Editing Roguelike (section)

==History==
{{See also|List of roguelikes}}

===Early history (1975–1980)===
The creation of roguelike games came from hobbyist programmers and [[hack (computing)|computer hackers]], attempting to create games for the nascent computer field in the early 1980s, particularly influenced by the 1975 [[adventure game|text adventure game]] ''[[Colossal Cave Adventure]]'' (often simply titled ''Adventure'', or ''advent'' on filesystems without long filenames), and from the [[high fantasy]] setting of the tabletop game ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''. Some elements of the roguelike genre were present in dungeon crawlers written for the [[PLATO system]]. This includes ''[[pedit5]]'' (1975) believed to be the first dungeon crawl game, and featured random monster encounters, though only used a single fixed dungeon level.<ref name="ieee insight"/> ''pedit5'' inspired similar PLATO-based dungeon crawlers ''[[Dnd (1974 video game)|dnd]]'' (1975), ''orthanc'' (1978), ''[[Moria (1978 video game)|Moria]]'' (1978), and  ''[[Avatar (1979 video game)|avatar]]'' (1979).<ref name="Barton 2008 30–37">{{Cite book |first=Matt |last=Barton |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IMXu61GbTqMC |title=Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games |publisher=[[A K Peters, Ltd.]] |year=2008 |access-date=December 19, 2015 |isbn=978-1-56881-411-7 |pages=30–37 |archive-date=May 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510045741/https://books.google.com/books?id=IMXu61GbTqMC |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ieee insight"/> It is unclear if these PLATO games inspired the roguelike genre as there is no evidence that the early roguelike creators had access to these games.<ref name="Barton 2008 30–37"/> The core roguelike games were developed independently of each other, many of the developers not learning about their respective projects until several years after the genre took off.<ref name="craddock chp4"/>

Roguelike games were initially developed for computing environments with limited memory, including shared mainframe systems and early home computers; this limitation prevented developers from retaining all but a few dungeon levels in memory while the game was running, leading to procedural generation to avoid the memory storage issue. Procedural generation led to high [[Replay value|replayability]], as no two games were alike.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/procedural-generation-took-gaming-industry/|title = How Procedural Generation Took Over The Gaming Industry|first = Joel|last = Lee|date = November 28, 2014|access-date = November 13, 2015|work = MakeUseOf|archive-date = November 17, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117023444/http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/procedural-generation-took-gaming-industry/|url-status = live}}</ref>

====Concurrent variants====
Though the term "roguelike" derives from the 1980 game ''Rogue'',<ref name="essential">{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-rogue|title=The Essential 50 Part 12 – Rogue|last=Parish|first=Jeremy|work=[[1UP.com]]|access-date=March 1, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130228092550/http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-rogue|archive-date=February 28, 2013}}</ref> the first known game with the core roguelike gameplay elements was ''[[Beneath Apple Manor]]'' (1978), written by Don Worth for the [[Apple II]]; ''Beneath Apple Manor'' is also recognized as the first commercial roguelike game.<ref name="craddock chp1">Craddock 2015, Chapter 1: "The BAM-Like: Exploring Beneath Apple Manor".</ref> The game, inspired by Worth's enjoyment of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' roleplaying, included procedural generation using a modification of the random maze generator from the game ''Dragon Maze'', role-playing elements for the characters, tile-based movement and turn-based combat.<ref name="craddock chp1"/> Though ''Beneath Apple Manor'' predated ''Rogue'', it was not as popular as ''Rogue'': ''Rogue'' had advantage of being distributed over [[ARPANET]] which many college students had easy access to, while ''Beneath Apple Manor'' was packaged and sold by hand by Worth either at local stores or through mail fulfillment.<ref name="craddock chp1"/><ref>{{cite web | url = http://toucharcade.com/2015/07/16/rpg-reload-file-047-rogue-touch/ | title = RPG Reload File 047 – 'Rogue Touch' | first = Shaun | last = Musgrave | date = July 16, 2015 | access-date = September 1, 2015 | work = [[TouchArcade]] | archive-date = August 26, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150826115154/http://toucharcade.com/2015/07/16/rpg-reload-file-047-rogue-touch/ | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title= The Game Developer's Dictionary: A Multidisciplinary Lexicon for Professionals and Students | pages = 338 | isbn = 978-1-4354-6082-9 | first = Dan | last =Carreker | date = 2012 | publisher = Cengage Learning }}</ref>

Another early roguelike whose development pre-dated ''Rogue'' was ''[[Sword of Fargoal]]'' (1982), developed by Jeff McCord starting in 1979.<ref name="craddock chp4">Craddock 2015, Chapter 4: "There and Back Again: Retrieving the Sword of Fargoal"</ref> The game was based on ''GammaQuest'', an earlier title McCord had created on the [[Commodore PET]] which he shared locally with friends while a student at [[Henry Clay High School]] in Kentucky; the game itself was based on a ''Dungeons & Dragons'' campaign he had run himself in the prior years.<ref name="craddock chp4"/> Before graduating and attending the [[University of Tennessee]] in 1981, he had started work on ''GammaQuest II'', which required the player to navigate through randomly generated dungeon levels, acquire a sword, and make it back to the surface with that sword through more randomly generated levels. The more advanced computers available at the school, such as the [[VIC-20]], enabled him to expand out the game further from the highly limited memory on the PET. On seeing the prospects of selling computer software, he eventually got a publication deal with [[Epyx]], where they helped him to refine the marketing of the game, renaming it ''Sword of Fargoal'', and giving him access to the more powerful [[Commodore 64]], enabling him to use graphics and sound as part of the game.<ref name="craddock chp4"/> The game was considered a success, and when it was ported to the PC in 1983, it out-shone ''Rogue''{{'}}s PC release the same year due to ''Sword of Fargoal''{{'}}s superior graphics and sound.<ref name="craddock chp4"/>

