Roguelike Radio

Episode 151 of Roguelike Radio features Rob Parker and Eben Howard, with guests Hadley St. Clair and Kevin Cole, developers of Haque (steam and itch.io) This episode contains spoilers for story and gameplay elements in Haque Read more »

We discuss Rot.js, a roguelike toolkit and display library using JavaScript, with Darren Grey and rot.js creator Ondrej Zara. Read more »

Alexei Peppers, a professional game designer and long-time NetHack player, explores chaos theory and procedural generation. He explains Lorenz’s butterfly effect, visualizing generators with expressive range, and how small changes shape outcomes. Conversations cover metrics for tuning generators, emergence from nonlinear rules, and how players learn and feel ownership of procedurally created worlds.

We discuss the how roguelikes deal with the after death experience, with Kawa and Darren Grey. Read more »

We discuss the role of difficulty in roguelikes, with Mark Johnson, Darren Grey and Andrew Doull. Read more »

Join Rob Parker, a seasoned voice from the roguelike community, Alex Chen (VivaFringe), a dedicated streamer and guide creator, and competitive player AppleS (Chaco_Marsh) for a deep dive into Michael Brough's Cinco Paus. They explore the challenges of its unique mechanics, including the tension of its small board and the thrill of uncovering secrets. From strategies for high scores to insights on artifact balancing, their discussion reveals both the game's complexity and its vibrant community. Plus, hear about Alex's Christmas Day discovery of the game!

A discussion of the outputs from the Seven Day Roguelike Challenge 2018, with Darren Grey, Steve Johnson (aka irskep), Rob Howard (aka AquaTsar) and Jeremiah Reid. Read more »

Brian Bucklew, indie dev behind Caves of Cud who builds practical AI for mutable worlds, and Tommy Thompson, lecturer and creator of the AI and Games channel with ML and NPC research. They explore AI in procedurally generated games. They cover testing and modular behaviors, risky emergent interactions and fixes, procedural sims and scaling simulated worlds, and blending ML with narrative and agent systems.

Eben Howard, roguelike developer returning to personal projects. Rob Parker, game dev who reviews and plays contemporary roguelikes. Mark Johnson, academic researching procedural generation and randomness. They reminisce about 2017 releases, design trends, PCG approaches, standout games and community events. Short, conversational takes on design choices, updates, and what to watch next.

Tom Ford (aka Akka Flend), roguelike developer known for procedural dungeon generation and narrative-driven levels. He discusses using GANs and AI for level generation, narrative-first dungeon planning with topological ordering, and practical tools and algorithms for hobbyist developers. Short takes on ASCII aesthetics, adaptive tutorials, and pacing systems round out the conversation.