Roguelike Radio Episode 113: End of 2015
Jan 8, 2016
Mark Johnson, roguelike developer and community organizer behind projects like Ultimate Ralf and the European roguelike meetup. Conversation covers 2015 highlights in roguelikes. They discuss surprising breakout releases, Early Access and community feedback, monetization choices for ports, design debates about unlocks and turn-based vs real-time tensions, plus tools and trends to watch for 2016.
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Roguelikes Had A Breakout Year
- 2015 saw a major surge in roguelike activity with many classic updates and new commercial hits like Cogmind and Invisible, broadening the genre.
- Indie developers explored diverse designs and experimental roguelites, shifting the scene beyond traditional NetHack-style games.
Share Progress To Build An Audience
- Build an audience during development by sharing progress publicly rather than polishing in private.
- Andrew praises Kuzrati's approach with Cogmind for engaging players before release.
Early Access Fits Roguelikes Well
- Early Access has pros and cons: it enables iterative improvement but can backfire if developers mishandle community expectations.
- Roguelikes particularly benefit from wide player testing to refine complex systems.