I bet some of you had to read the title twice because the difference in the name between a roguelike and a roguelite is just a single letter… This also pretty much shows how different they are from each other. They are almost the same but… Not quite which is why people tend to confuse the two genres with each other. The line between those two is pretty hazy and there is even some controversy on how to differentiate them nowadays. So let us take a look at the comparison between roguelike vs roguelite.
Roguelike – The Origins
First, we should understand where the term “roguelike” comes from, which stems from the influential 1980 game called Rogue. While it wasn’t the first game of its kind (Apple Mannor released in 1978 and is considered the first commercial roguelike among others) it is still considered the grandfather of all modern roguelikes & roguelites.
Like with most video game terms, roguelike has its origins in the world of online discussions. Specifically in the Usenet newsgroups around the year 1993 which was a popular hangout spot for gamers at the time where they shared various information with each other.
The Berlin Interpretation
In 2008 a bunch of players and developers at the International Roguelike Development Conference (IRDC) in Berlin, Germany collaboratively developed a set of criteria that can be used to define a true “roguelike”. The Berlin Interpretation is a little controversial due to people calling it outdated and unrepresentative of a vibrant and open genre like this which has developed quite a bit over the last 30 years. But nevertheless, it provides us with a very solid foundation that we can use to define the roguelike genre better.
High-Value Factors
High-Value Factors are core elements that make a roguelike feel like a roguelike. They include all the things that are seen as obligatory in any of these games. Without them… A roguelike wouldn’t be a roguelike.
1. Random Environment Generation
The levels or the environment inside a roguelike are always randomized. Nowadays instead of simply randomizing the levels, most developers use procedural generation instead. This allows for a different gameplay every time you start a new run which enhances the replay value by a lot.
2. Permadeath
Once your character is dead, the run is over. Which means that you lose all your progress, money and equipment. The classic roguelike doesn’t feature any possibility to upgrade your character after you die unlike newer games like “Hades” or “The Binding of Isaac”. So if you die, you start with zero.
3. Turn-Based
Turn-based means that each command corresponds to a single action or movement. Usually, those types of games are not sensitive to time and you can beat the game at your own tempo.
4. Grid-Based
This means the world is represented by a uniform grid of tiles. Monsters and players take up only one tile, regardless of their size.
5. Non-Modal
The movement, battle and other actions take place in the same mode. Every action should be available at any point in the game.
6. Complexity
The game has enough complexity to allow several solutions to common goals. This is obtained by providing enough item/monster and item/item interactions and is strongly connected to having just one mode.
7. Resource Management
As with most games you have to manage your limited resources like food, potions etc. and find uses for the resources you receive.
8. Hack’n Slash
Aside from other features of the game, killing hordes of monsters is a very important and crucial part of a roguelike. The game usually revolves around PVE fights (players vs environment). Usually, there are no monster/monster relations like enmities or diplomacy.
9. Exploration & Discovery
The game requires careful exploration of the different dungeon levels and the player has to discover the usage of unidentified items. This has to be done over and over again every time the player starts a new game.
Low-Value Factors
These are features that can be present in a roguelike but aren’t essential for the genre. This list can be almost endless but we are going to stick by the Berlin Interpretation for now.
1. Single Player Character
The player controls a single character. The game is usually player-centric, the world is viewed through the character and their death is the end of the game.
2. Monsters Are Similar To Players
Rules that apply to the player also apply to monsters as well. They have inventories, equipment, can use items, can cast spells and so on.
3. Tactical Challenge
The player has to learn about the tactics before he can make any significant progress. This process repeats itself, i. E. early game knowledge is not enough to beat the late game. Thanks to the random environments and the character’s perma death, roguelikes tend to be very challenging and difficult to new players. The focus in roguelike games is to provide tactical challenges instead of strategically working on the big picture, or solving different kinds of puzzles.
4. ASCII Display
The traditional display for roguelikes is to represent the title world by ASCII characters.
5. Dungeons
Roguelikes contain dungeons, such as levels composed of rooms and corridors.
6. Numbers
The numbers used to describe the character’s stats like hit points, attributes etc. are deliberately shown.
Roguelite – The Colorful Variations Of Roguelikes
As you might have noticed, the Berlin Interpretation follows very strict rule sets and yet… Games like “Hades” or “Dead Cells” don’t fit into those guidelines at all even though most people call them roguelikes… And this is exactly why the lines between a roguelike and a roguelite get very blurry nowadays. But nevertheless, there are a few very distinct points most of the roguelites have in common.
Creative Freedom
Personally, I also have to agree that the Berlin Interpretation is too strict with the genre because hardly anything fits those criterias anymore. Especially since indie studios love to twist and bend the rules in their game… And this is where roguelites come in.
Most newer ‘roguelikes’ really deviate from the classic understanding of the game genre but this is also the beauty of it. A roguelite has way more room and freedom to explore the genre without people questioning their decisions.
What Doesn’t Kill You, Makes You Stronger
One of the biggest points that differentiate a roguelike from a roguelite is actually the fact that if you die, your run doesn’t start from zero. Since roguelites are not designed to be beaten on the first try, this helps players, especially new ones, to have an easier time adjusting to the roguelike genre. A lot of games have some sort of upgrading system whenever you lose a run. It could be some sort of currency that you can invest or some items you’ve gathered throughout your adventure. This way you get stronger over time and can beat the game sooner or later.
Telling A Story
While older roguelikes tend to have little to no story or only tell it in rather cryptic ways. Roguelites on the other hand often have some sort of story accompanying you. Be it in the form of quests, recurring characters or other things. This spices things up and also keeps people pushing forward. It’s also possible to put in a story in a roguelike but since you always start with nothing, it makes it harder to not make it repetitive or exciting.
It’s More About The Experience, Not The Challenge
Now to our last point on the list which is: Roguelites are in general easier than roguelikes because they target a completely different audience. Of course all of the points we’re mentioning don’t necessarily apply to all roguelites out there since they can do whatever they desire. But one thing that really stands out, is that roguelites in general are designed to be more about the experience instead of the challenge behind it.
They give you tools at hand to make the runs easier and quicker instead of constantly taking away all the stuff you’ve earned. This makes the player want to replay it over and over again and keeps him from getting frustrated.
This concludes our little comparison between roguelike and roguelites. Terms can change over the years and usually the developers and their community determine if their game fits a certain genre or not. At the current rate, the term roguelike will probably sooner or later dominate the genre, no matter if something technically is a roguelite or not. But there is one thing we can definitely say about this whole conundrum: The line between a roguelite and a roguelite is not black and white. It is more of a spectrum. On one end we have the Berlin Interpretation which clearly defines the parameters of a roguelike and on the other end we have the colorful and wide range of the roguelite games that mix all kinds of features from all the different genres you can find out there.
Since you’re interested in the difference of a roguelike vs roguelite you might also be interested in a comparison between eastern & western games:
Eastern VS Western Games – Two World Colliding
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