Roguelike Radio

Frank Lantz, Director of the NYU Game Center and renowned game design educator, dives deep into the captivating world of game design. He shares his fascination with Hoplite's puzzle generation, emphasizing its blend of simplicity and complexity. The conversation explores how roguelikes balance mastery and monotony, and how AI's challenge to games like NetHack raises questions about solvability. Lantz creatively links procedural art to game design, discussing how randomness and aesthetics impact player experience and the importance of avoiding tribalism in the gaming community.

Live reports from a game dev conference with spirited discussions on mindful procedural design and balancing authored themes with player-driven stories. Developers debate non-Euclidean layouts, removing X/Y grids, and demo-room models for indie visibility. Conversation covers community building, streaming’s role in amplifying procedural moments, art choices like ASCII versus tiles, and calls for more junior involvement and live coding demos.

This is episode 100 of Roguelike Radio! Yes, 100! Woohoo!! :D For this fabulous milestone we cover something very close to the heart to roguelike players - YASDs (Yet Another Stupid Deaths), with Darren Grey and Andrew Doull. Read more »

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.

This is episode 98 of Roguelike Radio, where we have a look at what players want from 7DRLs. Talking this episode are Darren Grey, Kawaii Dragoness, Alan Charlesworth and CrazedNaly.  Read more »

This is episode 97 of Roguelike Radio, where we talk about a new quest to get more traditional roguelikes onto Steam! Talking this episode are Darren Grey, Nicolas Casalini (aka DarkGod), Mario Donick, Brian Bucklew, Jason Grinblat and Patrick Casey.  Read more »

Mark Johnson, an independent game developer and researcher, dives into the ambitious world of Ultima Ratio Regum, set in a Scientific Revolution-era landscape. He shares insights on procedural generation that shapes rich civilizations and religions, making gameplay immersive. Mark discusses balancing text and visuals to enhance storytelling while managing player information overload. He also reflects on his transition from academia to game studies, revealing the intricate design philosophy behind combat and exploration mechanics that emphasize player choice and discovery.

This is episode 95 of Roguelike Radio, where we talk about the end of 2014 and look ahead to the new year. Talking this episode are Darren Grey, DarkGod and Jim Shepard.  Read more »

Join Michael Cook, the mastermind behind ProcJam, Tanya Short from Kitfox Games, Mark Johnson of Ultima Ratio Regum, and Gillian Smith, a PCG researcher at Northeastern University, as they dive into the vibrant world of procedural generation. Discover how procedural systems can create meaning in games and enhance player agency. Hear about the challenges of scale in game worlds, the balance between randomness and design, and the exciting potential of PCG tools for both developers and educators. A must-listen for anyone curious about game creation!

Rob Parker, a roguelike scholar at the University of Waterloo, dives deep into the world of 868-HACK and the genius of Michael Brough. He shares his fascination with the game's innovative cyberpunk design and examines its mechanics, including the intriguing siphon mechanic and risk-reward choices. They discuss the game's minimalist aesthetics and compare it to other roguelikes like Hoplite. With insights on ability interactions and the excitement of discovering synergy, Rob highlights 868-HACK's influence on the roguelike genre and its lasting legacy.