The gaming world was recently taken by the storm thanks to games likeThe Binding ofIsaac,Hades, andReturnal, to mention just a few of them. These games and more became quite popular, and a lot of players were introduced to the roguelike and roguelite genres precisely because of them. However, there is an important and game-defining distinction to be made between the two, and it’s not uncommon at all for even the most passionate gamers to address roguelike titles as roguelites, as the discussion aroundReturnalshows, and vice versa.
First of all, though, there is a reason why these terms both contain the word “rogue.“Roguewas a game from 1980 that pioneered the elements of most roguelike titles, and it did so thanks to several criteria that were later considered to bethe staple of roguelikes. So, roguelike games do exactly what they say on the tin: they are likeRogue. First and foremost, one of the most recognizable aspects of roguelike games is permadeath. Roguelites, on the other hand, do share some elements with roguelikes, but they also have some form of permanency in terms of items or currency acquired, or lack important features of their counterpart.
Permadeath is not the only criteria for games to be considered roguelikes, though. Other main features of any game that properly fall within the genre include procedurally generated levels or maps, high difficulty top-down dungeon-crawling design, turn-based strategic combat, events described by text, and a handful of RPG elements. With all this in mind, aperfect example of a roguelike game isDarkestDungeon, as it includes each and every criterion to be addressed as such.
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Roguelike Games That Are Actually Something Else
However, there are various games that are incorrectly labeled or that operate in a somewhat grey area, meaning that they don’t necessarily belong to either roguelikes or roguelites. These games can be defined as “cross-genre” or not “pure” roguelikes, and aprime example of this logic isSpelunky. Many players considerSpelunkya roguelike because of its permadeath, the procedurally generated levels, the dungeon-crawling elements of the cave, and the fact that it is quite difficult, with death happening frequently. However,Spelunkyis a game where events and combat are not turn-based, but rather happen in real time. Furthermore, it is a side-scrolling game, and it has limited RPG elements to it, with a form of graphic storytelling rather than a text-based one.
Other games that are not exactly roguelike but near that definition includeThe Binding of Isaac, for example. The game, long considered to be a roguelike, even by its creator, was instead labeled by fans as a roguelite because of how it is played in real time. Reportedly, this is specifically crucial whendifferentiatingThe Binding of Isaacfrom other gamesbecause having good reflexes is enough to compensate for the lack of strategic planning, whereas inadequate reflexes can spoil a good run and a great strategy. Another element fromTBoIthat doesn’t completely fit the roguelike genre is that there are permanent unlocks and new items become available in between runs. Again, this is debatable, becauseTBoIis much more roguelike than most other similar games.
Dead Cellsis another game that embraces most of the criteria for being classified as a roguelike, and yet, it too features permanent unlocks. It draws inspiration from the popular style ofMetroidvania(that is, a combination ofMetroidandCastlevania)games, as well as the aforementionedThe Binding ofIsaac.The game comes with permadeath, of course, and players move in a dungeon and loot weapons, coins, treasures, and more.Dead Cellshas a unique in-game currency called “cells”, which can be used during the run to permanently unlock items or upgrades, but players do lose all cells on death. Compared toTBoIthis is a sort of in-between feature, andDead Cells' definition is probably more that of a roguelite game, instead.
Considering how murky things got, and how definitions can change, bend, and transform over time, the use of the term “roguelike” is nowadays both universal in a sense, and simultaneously oddly specific and niche-defining. As such, it will come as a surprise to many that two of the games mentioned at the beginning -namely,HadesandReturnal- are not exactly roguelike.
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Hades And Returnal: Roguelike Or Roguelite?
Supergiant’sHadesis often referred to as a roguelike game and a quite successful one while at it, and on top of that even many fans of the genre still call it that to this day.The game’s main character, Zagreus, the son of Hades, is trying to escape the Underworld of Greek mythology and reach Mount Olympus, and this is achieved by completing a run. The combination of dungeon crawler elements, procedurally generated rooms and encounters, and the penalty of losing all items, Olympian Boons, Obols (the game’s currency), and weapon upgrades all seem to confirmHades' roguelike identity. However, that’s not the case.
The combat system inHadesis real time hack and slash, which is quite opposite to the strategic, grid-based, turn-based combat typical of roguelike games. The Obols can also be spent to make purchases that affect future runs, eventually improving the players' chances of success, and this includes upgrades, which makes the permadeath condition not really applicable due to Zagreus carrying something over when he dies. This makesHadesa roguelite, instead.
Returnalis the new sci-fi shooter from Housemarque, and it is enjoying a well-deserved success. It is very comparable toHadesfor a plethora of reasons, thanks to the most obvious aspect of drawing inspiration from Greek mythology to the presence of different biomes, from procedurally generated levels to thecurrency used (Obolites inReturnal), from real time combat to high difficulty and frequent deaths.
As a matter of fact,Returnaltoo lets players carry something over from run to run in the form of Ether, and strategy overall accounts for a small percentage of success if not paired with great reflexes to dodge the arcade-style attacks enemies launch at players. Roguelike games entail that players will always start from scratch after dying, and that’s notReturnal’s case, labeling it as a roguelite title.
