Roguelike Radio Episode 99: 7DRLs 2015
Apr 27, 2015
Alan Charlesworth, reviewer and 7DRL committee contributor, and Paul Jeffries, indie dev of Hellion, trade short bios and vivid anecdotes. They cover Hellion’s turn-based rail-shooter design, Void Sanctum’s writing-driven goals, standout 7DRL trends like polished visuals and one-hit mechanics, and a rapid tour of notable experimental games from 2015.
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Episode notes
Blend Genres To Spark Novel Mechanics
- Paul Jeffries recommends blending genres to create novel roguelike mechanics, as he did by making a turn-based rail shooter.
- Try combining familiar action systems with roguelike features like permadeath and procedural levels to surprise players.
First 7DRL Was Stressful But Rewarding
- Alan Charlesworth describes his first-time 7DRL experience as stressful because he knew no programming and mostly did setting design.
- He found the deadline intense but satisfying when a playable game emerged despite missing planned features.
Firetail Emerged From Iteration And Help
- Darren Grey explains Firetail's core: a fire creature that burns terrain to create tactical advantages as it grows stronger.
- He credits Oryx and Dark God for art and engine help that made the game visually stand out.