The history of roguelike games is a story of innovation through limitation, creativity fostered by minimalism, and the birth of a genre that profoundly influenced modern game design. Characterized by procedural generation, permanent death, and turn-based movement, roguelikes emerged from early computer gaming culture and have since evolved into one of the most vibrant and influential branches of video game development.
The term “roguelike” originates from the 1980 game Rogue, developed by Michael Toy, Glenn Wichman, and later expanded with contributions from Ken Arnold. Rogue was created for UNIX-based systems, utilizing ASCII characters to represent dungeon environments and monsters. The game’s primary innovation lay in its procedural generation of dungeons: each time a player started a new game, the labyrinthine corridors, rooms, and item placements were randomly generated. This innovation ensured that no two playthroughs were ever the same, offering virtually limitless replayability (Brog, 2008).
Another defining feature of Rogue was “permadeath,” where the death of the player’s character resulted in the end of the game, with no opportunity to reload or retry the same dungeon. This mechanic made player decisions deeply consequential, fostering a tense and rewarding gameplay loop. Although initially obscure outside university computing circles, Rogue’s popularity grew alongside the spread of personal computing in the 1980s, leading to its influence on subsequent titles.
Following the success of Rogue, a wave of imitators and successors appeared during the 1980s and early 1990s. Games such as Hack (1982), Moria (1983), Larn (1986), and NetHack (1987) expanded upon the formula. NetHack in particular introduced more complex systems, including deity interactions, elaborate item combinations, and multiple character classes. These early rogue-likes were deeply systemic, often featuring hundreds of hidden rules, interactions, and possibilities for players to discover.
One important early evolution was the incorporation of persistent, interactable world mechanics. For example, in Moria and Angband (1990), players could return to a central town to purchase supplies between dungeon dives, blending roguelike mechanics with RPG progression systems. These additions made the games deeper and slightly more forgiving, although they retained the core elements of procedural generation and permadeath.
During this era, the “Berlin Interpretation” was developed by members of the rogue-like community to formally define what constituted a “true” roguelike. According to this interpretation, essential features included turn-based game play, grid-based movement, procedural environment generation, permadeath, complexity through emergent game play, and resource management (International Roguelike Development Conference, 2008). While not universally accepted, the Berlin Interpretation helped crystallize the shared identity of traditional roguelikes.
In the 2000s, a new generation of developers re-imagined rogue-like mechanics for broader audiences. These “roguelites,” as they came to be called, incorporated aspects of traditional rogue-likes but blended them with elements from other genres such as action, platforming, and real-time combat. Games like Spelunky (2008) and The Binding of Isaac (2011) brought roguelike principles to mainstream attention. Spelunky adapted procedural level generation and permadeath into a fast-paced platformer, while The Binding of Isaac offered randomized dungeon exploration fused with real-time shooting mechanics.
These innovations made rogue-like principles accessible to players who might have found traditional ASCII-based rogue-likes too opaque or difficult. The “run-based” structure of roguelites also encouraged short, repeatable play sessions, which suited modern gaming habits. Importantly, the success of these games demonstrated that procedural generation and permadeath could add depth and excitement across a wide variety of genres, not just turn-based dungeon crawlers.
The influence of roguelikes has since permeated nearly every genre of video games. Modern examples include deckbuilding roguelikes like Slay the Spire (2017), 3D action roguelikes like Hades (2020), and survival roguelikes such as Don’t Starve (2013). Hades, developed by Supergiant Games, stands as a landmark in rogue-like evolution, combining narrative progression with the traditional roguelike loop. Rather than resetting completely on each death, Hades cleverly integrates character development and story advancement into its repetition cycle, making the harshness of permadeath feel both rewarding and narratively meaningful.
At the same time, “traditional” roguelikes have remained alive and well. Games such as Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup (2006) and Ancient Domains of Mystery (ADOM, 1994) continue to be refined and expanded by dedicated communities. These games maintain the traditional turn-based, tile-based, permadeath-driven experience that defined the genre’s early years, often featuring more sophisticated ASCII or tile-based interfaces but remaining true to their roots.
There are many,many more to choose from.
The legacy of roguelikes is evident not only in the games that directly follow their design but also in broader gaming culture’s embrace of procedural systems, emergent storytelling, and risk-reward structures. By embracing randomness, complexity, and player mastery, roguelikes have carved out a vital place in the landscape of game design.
If you’re interested in exploring the world of roguelike games, there are many resources available to help you get started. The RogueBasin Wiki is a comprehensive resource that includes information on many different rogue-like games, as well as tutorials and guides for new players.
The RogueTemple forums are another great resource, with a friendly community of roguelike fans who are always happy to answer questions and offer advice. The RogueLike Development sub-reddit is also a great place to connect with other fans of the genre and learn more about the latest developments in roguelike game design.
References
Brog, M. (2008). Exploring the dungeons of D&D-inspired rogue-likes. Gamasutra.
https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131558/exploring_the_dungeons_of_dd_.php
International Rogue-like Development Conference. (2008). The Berlin Interpretation. Retrieved from http://www.roguebasin.com/index.php/Berlin_Interpretation