Doing the same thing over and over again… doesn’t that sound boring?
Getting really close to the finish line, only to be annihilated by a bomb.
And what’s that!? No checkpoints!? You’ve got to do it all over again!?
Who in their right mind would willingly go through this hell!?
We do. And no, we’re not masochists… I guess?
The Most Addictive Genre of All Time?
Roguelikes have been around since the late 70s, and they recently gained a strange popularity due to their high replay value, but what exactly are they, and why are they so popular?
They allow the player to navigate through randomly generated stages and make them start from the beginning upon failure, sparing them from the long-term consequences of their actions.
Going through the randomly generated mazes each time you restart sparks a curiosity alone, but the inclusion of the RNG is a bit stressful, too.
Therefore, the goal you’re supposed to reach becomes a difficult task to undertake.
But what awaits you at the end of your journey?
Most of them reward you with new items, which add to the whole RNG business a little more weight.
Some of them unlock new goals to reach.
And some of them simply reward you with in-game currency, indirectly telling you to play it all over again by slightly grabbing the reins of your fate.
Are you beginning to understand why they are so addictive now?
It’s like studying for an exam with a slight chance to pass, but as you study more, your chance of succeeding becomes a bit higher.
They spark the primitive self-competition instincts that lead to learning and mastering a craft; thus, we end up playing them for hours in hopes of reaching the endpoint.
They’re like gambling in a way, but without the devastating outcome upon failure.
Come on, starting from scratch ain’t so bad, right?
OK, that one wasn’t very good…
RNG is Pissing You Off? Roguelites Got You Covered!
Maybe you don’t like the traditional roguelikes such as The Binding of Isaac, Hades, or 20XX, but still want to play and get some sort of enjoyment out of them?
Fear not! There’s a sub-genre that is a lot less punishing just for you: Roguelites!
In theory, they play just like roguelikes, but with the ability to obtain permanent upgrades and the inclusion of long-term punishment, just like any other game.
The inclusion of RNG isn’t as punishing since it’s mostly up to you, though.
Sifu could be a great example of this.
You age each time you die, and you try to make it to the end without running out of “life”.
Permanent upgrades are also a great way to eliminate the need to develop your muscle memory to a degree, and if they’re still not enough, temporary upgrades could be of use, too.
Of course, the whole game is about how sharp your reflexes are, so neglecting to develop your muscle memory could prove to be fatal.
As you can see, whether you enjoy the excessive inclusion of RNG or not, there’s always something to enjoy when it comes to roguelikes.
Besides, we all could do with a little bit of uncertainty in our lives.
After all, life is all about learning from our mistakes.
And roguelikes, in a way, are an imitation of life itself.
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