====''Rogue''====
{{main|Rogue (video game)}}

''Rogue'' was written by [[Glenn Wichman]] and Michael Toy in 1980 while students at the [[University of California, Santa Cruz]]. The game was inspired by Toy's prior experience in playing the 1971 ''[[Star Trek (text game)|Star Trek]]'' game and programming clones of it for various other computer systems.<ref name="craddock chp2">Craddock 2015, Chapter 2: "Procedural Dungeons of Doom: Building Rogue, Part 1"</ref> It was also inspired by interactive fiction ''Adventure''.<ref name="craddock chp2"/> While looking for a way to randomize the experience of ''Adventure'', they came across [[Ken Arnold]]'s [[curses (programming library)|curses]] library that enabled them to better manipulate characters on the terminal screen, prompting Toy and Wichman to create a graphical-like randomized adventure game.<ref name="craddock chp2"/><ref name="gd history">{{cite web | url = https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/the-history-of-rogue-have-you-you-deadly-zs | title = The History of Rogue: Have @ You, You Deadly Zs | first1 = Matt | last1 = Barton | first2 = Bill | last2 = Loguidice | work =[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]] | date = May 9, 2009 | access-date = June 12, 2014 | archive-date = May 12, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140512011853/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132404/the_history_of_rogue_have__you_.php | url-status = live }}</ref> They created the story of the game by having the player seek out the "Amulet of Yendor", "Yendor" being "Rodney" spelled backwards, the name of the wizard they envisioned had created the dungeon.<ref name="craddock chp2"/> ''Rogue'' was originally executed on a [[VAX-11|VAX-11/780]] computer; its limited memory forced them to use a simple text-based interface for the game.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.syfygames.com/news/article/interview-author-david-craddock-on-dungeon-hacks-and-the-fascinating-history-of-roguelikes-stephcarmichael | title = Interview: Author David Craddock on Dungeon Hacks and the fascinating history of roguelikes | date = August 12, 2015 | access-date = August 31, 2015 | first = Stephanie | last = Carmichael | work = [[Syfy]] Games | archive-date = August 15, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150815234914/http://www.syfygames.com/news/article/interview-author-david-craddock-on-dungeon-hacks-and-the-fascinating-history-of-roguelikes-stephcarmichael | url-status = dead }}</ref> Toy eventually dropped out of school but got a job at the computing labs at [[University of California, Berkeley]], where he met with Arnold. Arnold helped to optimize the curses code and implement more features into the game.<ref name="craddock chp3">Craddock 2015, Chapter 3: "Rodney and the Free Market: Building Rogue, Part 2"</ref>

''Rogue'' proved popular with college students and computer researchers at the time, including [[Ken Thompson]]; [[Dennis Ritchie]] had joked at the time that ''Rogue'' was "the biggest waste of CPU cycles in history".<ref name="craddock chp3"/> Its popularity led to the game's inclusion on [[BSD UNIX]] v4.2 in 1984, though at that time, without its [[source code]].<ref name="craddock chp3"/> Toy and Arnold had anticipated selling ''Rogue'' commercially and were hesitant about releasing it; Toy would go on to meet Jon Lane at [[Olivetti]], and together they would go on to create the company A.I. Design to port the games for various home systems along with publishing support by Epyx, later bringing Wichman back to help.<ref name="craddock chp3"/>

===Following evolution (1980–1995)===
<div class="thumb tright">
<div class="thumbinner" style="width:474px;background:white;">
{{chart/start| summary=Boxes and lines diagram with 12 boxes}}
{{chart| | | | | ROG |-| OTH | ROG =''[[Rogue (video game)|Rogue]]''<br />1980 | OTH = Other Variants}}
{{chart| |F|~|~|~|A|~|~|~|7| | | | }}
{{chart| HAC |-| OTH | | MOR | | | HAC=''[[Hack (Unix video game)|Hack]]''<br />1982| MOR=''[[Moria (1983 video game)|Moria]]''<br />1983 | OTH=Other Variants}}
{{chart| |!| | | | | | | |!| | | | }}
{{chart| NH  |-| OTH | | UMO | | | NH=''[[NetHack]]''<br />1987 | OTH=Other Variants| UMO=''UMoria''<br />1988 }}
{{chart| |:| | | | | | | |!| | | | }}
{{chart| ADM | | | | | | ANG |-| OTH | ADM=''[[Ancient Domains of Mystery|ADOM]]''<br />1994 | OTH=Other Variants| ANG=''[[Angband (video game)|Angband]]''<br />1990}}
{{chart| | | | | | | | | |!| | | |}}
{{chart| | | | | | | | | ZAN |-| OTH | ZAN=''ZAngband''<br />1994| OTH=Other Variants}}
{{chart| | | | | | | | | |!|}}
{{chart| | | | | | | | | TOM | TOM=''[[Tales of Maj'Eyal]]''<br />2009}}
{{chart/end}}
<div class="thumbcaption">The hierarchy of the major Roguelike games that are known to descend from ''Rogue''. Solid lines represent games developed from the parent's source code, while dotted lines represent games that were inspired by the parent game.<ref name="FSM">[http://freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/freeing_an_old_game_moria/ Freeing an old game] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726004337/http://freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/freeing_an_old_game_moria/ |date=July 26, 2020 }} by Ben Asselstine on [[Free software magazine]] (March 12, 2007)</ref></div>
</div>
</div>
The popularity of ''Rogue'' led developers to create their own versions of the game, though their efforts were originally limited by the lack of access to ''Rogue''{{'}}s source, which was not released until BSD v4.3 in 1986.<ref name="craddock chapter 5"/> These developers resorted to building games from scratch similar to ''Rogue'' but with features that they wanted to see.<ref name="craddock chapter 5">Craddock 2015, Chapter 5: "When the Inmates Run the Asylum – Hack-ing at Lincoln-Sudbury High School"</ref> These versions would be distributed with source code, and along with the original ''Rogue'' source, other developers were able to create [[software fork]]s of the games, adding in new monsters, items, and gameplay features, creating several dozen variants.<ref name="craddock chapter 5"/> This process was aided by switching code to languages with better [[Strong and weak typing|data typing]], including [[Object-oriented programming|object-oriented]] and [[scripting language|scripting]] languages, and cleaning up and modularizing the code so that contributors can better follow where changes can be made.

While there are some direct variants of ''Rogue'', such as ''[[Brogue (video game)|Brogue]]'',<ref name="brogue">{{cite web| url=http://indiegames.com/2011/12/freeware_game_pick_brogue_bria.html| title=Freeware Game Pick: Brogue (Brian Walker)| access-date=April 4, 2015| last=Shaw| first=Cassandra| archive-date=April 20, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150420001718/http://indiegames.com/2011/12/freeware_game_pick_brogue_bria.html| url-status=live}}</ref> most variants of ''Rogue'' could be classified into two branches based on two key games, ''Moria'' and ''Hack'', that were developed in the spirit of ''Rogue''.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2008/01/play_angband_at_last.php | title = Column: @Play: Angband – At Last! | work = [[Game Set Watch]] | first = John | last = Harris | date = January 19, 2008 | access-date = December 29, 2015 | archive-date = September 24, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924020726/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2008/01/play_angband_at_last.php | url-status = live }}</ref>

