Roguelike vs. Roguelite: What's the Difference? (2024)

The last decade of gaming on PC and other platforms has seen the increasing popularity of run-based games like Hades, which offer looping gameplay cycles that make use of procedural generation and reward an overarching sense of progression and mastery. These games are sometimes interchangeably referred to as either "roguelikes" or "roguelites," but the two terms actually have mechanically distinct definitions. Although both are usually capable of conveying the general meaning or idea of a genre in offhand descriptions, understanding the specific differences can help categorize games more accurately.

The genre of "rogue" games derives its name from a classic dungeon crawler called Rogue that helped popularize some interesting and unusual ideas. The 1980 release challenged players to retrieve an amulet from the end of a dungeon, but also featured permadeath. If a character died, the player had to start the game completely over, with none of the weapons or other upgrades they managed to collect along the way. What's more, the dungeons were procedurally generated, meaning that every run was different, forcing players to explore a new map and adapt to new circ*mstances.

What Qualifies A Game As A Roguelike

Roguelikes Are Games With Permadeath & Randomly Generated Maps

Many games over the years have borrowed elements from Rogue, resulting in the roguelike genre of games. But although "roguelike" has become a bit of a catch-all term, a 2008 development conference created the Berlin Interpretation, available in full on RogueBasin, and defined roguelikes as having eight specific design tenets:

1. Random map generation
2. Permadeath
3. Turn-based combat
4. Grid-based movement
5. Complexity to allow multiple solutions
6. Non-modal, so that all actions can be performed at any time
7. Resource management
8. Hack 'n' slash combat

In order for a game to qualify as a roguelike based on the Berlin Interpretation, a game must meet all eight criteria.

How A Roguelite Is Different From A Roguelike

Roguelites Allow For Some Permanent Progression

Because of the stringent rules laid out by the Berlin Interpretation, most popular roguelike games are more properly referred to as roguelites. Roguelite games utilize some, but not all, of the design elements of Rogue as the foundation for their gameplay. Permadeath and procedurally generated maps are still crucial to a roguelite's design, but many games have added new spins to the genre. A number of roguelites have introduced a mechanic of carry-over progression to eventually make runs easier and allow players to go farther. For instance, Hades contains certain resources that don't reset on death, which are used to buy permanent upgrades to the character.

Generally speaking, saying "roguelike" in a casual conversation is more likely to invoke the idea of popular modern roguelites, as the Berlin Interpretation isn't necessarily widely known, nor is it the be-all and end-all of the distinction. It's consequently not worth being pedantic about in most situations, but that doesn't mean that it isn't helpful to be able to properly distinguish between the terms. True roguelikes do offer a different and less common experience than the myraid of roguelites out there, and it's worth separating the two in at least some contexts.

Whether or not a game strictly qualifies as a roguelike or the more loosely defined roguelite, the subgenres have created a space for a wide range of games and play styles. For every action-driven roguelite like Risk of Rain Returns, there's a turn-based card battler or strategic survival experience. Procedurally generated maps allow for a game to create a fresh challenge every time a player starts a new run in Hades and other games in Rogue's tradition, inviting them to try their skills once more as they die and die again.

Best Roguelikes To Try

The Binding Of Isaac Helped Revive The Genre

• The Binding of Isaac
• Rift Wizard
• Crypt of the Necrodancer
• Tales of Maj'Eyal
• Jupiter Hell

The Binding of Isaac was very popular when it came out, and it has been credited with reinvigorating interest in the roguelike genre. It is a top-down twin-stick shooter that pits players against increasingly difficult enemies in fast-paced combat. Though some argue that it isn't a true roguelike, because players can unlock new items that may appear in each round, there is no real permanent progression. Players can't keep any items or guarantee that what they unlock will show up in a run. They also don't carry over any stat increases in their next round.

Rift Wizard and Tales of Maj'Eyal are both turn-based games that use grid movement. These can be a little more accessible than fast-paced roguelikes, since players have more time to make decisions. However, these can also lead to more frustrating incidents of permadeath, as players will likely spend more time on a single run than they would in a game like The Binding of Isaac.

Jupiter Hell is a turn-based shooter, but it is also fast-paced. This makes it a good middle ground, as there is still some more time to make decisions, but rounds might not last as long. Fans of the XCOM series would likely be interested in this game.

Crypt of the Necrodancer is a unique game that combines a roguelike with elements of a rhythm game. Though one of the game modes is a roguelite, allowing for permanent progression, Crypt of the Necrodancer can also be played as a true roguelike. Players will need to select the All Zones mode to play it as a roguelike.

Best Roguelites To Try

Hades Is One Of The Most Popular In The Genre

• Hades
• Slay the Spire
• FTL
• Enter the Gungeon
• Darkest Dungeon

Hades is easily one of the most popular roguelites, and for good reason. It has a beautiful art style, its combat is satisfying and has a lot of variety, and the progression system is fair but still challenging. Players won't feel like the game is handing anything to them, but it's still accessible enough that players won't get as frustrated as they might with a true roguelike. The game's Greek-mythology-inspired story is also engaging, providing players with a good incentive to stick with the game through its more challenging parts.

Slay the Spire is a unique take on the genre, combining elements of deck-building and turn-based combat. There is a nice variety of strategies which gives it good replayability, and combat is quick and engaging despite being turn-based. Darkest Dungeon also uses turn-based combat, and combines it with some RPG elements. Players crawl through dungeons as a party of adventurers. Hero death is permanent, but players have the option to replace dead heroes with new ones.

Roguelites in general might be a better starting point for either genre. They give players a taste of what they can expect from a full roguelike, but ease them into the experience by allowing for some permanent progression. A lot of players may move on from a game like Enter the Gungeon to something less forgiving but with similar gameplay elements, like The Binding of Isaac. Hades' sequel is currently in early access, so now might be a good time for players to try it out and catch up on the series while also testing out this genre of game.

Source: RogueBasin

Hades

The 2020 smash hit Hades is an action-roguelike game from Supergiant games, the creators of Bastion and Transistor. Zagreus, the prince of the underworld, has grown tired of his father's cruel demeanor and decides to escape to the surface. Aided by the gods who all never knew of his existence, Zagreus will battle against the armies of Hades with godly boons and various powerful weapons on his way to freedom.

Action RPG

Roguelite

Franchise

Hades

Platform(s)

PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Switch , PC

Released

September 17, 2020

Developer(s)

Supergiant Games

Publisher(s)

Supergiant Games

ESRB

T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence