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jim2point0
Banned
Happy to see some mentions for Teleglitch. That's what I came here to mention. Now to look through the rest of the suggestions. I love me some roguelikes.
I really, really, really want "Below" to come to PC. That looks pretty good in the Xbox One conference (however short the footage was).
I really, really, really want "Below" to come to PC. That looks pretty good in the Xbox One conference (however short the footage was).
Joseph Flemming
Member
I highly recommend Shiren the Wanderer, for DS and Wii. I was late to the Rouguelike party, but these will ease you in to the genre. Also Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns isn't bad (despite the mixed reviews)
The Return of
Banned
I agree. What's honestly even more annoying nowadays is when I am actually looking for recent roguelikes and I get shit that isn't really what roguelikes are just because of the "indie" scene. I still need to play Nethack. I've been delaying it for too long.
This. FTL is neat, but it doesn't even compare to Dungeon Crawl in terms scale and complexity (and it's not even a roguelike per se). DC:SS on the other hand is the definitive roguelike, hand down.
I never understood roguelikes as a whole genre.
So what actually makes a roguelike, if it isn't just random world and permadeath?
Fallout-NL
Member
Yeah, that quicklook on Giantbomb was pretty cool.
So many splats. So, so many.
It's hugely enjoyable, but only if you learn to control the impulse of smashing your computer with a brick every time the game curveballs you. And it will do that.
Anyone remember the Windows 3.1 game Castle of the Winds? That was a totally addictive roguelike, looking back it seems to have been influenced by Angband - also a really fun game. CotW isn't a win32 game, so it's probably tricky to get working on modern Windows, especially on x64 processors. I ended up setting up Windows 3.1 in a DOSBOX environment for it.
Oh how could I forget Teleglitch? Yes, that game is amazing, it was in my top 10 last year. Does a great job emulating PS1-era visuals, and the combat can be quite satisfying.
Definitely an action-oriented game, but I think it applies here.
Roguelikes have always been dungeon crawlers that have those elements. Small-scale turn-based combat and exploration. Games like NetHack, ADOM, Angband, Stone Soup, Shiren the Wanderer, and so on. Binding of Isaac and Spelunky are 2D action games that happen to have permadeath and randomization.
partyphone
Banned
No! We must keep our genres pure!
but seriously, even if the game isn't turn based it can still be like Rogue.
It can be like Rogue but not a roguelike.
not being considered part of a genre is not necessarily a slight against a game, and "genre-inclusiveness" isn't a useful thing
If "roguelike" does not mean "like Rogue" then whoever is curating this genre needs to be smacked upside the head with a trout. Either the genre needs to be opened up to include games like Binding of Isaac, or the genre needs to have its name aptly changed to rogueclone.
Those darn indies invading the big budget genre of roguelikes! *shakes fist*
Uh... most roguelikes are indie. Except for the largest ones like DCSS it's rare to have more than, like, one or two people working on one.
D3RANG3D
Member
I think the last thread we had about roguelikes devolved into this, and found out those types of games are Roguelike-likes I shit you not.
A rogue Like Like is shield-eating blob that gains +1d6 if it eats your shield from behind.
But thanks for the heads up. I'll let it drop and just accept that "roguelike" as a genre refers only to games where you search for the Amulet of Yendor.
Why not just call those non-roguelike games something else like roguelite or whatever?
Augemitbutter
Member
i'd kill for a new shiren.
Binding of Isaac has direct parallels to Rogue/Nethack. It is a procedurally-generated dungeon crawler with permadeath and unidentified potions (well, pills) that change from game to game. The only disqualifiers are a) it isn't turn-based, b) it isn't ASCII, and c) you're not searching for the Amulet of Yendor. I'm sure if BoI had come out in 1980 it would have been turn-based by necessity too.
BoI doesn't belong in any other genre. At least with Spelunky or whatever, you could say "it's a platformer with roguelike elements," but BoI is the most roguelike roguelike that's ever rogueliked.
Binding of Isaac is actually a SmashTV-Like ZeldaRogue...vania.
*puts on top hat, smells own fart*
BoI is a better Roguelike than Nethack.
Keep your eye on this site: http://www.roguelikebundle.com/
Pinko Marx
Banned
My two favorite roguelikes are
ToME
and Elona
I'm gunna stay out of the discussion of what makes a true Roguelike
but these two games err more towards the side of traditional Roguelikes.
