Creating roguelikes is a common pasttime among hobbyist game devs. Lower asset requirements free up development time to focus on the true nuts and bolts that make games both entertaining and challenging, i.e. mechanics. As with any type of game, there is a wide range of components and considerations that go into creating a roguelike, and there are as many solutions as there are developers.
That said, the core "roguelike problem set" is also fairly well defined, with most developers having to tackle similar problems that may or may not apply to games outside the genre. As such, it's interesting to look at many different approaches to the same set of problems.
Two years ago I began hosting a series called "FAQ Friday" over on /r/roguelikedev where we ask roguelike developers to discuss a specific aspect of roguelike development as it relates to their own project.
Participation has been strong, and you'll find input from the devs of Nethack, DCSS, Incursion, Cogmind, Armoured Commander, Black Future, Temple of Torment, Shadow of the Wyrm, The Ground Gives Way, Cardinal Quest 2, and a huge range of other games in development you may not have heard of yet.
If you're interested in an under-the-hood look at roguelikes in development, or thinking of developing a roguelike of your own, consider checking out some of these threads:
- #1: Languages and Libraries
- #2: Development Tools
- #3: The Game Loop
- #4: World Architecture
- #5: Data Management
- #6: Content Creation and Balance
- #7: Loot
- #8: Core Mechanic
- #9: Debugging
- #10: Project Management
- #11: Random Number Generation
- #12: Field of Vision
- #13: Geometry
- #14: Inspiration
- #15: AI
- #16: UI Design
- #17: UI Implementation
- #18: Input Handling
- #19: Permadeath
- #20: Saving
- #21: Morgue Files
- #22: Map Generation
- #23: Map Design
- #24: World Structure
- #25: Pathfinding
- #26: Animation
- #27: Color
- #28: Map Object Representation
- #29: Fonts and Styles
- #30: Message Logs
- #31: Pain Points
- #32: Combat Algorithms
- #33: Architecture Planning
- #34: Feature Planning
- #35: Playtesting and Feedback
- #36: Character Progression
- #37: Hunger Clocks
- #38: Identification Systems
- #39: Analytics
- #40: Inventory Management
- #41: Time Systems
- #42: Achievements and Scoring
- #43: Tutorials and Help
- #44: Ability and Effect Systems
- #45: Libraries Redux
- #46: Optimization
- #47: Options and Configuration
- #48: Developer Motivation
- #49: Awareness Systems
- #50: Productivity
- #51: Licenses
- #52: Crafting Systems
- #53: Seeds
- #54: Map Prefabs
- #55: Factions and Cooperation
- #56: Mob Distribution
For a compiled list of many in-development roguelikes and their devs who have contributed so far, see this thread. (Also, many of the same devs who contribute to these FAQs, and more, you'll find sharing progress reports and images in our weekly Sharing Saturday threads.)
We will continue to add more FAQs throughout 2017, introducing new topics every other Friday, and this week we will also begin revisiting all previous topics to give devs who missed them the first time an opportunity to contribute, or for others to share how things have changed for their previous or newer project.
/r/roguelikedev is a great place for beginners and experts alike to learn and discuss roguelike development. Check out our sidebar for tutorials, resources, and tools!