====''Moria''-based====
''[[Moria (1983 video game)|Moria]]'' (1983) was developed by Robert Alan Koeneke while a student at [[University of Oklahoma]], inspired by both ''Adventure'' and ''Rogue''. Having access to a [[VAX-11|VAX-11/780]], but without the source to ''Rogue'' due to computer administrator restrictions, he began trying to recreate ''Rogue'' but specifically flavored with the [[Moria (Middle-earth)|complex cave maze]] of the same name in [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s [[Middle Earth]] stories. Following Tolkien's fiction, the player's goal was to descend to the depths of Moria to defeat the [[Balrog]], akin to a [[boss (video gaming)|boss battle]].<ref name="craddock chp7">Craddock 2015, Chapter 7: "None Shall Pass: Braving the Mines of Moria"</ref> As with ''Rogue'', levels were not persistent: when the player left the level and then tried to return, a new level would be procedurally generated. Among other improvements to ''Rogue'', Koeneke included a persistent town at the highest level where players could buy and sell equipment, and the use of [[data structure]]s within the [[Pascal (programming language)|Pascal]] language allowed him to create a more diverse [[bestiary]] within the game.<ref name="craddock chp7"/> He got help from several playtesters as well as another student, Jimmey Wayne Todd, who helped to program a deeper character generation system.<ref name="craddock chp7"/> ''UMoria'' (short for ''UNIX Moria'') is a close variation on ''Moria'' by Jim E. Wilson, making the game more portable to a larger variety of computers while fixing various bugs.<ref name="craddock chp7"/>

[[File:Angband.png|thumb|right|''Moria'' and its descendants—including ''Angband'', which this screenshot is from—incorporated a fixed town level where players could buy and sell equipment.]]
''[[Angband (video game)|Angband]]'' (1990) was developed by Alex Cutler and Andy Astrand while attending the [[University of Warwick]]. Having played ''UMoria'', they wanted to expand the game even further. Working from ''UMoria''{{'}}s code, they increased the number of levels and monsters, flavored the game based on [[Angband (Middle-earth)|Angband]], the massive fortress controlled by [[Morgoth]] from Tolkien's fiction, and incorporated more of the deadlier creatures described within the Middle Earth mythology. They kept the Balrog as a difficult creature that must be overcome at a mid-game level, while Morgoth became the final boss the player must defeat to win the game.<ref name="craddock chp8">Craddock 2015, Chapter 8: "Neapolitan Roguelike: The Many Flavors of Angband"</ref> Following Cutler and Astrand's graduation, Sean March and Geoff Hill took over the development to see the game through to a public release outside of the university, adding in elements such as giving the player a sense of the rewards and dangers of a level when they entered it the first time.<ref name="craddock chp8"/>

Once ''Angband'' was released to the public via [[USENET]], there were efforts to have code maintainers (the "devteam") to fix bugs, clean up the code and implement suggestions into the code.<ref name="craddock chp8"/> Due to numerous shifts in those maintaining the code (due to other obligations), and the number of potential user suggestions to include, ''Angband'' would become highly [[fork (software development)|forked]], leading to a number of ''Angband'' variants; at least sixty known variants exist with about a half dozen still under active development.<ref name="engadget">{{cite web | url = https://www.engadget.com/2014/01/18/the-game-archaeologist-a-brief-history-of-roguelikes/ | title = The Game Archaeologist: A brief history of roguelikes | first = Justin | last = Olivetti | date = January 18, 2014 | access-date = May 7, 2015 | work = [[Engadget]] | archive-date = May 18, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150518074331/http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/18/the-game-archaeologist-a-brief-history-of-roguelikes/ | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name=variants>{{cite web|url=http://angband.oook.cz/variants.php?ordrd=1|title=Angband variant list|access-date=January 18, 2009|archive-date=October 15, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015091513/http://angband.oook.cz/variants.php?ordrd=1|url-status=live}}</ref> One significant fork was ''ZAngband'' (1994) (short for ''Zelazny Angband''), which expanded on ''Angband'' and altered the theme towards [[Roger Zelazny]]'s ''[[The Chronicles of Amber]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/12/26/a-history-of-roguelikes-in-6-free-games | title = A History of Roguelikes in 6 Free Games | work = [[IGN]] | date = December 26, 2013 | access-date = November 12, 2015 | first = Alex | last = Spenser | archive-date = April 13, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140413175539/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/12/26/a-history-of-roguelikes-in-6-free-games | url-status = live }}</ref> The ''ZAngband'' codebase would be used to create ''Troubles of Middle Earth'' (''ToME'') in 2002, which later swapped out the Tolkien and Zelazny fiction setting for a new original one to become ''[[Tales of Maj'Eyal]]'' (2009).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.usgamer.net/articles/infinite-dungeons-infinite-death-tales-of-majeyal-pc-review | title = Infinite Dungeons, Infinite Death: Tales of Maj'Eyal PC Review | work = [[USGamer]] | first = Pete | last = Davidson | date = December 17, 2013 | access-date = November 12, 2015 | archive-date = November 9, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151109165936/http://www.usgamer.net/articles/infinite-dungeons-infinite-death-tales-of-majeyal-pc-review | url-status = live }}</ref> The vanilla ''Angband'' remains in development today by the devteam.<ref name="craddock chp8"/>

====''Hack''-based====
''[[Hack (Unix video game)|Hack]]'' (1982) was developed by Jay Fenlason with help from Kenny Woodland, Mike Thome, and Jonathan Payne, students at [[Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School]] at the time, while participating in the school's computer lab overseen by [[Brian Harvey (lecturer)|Brian Harvey]].<ref name="craddock chapter 5"/> Harvey had been able to acquire a [[PDP-11|PDP-11/70]] minicomputer for the school and instituted a course curriculum that allowed students to do whatever they wanted on the computers, including playing games, as long as they had completed assignments by the end of each semester. Fenlason, Woodland, Thome, and Payne met through these courses and became a close group of friends and competent programmers.<ref name="craddock chapter 5"/> Harvey had invited the group to the computer labs at UC Berkeley where they had the opportunity to use the mainframe systems there, and were introduced to ''Rogue'', inspiring them to create their own version as their class project. Fenlason had created a list of features they wanted to improve upon in ''Rogue'' such as having a level's layout saved once the player moved off that level.  They approached Toy and Arnold at a local [[USENIX]] conference for the source code to ''Rogue'', but were refused, forcing them to develop the routines from scratch.<ref name="craddock chapter 5"/> The resulting program, ''Hack'', stayed true to the original ''Dungeons and Dragons'' influences, and derived its name from being both a "hack and slash" game as well as a [[hack (computer code)|programming hack]] to recreate ''Rogue'' without having access to its source code.<ref name="craddock chapter 5"/> Fenlason was not able to include all the desired features, and his involvement in ''Hack''{{'}}s development concluded after the students had left the school. Fenlason had provided the source code to ''Hack'' to the USENIX conferences to be distributed on their digital tapes, from which it was later discovered and built upon through USENET newsgroups, porting it to various systems. Like ''Angband'', the maintainership of the ''Hack'' code passed through several hands, and some variants were created by different forks.<ref name="craddock chp6"/>

[[File:Nethack releasing a djinni.png|thumb|right|An example of a fixed level from ''NetHack'', showing a town-like area (with buildings indicated by the line symbols) with a river passing through it (the blue tiles)]]
''Hack'' would eventually be dropped in favor of ''[[NetHack]]'' (1987).<ref name="engadget"/> When Mike Stephenson, an analyst at a computer hardware manufacturer, took maintainership of ''Hack''{{'}}s code, he improved it, taking suggestions from [[Izchak Miller]], a philosophy professor at [[University of Pennsylvania]], and Janet Walz, another computer hacker. Calling themselves the DevTeam, they began to make major modifications to ''Hack''{{'}}s code.  They named their new version ''NetHack'', in part due to their collaboration over the game being done through USENET.<ref name="craddock chp6"/> ''NetHack''{{'}}s major deviations from ''Hack'' were the introduction of a wider variety of monsters, borrowing from other mythologies and lores, including anachronistic and contemporary cultural elements (such as a tourist class with a flash-bulb camera inspired by [[Terry Pratchett]]'s ''[[Discworld]]'' series)<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/12/08/nethack-roguelike-update/ | title = The Twelve Years Of Nethack: Version 3.6.0 Out Now | first = Adam | last = Smith | date = December 8, 2015 | access-date = December 8, 2015 | work = [[Rock Paper Shotgun]] | archive-date = December 8, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151208205043/http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/12/08/nethack-roguelike-update/ | url-status = live }}</ref> in the high fantasy setting, and the use of pre-defined levels with some procedural elements that the player would encounter deeper in the dungeons.<ref name="craddock chp6"/> Further iterations of the game included branching pathways through the dungeon and optional character-based quests that could grant the player an extremely useful item to complete the game.<ref name="craddock chp6"/> Though the DevTeam released the code publicly, they carefully maintained who could contribute to the code base to avoid excessive forking of the vanilla game, and remain relatively quiet about suggested improvements to each release, working in relatively secrecy from its player base.<ref name="craddock chp6">Craddock 2015, Chapter 6: "It Takes a Village: Raising NetHack"</ref>

''[[Ancient Domains of Mystery]]'' (1994), or ''ADOM'' for short, derived from concepts presented in ''NetHack''. ''ADOM'' was originally developed by [[Thomas Biskup]] while a student at [[Technical University of Dortmund]].<ref name="craddock chp9">Craddock 2015, Chapter 9: "Wish You Were Here! Questing for Postcards in Ancient Domains of Mystery"</ref> After playing through ''Rogue'' and ''Hack'', he came to ''NetHack'' and was inspired by the game but dismayed at the complexity and elements he found unnecessary or distracting. Biskup created ''ADOM'' from scratch with the aim of creating a more story-driven game than ''NetHack'' that kept the depth of gameplay with a focused theme and setting.<ref name="craddock chp9"/> The resulting game featured several different dungeons, many generated procedurally, connected through an [[overworld]] map of the fictional realm of Ancardia, and would have the player complete various quests in those dungeons to progress the game. A major feature was the influence of Chaos forces through unsealed portals, which the player would have to close.  While in areas affected by Chaos, the player's character would become tainted, causing mutations that could be either detrimental or beneficial.<ref name="craddock chp9"/> ''ADOM'', like ''NetHack'' and ''Angband'', would gain a devteam to maintain the code and implement updates and patches to avoid excessive forking.<ref name="craddock chp9"/>

====Other variants====
Not all early roguelikes were readily classified as ''Hack'' or ''Moria'' descendants. ''[[Larn (video game)|Larn]]'' (1986), developed by Noah Morgan, borrowed concepts from both ''Hack'' (in that there are persistent and fixed levels) and ''Moria'' (in the availability of a shop level and general difficulty increasing with dungeon level), but while these two games have spiraled in size to take multiple play sessions to complete, ''Larn'' was aimed to be completed in a single session. ''Larn'' also uses a fixed-time feature, in that the player had only so many turns to complete a goal, though there were ways to jump back in time as to extend play.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2008/04/play_larn_or_i_hocked_the_car.php | title = COLUMN: @Play: Larn, Or, I Hocked The Car To Buy A Lance Of Death | first = John | last = Harris | date = April 26, 2008 | access-date = November 12, 2015 | work = [[Game Set Watch]] | archive-date = September 24, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924020737/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2008/04/play_larn_or_i_hocked_the_car.php | url-status = live }}</ref> ''Omega'', developed by Laurence Brothers in the late 1980s, is credited with introducing an overworld concept to the roguelike genre, prior to the feature's appearance in ''ADOM''.  ''Omega'' was often remembered for its odd inventory approach in which the player would have to pick up an object, considering it being held, and then moving that object to a bag or an equipment slot.<ref name="makeuseof spin">{{cite web | url = http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/roguelikes-a-unique-challenging-spin-on-the-rpg-genre/ | title = Roguelikes: A Unique & Challenging Spin On The RPG Genre | first = Tim | last = Brookes | date = September 2, 2013 | access-date = November 12, 2015 | work = MakeUseOf | archive-date = November 16, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151116153924/http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/roguelikes-a-unique-challenging-spin-on-the-rpg-genre/ | url-status = live }}</ref> ''[[Linley's Dungeon Crawl]]'' (1995) was created by Linley Henzell and featured a skill-based character progression system, in which [[experience point]]s could be used to improve specific skills, such as weapon proficiency or trap detection. One fork of this would form the basis for ''[[Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup]]'' (2006).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2010/01/column_play_crawlapalooza_part.php | title = COLUMN: @Play: Crawlapalooza Part 1, Skills and Advancement | work = [[Game Set Watch]] | first = John | last = Harris | date = January 15, 2010 | access-date = November 12, 2015 | archive-date = September 24, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924040336/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2010/01/column_play_crawlapalooza_part.php | url-status = live }}</ref> [[Strategic Simulations, Inc.|SSI]]'s ''[[Dungeon Hack]]'' (1993) offered randomized dungeons and permadeath within [[AD&D 2nd Edition]] rules.<ref name="scorpia199402">{{Cite magazine |last=Scorpia |date=February 1994 |title=Hackin' the Nights Away |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=115 |department=Scorpion's View |magazine=Computer Gaming World |archive-date=October 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003001602/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=115 |url-status=live|pages=62, 64 |access-date=November 9, 2017 }}</ref>

===''Mystery Dungeon'' games (1993–onward)===
Through 1993, roguelikes primarily existed in computer space, and no [[home video game console|home console]] variants had yet existed. Two of the earliest-known attempts were [[Sega]]'s ''[[Fatal Labyrinth]]'' (1990) and ''[[Dragon Crystal]]'' (1990), but which lacked the depth of a typical computer-based roguelike. Neither proved to be successful games.<ref name="usgamer mystery dungeon"/> There was also the 1991 Japanese exclusive [[Game Boy]] game ''[[Cave Noire]]'' from [[Konami]], that centred on four distinct roguelike questlines divided into ten difficulty levels.<ref name = "hardcore">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/cave-noire/|title = Cave Noire – Hardcore Gaming 101 | website = Hardcore Gaming 101 | date = 13 July 2017}}</ref>

[[Chunsoft]] had gained success by developing the ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' series, a series which established fundamental aspects of the [[computer role-playing game]] genre, popular for Western computer audiences, into a more streamlined approach better suited for Japanese players that preferred consoles. With roguelikes starting to gain popularity, Chunsoft's developers believed they could do a similar treatment for that genre to make it better suited for Japanese audiences. Chunsoft's [[Koichi Nakamura]] stated their intent was to take ''Rogue'' and make it  "more understandable, more easy-to-play version" of the title that could be played on consoles.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/features/koichi-nakamura-interview-console-rpg |date=August 6, 2012|title=Koichi Nakamura Interview: On the Birth of the Console RPG|author=Jeremy Parish |access-date=April 4, 2013 | work = [[1UP.com]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512112519/http://www.1up.com/features/koichi-nakamura-interview-console-rpg|url-status=dead |archive-date=May 12, 2013}}</ref> This led to the creation of the ''[[Mystery Dungeon]]'', with the first title being {{nihongo|''[[Torneko no Daibōken: Fushigi no Dungeon]]''|トルネコの大冒険 不思議のダンジョン|Torneko's Great Adventure: Mystery Dungeon}} (1993) based on the ''Dragon Quest'' series. Several changes to the roguelike formula had to be made for this conversion: they had developed ways to reduce the difficulty of the roguelike by using progressively more difficult dungeons that were randomly generated, and made permadeath an option by selection of difficulty level.<ref name="usgamer guide"/> An added benefit for ''Torneko no Daibōken'' was that it used the established ''[[Dragon Quest 4]]'' setting and the character Torneko, helping to make the game familiar to its planned audience and giving a story for the player to follow.<ref name="usgamer mystery dungeon">{{cite web | url = https://www.usgamer.net/articles/making-dragon-quest-of-roguelikes-how-niche-pc-rpg-genre-mainstream | title = Roguelikes: How a Niche PC RPG Genre Went Mainstream | first = Jeremy | last = Parish | date = January 17, 2019 | access-date = January 17, 2019 | work = [[USGamer]] | archive-date = February 13, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200213101731/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/making-dragon-quest-of-roguelikes-how-niche-pc-rpg-genre-mainstream | url-status = live }}</ref> While ''Torneko no Daibōken'' did not sell as well as typical ''Dragon Quest'' games, it was successful enough for Chunsoft to develop a second title based on a wholly original character and setting, ''[[Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer]]'', released in 1995. Chunsoft found that they were more creative with how they developed the game without the need to respect an existing property.<ref name="usgamer mystery dungeon"/> Since then, Chunsoft has developed [[List of Mystery Dungeon video games|over 25 games]] in the ''Mystery Dungeon'' series for various platforms,<ref name="usgamer guide"/> In addition to their ''Shiren'' titles, many of the other Chunsoft ''Mystery Dungeon'' games span various franchises, including ''[[Chocobo (series)|Chocobo]]'' series based on ''[[Final Fantasy]]'', ''[[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon]]'' based on ''[[Pokémon]]'', and a crossover with [[Atlus]]' ''[[Etrian Odyssey]]'' in ''[[Etrian Mystery Dungeon]]''. Several titles in the ''Mystery Dungeon'' series were popular, and would become a staple of the Japanese video game market.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130128180952/http://www.milenio.com/node/415458 "Permanece vigente Akira Toriyama gracias a 'Dragon Ball'"] from Milenio.com</ref><ref>[http://www9.plala.or.jp/riversite/classic/dqvsff1.html ドラクエVSファイナルファンタジー 売り上げ対決] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100701152036/http://www9.plala.or.jp/riversite/classic/dqvsff1.html |date=July 1, 2010 }} from www9.plala.or.jp</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/japan-votes-all-time-top-100 |title=Japan Votes on All Time Top 100 – Edge Magazine |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091226215554/http://www.next-gen.biz/features/japan-votes-all-time-top-100 |archive-date=December 26, 2009 |date=March 3, 2006 |access-date=June 24, 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Nix |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/09/21/shiren-wanders-into-america |title=Shiren Wanders Into America |work=[[IGN]] |date=September 20, 2007 |access-date=February 10, 2011 |archive-date=January 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102024410/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/09/21/shiren-wanders-into-america |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Casamassina |first=Matt |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/09/21/shiren-wanders-into-america |title=Nintendo Sales Update |work=[[IGN]] |date=July 25, 2007 |access-date=February 10, 2011 |archive-date=January 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102024410/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/09/21/shiren-wanders-into-america |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="play 80">{{Cite web | url = https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/-play-80-welcome-back-to-the-dungeons-of-doom | title = @Play 80: Welcome back to the Dungeons of Doom | work =[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]] | date = March 11, 2015 | access-date = December 19, 2015 | first = John | last = Harris | archive-date = December 18, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151218153032/http://gamasutra.com/blogs/JohnHarris/20150311/238456/Play_80_Welcome_back_to_the_Dungeons_of_Doom.php | url-status = live }}</ref>

A primary difference between the ''Mystery Dungeon'' games and Western roguelikes following the Berlin Interpretation is the lack of permadeath – in ''Mystery Dungeon'' games, player-characters may die or become too injured, resetting their progress to the start of the dungeon, but the games typically provide means to store and recover equipment and other items from the previous run.<ref name="usgamer mystery dungeon"/> The ''Mystery Dungeon'' games were not as successful in Western markets when published there, as the target players – younger players who likely had not experienced games like ''Rogue'' – found the lack of a traditional role-playing game save system odd.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ds-roundup_6 | title = DS Roundup | work = [[Eurogamer]] | date = May 22, 2008 | access-date = December 19, 2015 | first = James | last = Lyon | archive-date = January 2, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160102024411/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ds-roundup_6 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://worthplaying.com/article/2008/5/27/reviews/51582/ | title = NDS Review – Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer | work = [[Worth Playing]] | date = May 27, 2008 | access-date = December 19, 2015 | first = John | last = Day | archive-date = January 2, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160102024411/http://worthplaying.com/article/2008/5/27/reviews/51582/ | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.engadget.com/2008/05/28/three-things-to-get-you-excited-about-shiren-3/ | title = Three things to get you excited about Shiren 3 | first = Eric | last = Caoili | date = May 28, 2008 | access-date = December 19, 2015 | work = [[Joystiq]] | archive-date = January 2, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160102024410/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/28/three-things-to-get-you-excited-about-shiren-3/ | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.siliconera.com/2012/04/10/one-mans-quest-to-bring-mystery-dungeon-games-to-android/ | title = One Man's Quest To Bring Mystery Dungeon Games To Android | author = Spensor | work = [[Siliconera]] | date = April 10, 2012 | access-date = December 19, 2015 | archive-date = December 22, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151222165158/http://www.siliconera.com/2012/04/10/one-mans-quest-to-bring-mystery-dungeon-games-to-android/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

