontalScrollingShooter[[index]] that randomizes enemy formations and their attacks, and features powerup drops and shops, the contents of which are also randomized. Bosses are randomly picked from a pool of 12 at the end of every stage except for the FinalBoss.

* ''VideoGame/OperationSTEEL'', a [[/index]]HorizontalScrollingShooter[[index]] that randomizes enemy formations and their attacks, and features powerup drops and shops, the contents of which are also randomized. Bosses are randomly picked from a pool of 12 at the end of every stage except for the last two.

* ''Slayer'', another first-person roguelike for the UsefulNotes/ThreeDOInteractiveMultiplayer which has the ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Advanced Dungeons and Dragons]]'' branding.[[index]]

* ''VideoGame/{{SYNTHETIK}}'' is a fast-paced [[ThreeQuartersView 3/4 View]] roguelite-shooter.

** ''VideoGame/TouhouGensoWanderer'' and ''VideoGame/TouhouGensoWandererLotusLabyrinth'', Franchise/TouhouProject fan games that were published by Aquastyle.

* ''VideoGame/NeonAbyss'', a run ‘n’ gun rouglite where you travel through the abyss to kill the Modern Gods.

* ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon''