Trends are something that is unavoidable in the gaming market. Companies see an idea making money and they want to learn how they can capitalize on it next. This goes from genres to equipment. For example, when the Wii exploded in 2006, Microsoft and Sony eventually made motion control peripherals too, chasing that motion dragon.
Now it seems like the new hotness in the genre market is roguelikes. Thanks to indie successes likeHades, it has become an attractive genre to follow that even a big AAA game likeGod of War: Ragnarokgot a roguelike mode. So, for history’s sake, here’s a look back at some roguelikes that helped define or improve the genre.
Children of Mortawas released in 2019 and it had a couple of significant features that other roguelikes learned from. First, the game revolved around a central family, The Bergsons, as they were chosen guardians of this land. When a curse breaks free, they must dive in to solve this crisis and players would learn more about them after every victory or failure.
Almost every family member is playable and they control differently like a class in an RPG. John, for example, uses a sword and shield while Mark uses his fists and is more agile. Thisclass-based system inChildren of Mortawas unique as was the two-player co-op as most roguelikes, even now, are meant as solo adventures.
Roguelikes are meant to be challenging endeavors that players can overcome through repeated deaths. That has been the standard sincethe beginning butDarkest Dungeontook that difficulty level to new lows in 2016. It is so against the player that it can have a lasting effect in real life.
It’s a dour game but that made every victory even sweeter. The challenge was certainly one thing players liked about it due to an experience that could be compared to a Soulslike, even though the two genres are different. It was also a new twist on gameplay as it was a 2D turn-based RPG with some tactical elements like positioning members in battle. This was noFinal Fantasythough.
Dead Cellswas one of the bigger roguelikes that tried to incorporate multiple routesand Metroidvania elementsinto its core gameplay in 2017 during its Early Access. Players could learn new techniques or gain equipment to discover new areas in dungeons they may have played through a hundred times.
From breaking through the floor with a mighty stomp to making vines grow, there were a lot of cool abilities. There was a somewhat permanent upgrade system that made potions heal better but nothing truly improved stats. Instead, the skill-like tree would unlock new equipment to look forward to in future runs and there was a lot to see. For players who have a collector mentality,Dead Cellsis for them.
Hadeswas a critical darling thanks to its boom in Early Access in 2018, an era when players had a lot of time on their hands. One of the biggest features it introduced widely to the genre was its God Mode. Turning it on would reduce damage and that percentage amount would increase by 2% every time players died.
God Mode was used inHades 2as well, and overall, assist-like features have become commonplace inmore than just roguelikes.Hadesshould also be commended for making death a journey as the story was fully integrated into failures, even more so thanChildren of Morta. NPCs always had something new to tell the hero, Zagreus, upon his return, even giving tips. It added context to death that other roguelikes lacked.
4Hand Of Fate
Using Cards To Tell A Story
Hand of Fatedid a lot of odd but significant things for the genre when it hit Early Access in 2014. It was kind of like a choose-your-own-adventure game wherein players could decide where they wanted to go based on a deck of cards they acquired. When players entered battle on this card map, the perspective would shift into a 3D arena wherein combat was action-based.
This blending of genres was a clever idea as was the emphasis on cards.Many card-based roguelikeshave popped up since likeSlay the Spirewhich is admittedly a different approach to cards thanHand of Fatebut still equally important.
Rogue Legacywas one of the earliestroguelikes in 2013 to incorporate a high degree of permanent upgrades. It was no longer a genre wherein players had to traverse and conquer a dungeon in a single run. They could earn gold and find blueprints that could be used to upgrade the family castle or to buy new equipment.
Building on the family castle would unlock classes and boost stats like health. It made death less evil, giving players hope that they may one day be able to beatRogue Legacythrough RPG-like grinding. Above all others, this is an easy roguelike to get through given time.
Spelunkyis another very early indie roguelike, from 2012, and one that was surrounded by many others likeThe Binding of IsaacandRisk of Rain. Technically it came out in 2008 but that original free version is a bit rough around the edges which is why it was remade in 2012.Spelunkyand those other examples brought the genre into the cultural zeitgeist, giving players an idea of what a game could be.
Spelunkywas hard, but it could be conquered through studying gameplay. It taught players to be aware of how enemies behaved or what traps to look out for. It was also unforgiving and it had an early idea of co-op. Altogether, it was kind of like an arcade approach to the genre and one that has evolved through time. It didn’t need a progression system or a story to be fun.
What if someone turneda twin-stick shooterinto a roguelike?Vampire Survivorsis the answer to that question and since it debuted in Early Access in 2021, many others have followed. Players can choose a character in the game and then gameplay would be presented on one map.
The character would automatically attack enemies and players could get upgrades to make that character fire faster or command new attacks. It was an auto-battler as a twin-stick shooter which doesn’t sound fun on paper but millions of players have gotten into it. This style of roguelike seems like the new hotness and who knows what indie creation will eatVampire Survivors’lunch next.