Other Japanese role-playing games would incorporate random dungeon generation as part of their design, mimicking part of the nature of roguelikes, and were considered roguelike titles when published in Western markets. Such titles include ''[[Azure Dreams]]'', ''[[Dark Cloud]]'', ''[[Shining Soul]]'', and ''[[Baroque (video game)|Baroque]]''.<ref name="1up essential"/><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.siliconera.com/2012/12/27/baroque-stings-eerie-roguelike-comes-to-ios-with-score-attack-mode/ | title = Baroque, Sting's Eerie Roguelike, Comes To iOS With Score Attack Mode | work = [[Siliconera]] | author = Spenser | date = December 27, 2012 | access-date = November 17, 2015 | archive-date = November 18, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151118065545/http://www.siliconera.com/2012/12/27/baroque-stings-eerie-roguelike-comes-to-ios-with-score-attack-mode/ | url-status = live }}</ref> The [[massively multiplayer online role playing game]] ''[[Final Fantasy XIV (2010 video game)|Final Fantasy XIV]]'' added a randomly-generated Deep Dungeon that was inspired by the procedural generation of roguelikes.<ref>{{citation | url = http://kotaku.com/final-fantasy-xivs-new-deep-dungeon-will-be-different-t-1782074565 | title = Final Fantasy XIV's New 'Deep Dungeon' Will Be Different Than Anything Else In The Game | first = Jason | last = Schreier | date = June 16, 2016 | access-date = June 16, 2016 | work = [[Kotaku]] | archive-date = June 16, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160616183656/http://kotaku.com/final-fantasy-xivs-new-deep-dungeon-will-be-different-t-1782074565 | url-status = live }}</ref>

===Continued development in Western markets (2002–onward)===
[[File:Dungeon crawl stone soup.png|thumb|right|A screenshot of ''[[Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup]]'', incorporating user interface elements more common to other hack-and-slash games such as a mini-map and a persistent inventory window]]
Though new classical roguelike variants would continue to be developed within the Western market, the genre languished as more advanced personal computers capable of improved graphics capabilities and games that utilized these features became popular.<ref>{{cite web | last=Parish | first=J | title=Nightmare of Druaga: Fushigino Dungeon (PS2) | work=[[1UP.com]] | date=February 11, 2004 | access-date=July 14, 2010 | url=http://www.1up.com/reviews/nightmare-of-druaga_2 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522210006/http://www.1up.com/reviews/nightmare-of-druaga_2 | archive-date=May 22, 2011 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> However, some of these new graphical games drew influence for roguelike concepts, notably [[action role-playing game]]s like [[Blizzard Entertainment]]'s ''[[Diablo (video game)|Diablo]]'' (1996). ''Diablo''{{'}}s creator, [[David Brevik]], acknowledged that games like ''Rogue'', ''NetHack'', ''[[Telengard]]'' and other roguelikes influenced the design of ''Diablo'', including the nature of randomly generated dungeons and loot.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.salon.com/2000/01/27/nethack/ |title=The best game ever – Linux |work=[[Salon (magazine)|Salon]] |date=January 27, 2000 |access-date=May 28, 2012 |archive-date=April 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120429115242/http://www.salon.com/2000/01/27/nethack/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/20-years-later-david-brevik-shares-the-story-of-making-i-diablo-i- | title = 20 years later, David Brevik shares the story of making Diablo | first = Alex | last = Wawro | date = March 18, 2016 | access-date = March 18, 2016 | work=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]] | archive-date = March 19, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160319152638/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/268507/20_years_later_David_Brevik_shares_the_story_of_making_Diablo.php | url-status = live }}</ref>

Existing roguelikes continue to be developed: a sequel to ''ADOM'' successfully received [[crowd funding]] in 2012,<ref name="craddock chp9"/> while ''NetHack''{{'}}s first major release in ten years in 2015 is set to help the DevTeam expand the game further.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/-i-nethack-i-gets-first-major-update-in-over-a-decade | title = NetHack gets first major update in over a decade | first = Chris | last = Kerr | date = December 8, 2015 | access-date = December 8, 2015 | work=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]] | archive-date = December 10, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151210081719/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/261292/NetHack_gets_first_major_update_in_over_a_decade.php | url-status = live }}</ref> New roguelikes that adhere to core Berlin Interpretation rules are still being created, including ''[[Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup]]'' (2006), ''[[Dungeons of Dredmor]]'' (2011), and ''[[Dragon Fin Soup]]'' (2015).<ref name="usgamer guide"/><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.pcgamer.com/dragon-fin-stone-soup-a-fairytale-roguelike-set-on-a-space-turtle/ | title = Dragon Fin Soup: a fairytale roguelike set on a space turtle | work = [[PC Gamer]] | date = October 31, 2015 | access-date = November 4, 2015 | first = Tom | last = Skyes | archive-date = November 3, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151103170810/http://www.pcgamer.com/dragon-fin-stone-soup-a-fairytale-roguelike-set-on-a-space-turtle/ | url-status = live }}</ref> A subclass of "coffeebreak roguelikes" that could be completed in a short period of time have developed, often derived from entries in the [[#Seven Day Roguelike Challenge|Seven Day Roguelike Challenge]]; examples include such as ''[[DoomRL]]'' (2013) and ''[[Desktop Dungeons]]'' (2013)<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/10/19/the-ground-gives-way-free-roguelike/ | title = A Free, Short Roguelike: The Ground Gives Way | first = Adam | last = Smith | work = [[Rock Paper Shotgun]] | date = October 19, 2015 | access-date = November 16, 2015 | archive-date = November 17, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117035805/http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/10/19/the-ground-gives-way-free-roguelike/ | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/best-roguelikes-play-youre-coffee-break/ | title = The Best Roguelikes To Play When You're On A Coffee Break | work = MakeUseOf | date = July 7, 2014 | first = Joel | last = Lee | access-date = November 16, 2015 | archive-date = November 17, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117021225/http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/best-roguelikes-play-youre-coffee-break/ | url-status = live }}</ref> Some games would also take advantage of the ease of developing in the tile-based ASCII interfaces common to roguelikes. For example, the highly popular ''[[Dwarf Fortress]]'' (2006) uses the roguelike interface atop a [[construction and management simulation]], and would serve as a major inspiration for ''[[Minecraft]]'',<ref name="usgamer guide"/><ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/magazine/the-brilliance-of-dwarf-fortress.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 | title = Where Do Dwarf-Eating Carp Come From? | first = Johan | last = Weiner | date = July 24, 2011 | access-date = August 30, 2014 | work = [[New York Times]] | archive-date = October 15, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141015093607/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/magazine/the-brilliance-of-dwarf-fortress.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 | url-status = live }}</ref> while ''[[SanctuaryRPG]]'' (2014) is a more traditional [[console role playing game|turn-based role playing game]] featuring a scripted story that uses an ASCII interface and roguelike gameplay elements.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://indiegames.com/2014/08/pwyw_pick_sanctuaryrpg.html | title = PWYW Pick: SanctuaryRPG blends old-school aesthetics and new-school mechanics | work = [[IndieGames.com]] | date = August 24, 2014 | access-date = November 6, 2015 | first = Lena | last = LeRay | archive-date = November 7, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211107234936/https://indiegamesplus.com/2014/08/pwyw_pick_sanctuaryrpg | url-status = live }}</ref> ''[[UnReal World]]'' (1992), the game that is considered to be the forerunner of the [[survival game]] genre,<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/10/20/survival-games-are-important/ | title = Survival Games Are Important | first = Graham | last = Smith | date = October 20, 2014 | access-date = August 7, 2015 | publisher = [[Rock Paper Shotgun]] | archive-date = May 24, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190524041022/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/10/20/survival-games-are-important/ | url-status = live }}</ref>  and which frequently uses procedural generation to create the worlds that players must survive in, was developed by Sami Maaranen and was influenced by roguelikes, with its initial interface being similar to that of ''NetHack''.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/10074-A-Game-20-Years-In-the-Making | title = A Game 20 Years In the Making | first = Stephen | last = Murphy | date = December 26, 2012 | access-date = November 14, 2015 | work = [[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]] | archive-date = November 17, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117034417/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/10074-A-Game-20-Years-In-the-Making | url-status = live }}</ref>

