“Roguelike of the new school” or what is Roguelite?

Ordinary Saturday. Evening. Flying blogs, I came across material about the "horned" unknown to me. Reading the text, I notice how the author often calls the game the word "Robite", which very well cut my eyes. I, with a sense of duty, give out the well -known "base " In the comments under the blog (hello to the author of the blog, if you find out):

Interesting blog, I will definitely pay attention to the game. There is only a wish to correct the name of the genre, the game is not a “rock”, but at least a “roof” (possibly a routine, but here the pronunciation of Yandex/Google is slightly different).
Roguek from Rogue-Like (literally, as in the game Rogue, the ancestor of the genre), the meaning is clear, but the eye cuts a little)

I am still not suspecting

And then I get a discouraging answer for myself:

Thanks for the kind words.
On the "Robite" I think it is written correctly. In the game, the hero pumps, albeit not fast, receives new professions and cards in the base deck. Therefore, it turns out that the new races will be easier than the previous ones due to the intensified parameters of the hero. Hence the "Robite", which went from Roguelite, t.E simplified/lightweight pungent. It is in this game that the elements of the expansion is quite weak, the pumping is not very fast. But she is.

Shitty by the genre author

I was morally not ready for such a discovery that plunged me into a cultural shock. Being a moderate lover of the Rogalik genre (as it turned out, I played all this time in Roguelite), I have never met such a name. Maybe I heard this somewhere, but quite possibly, I could consider it a "stupid" mistake. All my surroundings, bloggers, reviewers and other content-mikers at the mention of the game, which only "Apparently-likeness " Rogue (more on this later) used the concept of "horned", and everyone perfectly understood each other. Immediately I had a number of questions both to the author (rhetorical issues to him), and to the Internet, and in this material I want to share my thoughts of what this same Roguelite.

They say correctly – "Live a century, learn a century – you die a fool".

Brief historical certificate of Roguelike genre

To understand the question, you need to understand how the genre appeared Roguelike.

Genre Roguelike is one of the oldest in video games. The first more less noticeable game in the genre – Beneath Apple Manor was released in 1978, for the Apple II system, but the genre gained popularity thanks to the 1980 Rogue game, and the name for the genre has appeared Roguelike "Rogue-Like" (similar to the game Rogue).

IN Rogue The player plays the role of an adventurer of adventure, typical of early fantasy role -playing games. The game begins on the upper tier of the dungeon. The goal is to break into the lowest tier, get the amulet of Jendor, and then get back. As it moves in the depths of a randomly generated dungeon, the complexity of the game increases (the strength of the opponents and so on increases), so each passage of the game became unique and complex, both for beginners and experienced players.

The gameplay in the "new" genre – Roguelike, I liked everyone so much that later such “classic hornies” appeared as Moria (1983), Nethack (1987), Angband (1990) and others.

In 2008 (very timely), participants in the Berlin conference International Roguelike Development Conference 2008 made an attempt to highlight the main features of the genre Roguelike. The so -called (and later controversial) "Berlin interpretation"Haid a number of key features that highlight Roguelike Among other games:

Random Generation of levels – this feature increases the reiglable of projects. The creation of levels can be carried out using procedural generation, but it may also not be absolutely random, but to be executed through the rules pre -recorded by the developer;

"Permanent death" is a mechanic, suggesting the final, irrevocable "end of the game" after the death of the character with the loss of all the early accumulated progress;

Discreteness – the world is represented by a uniform discrete net of elements. Monsters and player occupy one cell, regardless of size;

One mode – there should not be additional modes in the game. Movements, battle should take place in one mode, at any time;

Diversity – the goal in the game should be achieved in different ways by interacting with various objects, objects, monsters, etc.d;

The need to study – the game requires a thorough study of the dungeons and the discovery of ways to use objects again for each passage;

Hack’n’Slash – game according to the "Player VS Mir" scheme. An important part of the gameplay is the mass destruction of monsters.

The secondary features of the genre were also revealed:

Tactical competition – the player must learn tactics before getting the opportunity to move on;

As it is easy to guess, most modern games, which we call the "cuckolds", do not contain at the same time All the above features. For such games, the name was invented – Rogue-Like-Like (similar similar game on rogue) or Roguelite ("Simplified" Rogalik ").

