Roguelike Radio

In this engaging conversation, Jagosh Kalezich, an artist from Cardinal Quest, discusses the struggle of sourcing quality artwork for roguelikes. Thomas Whetnall, known for Fuel, shares the importance of collaboration with artists and explores the potential of open-source tile sets. Meanwhile, John Attea, from Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup, dives into pixel art techniques and licensing issues. They collectively ponder the evolution of gaming art and the balance between nostalgia and modern design in the vibrant world of roguelikes.

Jagosh Kalezich, a graphic artist from Cardinal Quest, joins Thomas Whetnall, indie game developer and tile artist, along with John Attea, known for his work on Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup. They dive into the intricacies of graphics and tile design in roguelikes. The experts discuss the balance between minimalist visuals and gameplay, the challenges of transitioning from ASCII to tiles, and the importance of collaboration in game art. They also reflect on the role of color palettes and the creative freedom found in indie game development.

This milestone discussion dives into the journey of creating 50 episodes, highlighting the struggles and triumphs along the way. The team reflects on their experiences with the roguelike community, emphasizing the passion behind indie game development. They tackle the challenges of game design, particularly the significance of user interfaces for accessibility. Listeners are invited to share in the evolution of roguelikes while looking forward to exciting future topics and potential guests, all sprinkled with humor and personal anecdotes.

Welcome to Roguelike Radio episode 49. This week we interview Tarn Adams, creator of Dwarf Fortress. Talking this episode are Darren Grey, John Harris and Tarn Adams. Read more »

Welcome to Roguelike Radio episode 48. This week we talk about designing for the blind and visually impaired. Talking this ep are Andrew Doull, Darren Grey, Jonathan Pikalek and Niall Hartnett. Read more »

Darren Grey and Ryan Boyd discuss the popular game FTL, exploring its classification as a roguelike game and the challenges and strategies involved. They delve into ship upgrades, resource allocation, gameplay mechanics, control issues, and memorable experiences like rare midair missile collisions and being stuck in a stalemate position during a quest. They also touch upon resource management, trading, and the challenges of fuel scarcity.

Welcome to Roguelike Radio episode 46, where we talk about Steam's new Greenlight service. Talking this ep are Darren Grey, Ido Yehieli, Nicolas Casalini (ToME4 dev), Ryan Krafnick (Epilogue dev), Warwick Allison (WazHack dev) and Ruari O'Sullivan (Cardinal Quest II dev). Read more »

Welcome to Roguelike Radio episode 45. This week we look at the post-apocalyptic roguelike Caves of Qud. Talking this ep are Andrew Doull, Brian Bucklew (unormal), Jason Grinblat (hand of luke), Nick DeCapua (kilmarath) and Jeff Bartel. Read more »

Dive into the triumphs of winning in roguelikes, as speakers reflect on their decade-long journeys in games like Brogue. They tackle the fascinating balance of permadeath and procedural generation, and how self-improvement outshines competition. Discover innovative game concepts, including collectible tokens that unlock new classes, and the intricate dynamics of roguelike boss encounters. The importance of community and player-driven strategies enrich the experience, while evolving definitions of winning emphasize creativity in gameplay.

Derek Yu, Spelunky developer, joins the podcast to discuss various topics including the evolution of indie game releases, the concept of 'roguelike likes,' the mechanics and atmosphere of the ice cave in Spelunky, interactions and surprises in the game, random level generation in different genres, room design, game development recommendations, procedural content generation, fairness in roguelike games, and the difficulty progression in Spelunky.