===Growth of the rogue-lite (2005–onward)===
The roguelike genre saw a resurgence in Western markets after 2000 through [[Independent video game development|independent developers]] who created a new subgenre designated "rogue-lite", though the games are also sometimes called "roguelike-likes". Indie developers began to incorporate roguelike elements into genres not normally associated with roguelikes, creating games that would form the basis of this new subgenre. Two of the earliest cited examples of rogue-lites are ''[[Strange Adventures in Infinite Space]]'' (2002) and its sequel ''[[Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space]]'' (2005) by [[Digital Eel]], both space exploration games that included randomly generated planets and encounters, and permadeath. Digital Eel based their work on the space exploration game ''[[Starflight]]'' along with roguelikes like ''NetHack'' but wanted to provide a shorter experience that would be easier to replay, akin to tabletop [[beer and pretzels game]]s like ''[[Deathmaze]]'' and ''[[The Sorcerer's Cave]]'' that has elements in common with roguelikes.<ref name="digitaleel interview"/><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/making-a-case-for-short-games | title = Making a Case for Short Games | first = Rich | last = Carlson | date = May 2, 2005 | access-date = August 31, 2014 | work=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]] | archive-date = September 10, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140910195738/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130705/making_a_case_for_short_games.php | url-status = live }}</ref>

[[File:Crawl screenshot 6.png|thumb|right|''[[Crawl (video game)|Crawl]]'' (2014) is a multiplayer, [[brawler]]-based rogue-lite that has up to four players playing in a mixed cooperative/competitive gameplay to explore procedurally generated dungeons.]]
''[[Spelunky]]'' (2008), released shortly after the formation of the [[Berlin Interpretation]], is considered to be a major contribution to the growth of indie-developed rogue-lites.<ref name="usgamer guide"/><ref name="pcgamer 50">{{cite web | url = http://www.pcgamer.com/most-important-pc-games/ | title = The 50 most important PC games of all time | date = January 18, 2016 | access-date = January 18, 2016 | work = [[PC Gamer]] | author = ''PC Gamer'' staff | archive-date = April 30, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190430071630/https://www.pcgamer.com/most-important-pc-games/ | url-status = live }}</ref> ''Spelunky'' was developed by [[Derek Yu]], who wanted to take the deep gameplay that is offered by roguelikes and combine it with the ease and pick-up-and-play of a [[platform game|platformer]]. The result was a platform game incorporating the notion of permadeath in which the player takes an explorer character through randomly-generated caves.<ref name="gamespy roguelikes"/> The intent was to create "deep" gameplay in which the game could be replayed over and over again, with the randomly generated situations driving the need for the player to develop novel, emergent strategies on the fly.  Developer [[Jason Rohrer]] stated that ''Spelunky'' "totally revamped my thinking about single-player videogame design".<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_209/6235-Infinite-Caves-Infinite-Stories | title = Infinite Caves, Infinite Stories | first = Anthony | last = Birch | date = July 7, 2009 | access-date = May 4, 2015 | work = [[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]] | archive-date = April 13, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150413044838/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_209/6235-Infinite-Caves-Infinite-Stories | url-status = live }}</ref> [[Edmund McMillen]], the developer of ''[[The Binding of Isaac (video game)|The Binding of Isaac]]'' (2011), and Kenny and Teddy Lee, the co-developers of ''[[Rogue Legacy]]'' (2012), credit Yu's approach with ''Spelunky'' as showing how to distill down the nature of a traditional roguelike to apply it to other gaming genres which they had done for their rogue-lites.<ref name="gamespy roguelikes" /><ref name="polygon spelunky">{{cite web |last=Frushtick |first=Russ |date=October 23, 2012 |title=Spelunky: The Everlasting Platformer |url=http://www.polygon.com/2012/10/23/3544914/spelunky-the-everlasting-platformer |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102024410/http://www.polygon.com/2012/10/23/3544914/spelunky-the-everlasting-platformer |archive-date=January 2, 2016 |access-date=December 23, 2015 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stanton |first=Rich |date=July 29, 2013 |title=The making of Rogue Legacy |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-29-the-making-of-rogue-legacy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224103800/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-29-the-making-of-rogue-legacy |archive-date=December 24, 2015 |access-date=December 23, 2015 |work=[[Eurogamer]]}}</ref> Justin Ma and Matthew Davis, the co-developers of ''[[FTL: Faster Than Light]]'' (2012), credited both ''Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space'' and ''Spelunky'' as part of their influence for ''FTL''.<ref name="polygon spelunky" /><ref>{{cite web |date=March 28, 2013 |title=IGF awards 2013: FTL acceptance speech for Excellence in Design award |url=http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018124/IGF-Choice-Awards |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216033307/http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018124/IGF-Choice-Awards |archive-date=February 16, 2016 |access-date=January 1, 2016 |publisher=[[Game Developers Conference]]}}</ref> All of these games earned critical praise, and their success has led to a more modern resurgence in rogue-lites since their release.<ref name="gd heart" /><ref name="usgamer guide" /><ref name="ign rebirth" />