Brief description of roguelite-game

Relatively wide, word "Roguelite"It spread after the release of the game Rogue Legacy in 2013. The developer came up with a new "genre" for his project, contrasting his game to the genre Roguelike, which really differed from a typical representative of the genre. One of the main differences Rogue Legacy From traditional Roguelike It became the presence of pPersistence progression , what made the game easier. But whether the innovation made this game, and others who called Roguelite games fundamentally different from the projects of their "older brother" in order to specially create a new "genre" for them?

Everyone probably has their own answer to this question, but for clarity I will compare 5 random, the so -called "Rogalites" with key features "Berlin interpretation". The table will also indicate the alleged game genre, according to the wiki. This picture comes out:

A person who played all of the listed projects may be surprised at the "motley" games that many determine in Separate genre. Judging by the table, we see that none of the games presented contains at the same time All Criteria of the genre Roguelike By "Berlin interpretation"means (despite the controversy"Interpretation"), they can be called roguelite games. Also the absence of several of the key features Roguelike In most of the games, he pushes into some thoughts, which will be written a little further. Oddly enough, you can see the obvious "genre diversity" of projects that can be described by the scheme "Roguelike + genre", this is the problem Roguelite as a separate genre.

Dead Cells (2018)

The Binding of ISAAC (2011)

Roguelite problem as an independent genre

The main problem Roguelite as an independent (separate) genre – this is the absence identity. We cannot combine such different games into one large, separate genre, since it is almost always a “mixture of genres”, namely Roguelike with elements of many other genres.

Yes, we already have mixed genres, for example, Action-RPG (mixture of role -playing game and action), Action-Dventure (adventure action) and similar, but they have already managed to settled in the gaming industry, and in them we can definitely highlight specific elements genres (parts of a mixed genre), of which a mixed genre consists of, and these Elements Found in All games of this specific mixed genre, unlike Roguelite. For example, in Roguelite Hades, we will not meet elements Metroid ROGUELITE GARS DeAD CELLS, or in the Roguelite game The Binding of ISAAC, we will not notice the elements of PLatforming From Roguelite game Spelunky .

If you imagine the "structure" of genres/sucks in the form of formulas, then the roam It will definitely be Two constant and maybe (maybe not to be at all) one or more variables, and the "simplified cirow" It will definitely be One constant and At least one variable (Theoretically, It may not be, but this is a discussion issue).

The same genre Action-RPG appeared in the 80s (if not earlier), as well as Roguelike, while Roguelite began to be mentioned only in the 10th, more than 30 years later (It does not mean, that before that Roguelite-game did not come out). Which, theoretically, could prevent this "new laughter genre" appear earlier by people? Most likely, the reason is that Roguelite as an essence (concept, "background", phenomenon) is a product of the evolution of video games.

Roguelite – Evolution of the Roguelike genre

Let’s get back to "Berlin interpretation " And to "purebred " to the pants (such a phrase can often be found when it comes to the genre, which confirms the theory that "blood-the-air" among Roguelike-IGR exists and there is no need to create a separate genre). It is clear that the "same sangals" come out now, but in very small quantities, but it will be about old representatives Roguelike and about the factors that could influence the development of the genre.

"Technical" factor

Do not forget that the features of the genre Roguelike could appear not only thanks to the creative trends of the developer, but also trite due to technical restrictions on the devices of that time.

It can also be assumed that the mechanics of the “permanent death” of the character mentioned in the “interpretation” could appear due to the small amount of memory of the PC. Yes, in some games, the Sev was stored in case you need to interrupt the game and continue later, but at the death of the character, the Seve was deleted forever (there was a cheat method of passing the game when Sev was transferred to another folder and returned back at the death of the character). In this case, it is not entirely clear whether the amount of memory could directly affect the appearance of game mechanics directly, but it should be borne in mind. Gradually, with the development of technology, to replace these and other mechanics, others came from different genres.

The "social" factor

Now, the fascination of video games is far from a niche hobby (if it can be called hobbies) programmers-enthusiasts used by road workers for entertainment after work. Over time, together with the widespread distribution of computers, many people got acquainted with video games, and the computer games industry turned into a very profitable business that requires attracting new players. For this, the developer went to "simplify" some genres, including Roguelike. For example, from most of the "pants", a mechanic of permanent death disappeared, which made the genre’s games easier, and the replacement of the "missing" mechanic, with "mechanisms" from other genres made Roguelike more interesting and diverse, which we saw on the example of the so-called Roguelite-IGR.

The conclusive result

Having brought together all of the above, we can draw a cautious conclusion about what it is Roguelite:

Roguelite is the Roguelike genre’s subgoline, which has become the result of the development of the main genre, and characterized by projects, in the gameplay of which, there are both Roguelike elements, which are basic and other genres.

Due to the fact that the genre cannot contain only one sub -holder, I propose such a conditional division of the genre Roguelike on the backstage:

Despite the fact that games from the emergence of the genre are very different from the bulk of modern ones (Roguelite game or Roguelike-game "New School"), Determine Roguelite In a separate genre, I think, incorrectly, because in the gameplay roguelite-game, in addition to elements Roguelike the genre that are basic, Other genres are also present.

Because Roguelite It is the evolution of the genre Roguelike, And their main features are similar (but not always completely the same), I think that it will be correct to consider Roguelite prying or group of Genre Games Roguelike. That is why Roguelite game can be calmly called "sunk", because it is an integral part of the large genre, which explains that when mentioning the name of the game of the discussed genre/backdrop, people always understand what is being discussed.

It is also worth noting that despite the fact that I often referred to "Berlin interpretation", it should not be perceived as the only true list of features for the genre. Judging by how much in due time "Interpretation"caused disputes around me, due to the fact that even many"Classic"The pants did not correspond to this list of features, I think it should be perceived more as" visualization "of how the games looked at the time of the origin of the genre.

Under the influence of time Roguelike changed and began to look somewhat different. Modern games that position themselves as “traditional horned” (including those indicated in the scheme above) do not always correspond to the “Berlin interpretation”, but they can visually show at the level of sensations, feelings to show how the ancestors of the genre looked and played.

P.S: An important remark at the end of the material! Despite the fact that I, at least for myself, determined what it is Roguelite, It is important to understand that the genre belonging of a particular game can be an extremely debatable issue. Games are needed primarily for entertainment, and not for hot controversy due to the attitude of the project to a particular "caste".

Thank you for your attention!

If I liked the material, I invite you to get acquainted with previous work:

The Binding of ISAAC

Spelunky

Rogue Legacy

Dead Cells

Hades

Rogue

The best comments

Well, by tradition

It doesn’t matter) I throw this picchu in any topic of a little or wreck “Rowhelik or Rowliyte” Sterk)

That’s exactly what the line is washed off. So in the division of the pants into two sucks does not make the slightest meaning and only breeds unnecessary entities instead of doing something useful.

There are also offered to divide higher than the Soulslaiki – a new slice level. Why is it necessary unclear. Who will help too. It will only become more difficult to qualify.

Rogue is a rout. Like or light – everything is one. The proportions are conditional, and the boundaries are blurred. I am not a holy gamer, not only Hardcore played in life. But if I have to choose between like and light, I prefer to play both.

Consider this a taste, but if you don’t have to try for this – oddly enough, do not try and farm kosari, if it is so important (the spoiler, nothing will come out with such a mood)

If the text is written well, and most importantly, there is something to say, you can “pull out” even such, at first glance, an ambiguous topic and in general, raise some new idea that no one has yet touched on.

I do not want to once again flue the mowers, but the above can be seen from my previous works, which have been on the main page for almost a month, and I definitely can’t say about them that it was the “lightest” money in my life, if it is generally so important.

Well, yeah, if you take the words you duplicated without context, then it really can be anything, but since this is a consequence of the development of the main genre, the pool of the game is somewhat narrowed. Perhaps you can more accurately describe. But on the other hand, as if the definition should be interpreted completely

And an arcade game is literally a game played in the arcades. But I do not see something protesting when arcade is called games for PC.

Astrologers have announced a week of pants. The number of memes about the pants increased

In general, the idea of ​​the blog is to show that despite the fact that the new hornies differ from the old ones, it is incorrectly determined into a separate genre, since they still have common features (all the details in the text).

In Steam, albeit in small quantities, you can see “traditional slings” who want to convey how the games of the past were played. To do this, I conditionally divided the jackhole genre into sucks (or groups). In one, roughly speaking, old games and modern ones, which are like old, and in the second group, new modern roles. And this is still another genre – a pungent (and there are no extra entities and disputes, since this is all one big genre).

I updated the definition a little, it seems like now “exactly”)

I agree that theoretically, a confusion between the Roguelike genre/suck. But how this group was still not to call options at all, while not creating any coordinate new names. I wanted to show that there is a difference between new and old -nm (which are played as old) games, but this is still another genre, since for the reasons you listed, it is practically pointless to share games in genres.