If I had to pick one I'd say go for Elona. It has a bit of a learning curve but once you get over that the game is very rewarding with tons of content and a large world to explore.
You even get a companion which can be anything from a bear to a Loli that you can marry.
ToME
and Elona
I'm gunna stay out of the discussion of what makes a true Roguelike
Binding of Isaac isn't a Roguelike
If I had to pick one I'd say go for Elona. It has a bit of a learning curve but once you get over that the game is very rewarding with tons of content and a large world to explore.
You even get a companion which can be anything from a bear to a Loli that you can marry.
I'm glad to see some love for the Fuurai no Shiren games.
Check the other Fushigi no Dungeon, they are all fantastic.
Unfortunately many of them haven't been localized. Here are the few good ones that were (other than the Pokemon games):
Chocobo's Dungeon 2 (PS1)
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon (Wii)
Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer (DS)
Shiren the Wanderer (Wii)
The Nightmare of Druaga: Fushigi no Dungeon (PS2)
Torneko: The Last Hope (PS1)
Check the other Fushigi no Dungeon, they are all fantastic.
Unfortunately many of them haven't been localized. Here are the few good ones that were (other than the Pokemon games):
Chocobo's Dungeon 2 (PS1)
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon (Wii)
Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer (DS)
Shiren the Wanderer (Wii)
The Nightmare of Druaga: Fushigi no Dungeon (PS2)
Torneko: The Last Hope (PS1)
Weltall Zero
Member
I would dearly suggest you edit-add this bit to the OP and bold it, as 95% of posters seem to (understandably) be missing it.
I'm also really interested in roguelike-likes, or roguelites, or however the term eventually sticks that defines games with permadeath and random generation but not strict roguelikes (which actually interest me less as there's no shortage of them). Just so happens that almost every time I discover a new rogue[like^2], I'm hopelessly addicted:
- I became obsessively addicted to Spelunky.
- Same with FTL (and still play).
- Same with Super House of Dead Ninjas (and still play).
- Same with Rogue Legacy.
- I fully expect to become addicted to Don't Starve as soon as I get it on a sale.
- Weirdly, Binding of Isaac does nothing for me. Gotta play some more Teleglitch but it didn't immediately click like the others.
Anyone has any more to add to the above list?
Complexity is not a quality per se (as opposed to depth, which is). FTL is streamlined by painstaking design, and even some suggestions in the forums have been shot down becaouse of violating this design approach.
In any case, it doesn't make much sense to qualitatively compare FTL to a true roguelike, as they're technically not even in the same genre. FTL is pretty much on a genre of its own, in fact.
Open Source
Banned
Roguelike must-have qualities:
Other distinctive characteristics that aren't required but are common:
- Procedurally generated environments
- Permadeath
- Turn-based
- RPG
- Emphasis on replay value
Other distinctive characteristics that aren't required but are common:
- Emphasis on identification of items
- Emphasis on interactions of items with environment and enemies
- Game world divided into many discrete but similarly constructed levels connected in a linear fashion
- Emphasis on diversity of items, monsters, and player character abilities
The Return of
Banned
Sorry didn't realize I had to really specify in order for people to get what I was referring to when I did "indie" since it seemed pretty obvious considering what games people are recommending in this thread. I'll keep that in mind in case you are going through future threads I post in.
Just looked up a video about Rogue Legacy. Seems pretty awesome, time to check if there's a thread already on here haha
Chocobo's Dungeon on Wii had FANTASTIC music on it. Pretty accessible as well.
rohlfinator
Member
Shiren and the other Mystery Dungeon games are probably the biggest budget roguelikes out there. (Unless you consider Diablo a roguelike.) It's historically been a very low budget, small team genre.
A bit late now, but I cannot and will not give any money to Cerberus after the fiasco of SotS II. Especially considering the fact that they will probably offer expansion packs just to bring the game in line with the original.
BlackLagoon
Member
The game is basically a big Legend of Zelda dungeon with random map layouts and poop. Even the permadeath is kinda there, since LoZ sent you back to the start of the dungeon whenever you died.
zephervack
Member
Is there anything like FTL on iOS? I would love to have it on the go.