The newfound success in rogue-lites is considered part of a larger trend in those that play both board and computer games, looking for "rich play experiences", as described by ''100 Rogues'' developer Keith Burgun, that more popular titles may not always offer.<ref name="gd heart"/> David Bamguart of Gaslamp Games stated that there is a thrill of the risk inherent in rogue-lites with random generation and permadeath, helping the player become more invested in the fate of their player character: "The deadly precariousness inherent to the unknown environments of roguelikes gives that investment a great deal of meaning."<ref name="gi.biz">{{cite web | url = http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-01-30-where-im-a-brief-look-at-the-resurgence-of-roguelikes | title = Where I'm @: A Brief Look At The Resurgence of Roguelikes | first = Dan | last = Pearson | date = January 30, 2013 | access-date = August 30, 2014 | work = [[GamesIndustry.biz]] | archive-date = September 3, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140903135329/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-01-30-where-im-a-brief-look-at-the-resurgence-of-roguelikes | url-status = live }}</ref> Additionally, many of these newer rogue-lites strive to address the apparent high difficulty and ruthlessness that traditional roguelikes were known for, and newer players will be able to find more help through user-generated game guides and walkthroughs made possible through wide Internet accessibility.<ref name="gi.biz"/> Fabien Fischer offers that players have taken to independently developed rogue-lites as they have tired from "superficial gameplay, whitewashing spectacle, the content craze, and [[Operant conditioning chamber|Skinner Box]] design" in titles produced by [[AAA (video game industry)|AAA]] developers and publishers.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/what-do-you-mean-losing-is-fun- | title = What do you mean, losing is fun? | first = Fabian | last = Fischer | date = February 4, 2016 | access-date = February 4, 2016 | work=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]] | archive-date = February 5, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160205095312/http://gamasutra.com/blogs/FabianFischer/20160203/264990/What_do_you_mean_losing_is_fun.php | url-status = live }}</ref>

McMillen of ''The Binding of Isaac'' said that including roguelike elements into other game mechanics can be difficult due to the complex interfaces roguelikes tend to have, but eventually "it becomes an increasingly beautiful, deep, and everlasting design that allows you to generate a seemingly dynamic experience for players, so that each time they play your game they're getting a totally new adventure".<ref>{{cite web |last=McMillen |first=Edmund |date=November 28, 2012 |title=Postmortem: McMillen and Himsl's The Binding of Isaac |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/postmortem-mcmillen-and-himsl-s-i-the-binding-of-isaac-i- |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823204135/http://gamasutra.com/view/feature/182380/postmortem_mcmillen_and_himsls_.php |archive-date=August 23, 2017 |access-date=December 20, 2015 |work=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]]}}</ref> Procedural-generated world lets developers create many hours worth of game content without spending resources on designing detailed worlds.<ref name="gd heart">{{cite web | url = https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/-roguelikes-getting-to-the-heart-of-the-it-genre | title = 'Roguelikes': Getting to the heart of the it-genre | first = Christian | last = Nutt | date = May 21, 2014 | access-date = August 30, 2014 | work=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]] | archive-date = September 2, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140902094049/http://gamasutra.com/view/feature/218178/roguelikes_getting_to_the_heart_.php | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="ign rebirth">{{cite web | url = http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/07/04/roguelikes-the-rebirth-of-the-counterculture | title = Roguelikes: The Rebirth of the Counterculture | date = July 4, 2014 | access-date = August 30, 2014 | first = Mike | last = Mahardy | work = [[IGN]] | archive-date = September 3, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140903073824/http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/07/04/roguelikes-the-rebirth-of-the-counterculture | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="gi.biz"/>

Examples of successful games that have integrated roguelike components into other genres include:

* ''[[Dead Cells]]'', a roguelike incorporated with [[Metroidvania]]-style of platform games<ref>{{cite web | url = https://venturebeat.com/2018/08/06/dead-cells-review-the-apotheosis-of-the-roguelike/ | title = Dead Cells review — the apotheosis of the Roguelike | first = Jeff | last = Grubb | date = August 6, 2018 | access-date = September 23, 2019 | work = [[Venture Beat]] | archive-date = June 14, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190614233337/https://venturebeat.com/2018/08/06/dead-cells-review-the-apotheosis-of-the-roguelike/ | url-status = live }}</ref> 
* ''[[Slay the Spire]]'', bringing roguelike progression to a [[deck building game]]<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2019/1/11/18167460/slay-the-spire-impressions-deck-building-strategy | title = Slay the Spire finally taught me how to build a deck | first = Ryan | last = Gilliam | date = June 11, 2019 | access-date = September 23, 2019 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] | archive-date = April 28, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190428045933/https://www.polygon.com/2019/1/11/18167460/slay-the-spire-impressions-deck-building-strategy | url-status = live }}</ref> 
* ''[[Crypt of the Necrodancer]]'' which uses a [[rhythm game]]-style approach in a roguelike dungeon<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2013/9/2/4685928/crypt-of-the-necrodancer-pairs-roguelike-dungeon-crawling-with-ddr | title = Crypt of the NecroDancer pairs roguelike dungeon crawling with DDR rhythm | first = Michael | last = McWhertor | date = September 2, 2013 | access-date = September 23, 2019 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] | archive-date = September 24, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190924062143/https://www.polygon.com/2013/9/2/4685928/crypt-of-the-necrodancer-pairs-roguelike-dungeon-crawling-with-ddr | url-status = live }}</ref> 
* ''[[Enter the Gungeon]]'' which establishes roguelike progression in a [[shoot 'em up]]<ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://www.gameinformer.com/games/enter_the_gungeon/b/pc/archive/2016/04/05/reloading-the-roguelike.aspx | title = Enter the Gungeon | first = Daniel | last = Tack | date = April 6, 2016 | access-date = September 23, 2019 | magazine = [[Game Informer]] | archive-date = September 24, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190924062146/https://www.gameinformer.com/games/enter_the_gungeon/b/pc/archive/2016/04/05/reloading-the-roguelike.aspx | url-status = live }}</ref> 
* ''[[Vampire Survivors]]'', a minimalistic roguelike [[shoot 'em up]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theverge.com/games/23827123/vampire-survivors-news-announcements-updates-dlc-spinoffs | title = Vampire Survivors: our collective obsession with the quirky, genre-defining indie game | first = Antonio G. | last = Di Benedetto | date = August 17, 2023 | accessdate = September 9, 2023 | work = [[The Verge]] }}</ref>

''[[Hades (video game)|Hades]]'', a roguelite [[action role-playing game]], was built to strongly incorporate elements of non-linear narrative into the game, giving the reason for the player to continually delve into replaying the game, and helped to draw in players to the roguelike genre that otherwise had been put off by its high difficulty level before.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/02/12/how-hades-plays-with-greek-myths/ | title = How Hades plays with Greek myths | first = Alex | last = Wiltshire | date = February 12, 2020 | access-date = February 12, 2020 | work = [[Rock Paper Shotgun]] | archive-date = January 16, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210116000722/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/02/12/how-hades-plays-with-greek-myths/ | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/How-S-F-s-Supergiant-made-Hades-one-of-15839041.php | title = How S.F.'s Supergiant made 'Hades,' one of 2020's most acclaimed video games | first = Roland | last = Li | date = January 3, 2021 | access-date = March 25, 2021 | work = [[San Francisco Chronicle]] | archive-date = January 23, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210123203233/https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/How-S-F-s-Supergiant-made-Hades-one-of-15839041.php | url-status = live }}</ref>