Since the division is still conditional, “not academic”, the meaning is all exactly visible:

If a person who played only in Hades, Rogue Legacy 2, Dead Cells show some Rogue Fable (or something like that) he may not like this experience much, since it would not be what he expected. He may have a desire to determine a new genre for Hades or Rogue Fable, as they play differently. But as you said that the genre can develop and so on (+ there are still reasons in the text) it makes no sense to create another genre. If these days did not try to make modern games that are played as games of the past, then there really would not be sense in dividing in division.

And the same Berlin interpretation is really not “the truth in the last instance”, but it demonstrates what mechanics were then (for technical and ideological reasons) and shows that the games were like that. Modern incidents can strive for this when they do something old.

But again, both Hades and Rogue Fable are Roguelike, horgals and other names (the genre still does not stand still, as noted). In general, the idea was to highlight roles in a separate group.
But the group in the genre, in fact, is a background. And one suck in the genre is strange, therefore, such a division is partly “awkward” the name and it turned out. I wanted to make a division, so that at least in meaning it was clear what is about, but at the same time I did not want to come up with new words so that there was no additional fuss. The division of the rolax/rock and so controversial, and add a fundamentally new “word” to this discussion, well, sooo not that.
Something like that. In general, as was written at the beginning of the blog, this is still thinking on the topic so … The name for the suck can be better, but if you allow you, I will leave such an interpretation of all this disgrace)

In fact, in your definition and the truth is a more stringent emphasis on a Roguelike component. However, it is directly drawn to make the definition more accurate.

The term "Salt Light" has not yet gone into the people and there are very few examples

In fact, the conditional Salt Light from Salt Lick is now only distinguished by the opportunity to choose the level of complexity and the management of Stamina (a striking example of Salt Lita-Jedi Follen Order and Survaivor)
differences of horn-LIC from Rog Light much more

you need more time and examples of the games "Light"-an anger for a more detailed analysis

In the context of the entire blog, especially its last part, I think, they will understand)

But now I’ll take it and get to the bottom!
The formulated definition of the term roguelite is still incomplete. "… there are both Roguelike elements and other genres." – for example, Call of Duty then also Roguelite, since there is limited resources (one of the key features of Roguelike according to the list from the article), as well as elements of other genres.
In general, the article is good.

You try to sit on two chairs, and you also call different entities in the same name that it finally drives crazy when trying to figure it out both in genres and in what you propose specifically you. You have ROGULIKE this is the genre as a whole and the name of the squeeze of the "classic" pants. So will not go. If you really want to do this, then come up with a new name, because otherwise you will make more confusion, since your interlocutor will have to think, you mean the roles of the genre in mind or the same old sangs. Of course, according to the context, it will be possible to guess what you mean, but in any science, if the terminology is composed so that when using the term you need to guess, then this terminology is shit, since the term should not assume various interpretations. It was necessary to TTO ROLYKIK was a genre, the ROLIT was new modern lightweight games in the genre, and those very 2.5 classic traditional cuckways would be called differently. Only this will just begin to produce unnecessary entities and then I return to the question, the overwhelming of this option was initially focusing with the division. About a mixture of genres by the way, you wrote quite a bit. Grandfather Tsag – a mixture of a spill, metroid and a platformer.

P.WITH. All the problems went because of this very bomber of the Berlin interpretation. She is essentially godlessly outdated and now it is impossible to use it to determine the genre. The genre has since changed and new elements have been added to it, the old ones have been removed, some were processed and so on. Genres are not a frozen structure, it is a mobile entity that constantly changes and if, when adding to the genre of elements of another, we will begin to scream and come up with new genres each time, we will very quickly chop off from the amount of all this extra water (in fact, we have already drowned and continue). It is much easier in the line to just write through a commas with the established specific options that people will understand what it is.

People do not correct others when they say “beautiful tulle”, although it will be “beautiful tulle” correctly, coffee has officially become, including the middle kind, which is natural and convenient, because it was a male family because of the use of “coffee” in the past. And such a million, so why, ahem, I can’t even choose a word, why try to complicate everything

It is ironic that when someone says “this is not a hornedness, and a halave”, they just do this very. Wouldn’t it be logical behind the same principle, since many people continue to use the term “roofing” or ask “what is the difference between them, just kill this division?

Why actually the last paragraph of my original com. "Rogliyk died – long live a rolake". I will call all these games in splenders, 80% of people will understand very well what I mean. Just the use of "Robite" can complicate this.

Thank you for at least someone decided to enlighten the people, otherwise the line has long been washed off. And the new generation of casuals everywhere requires a decrease in complexity, and most developments go to this, unfortunately.