Roguelike Radio Episode 76: Dungeonmans
Jul 17, 2013
Jim Shepard, the creative mind behind Dungeonmans and a former AAA developer, dives into the tactical world of roguelikes. He shares the interesting journey of Dungeonmans, from its XNA origins to the challenges of resuming development. Brian Jeffers, an advocate for niche roguelikes, joins the conversation, exploring the balance of class rules and player freedom. They discuss the engaging Academy mechanics, where progression persists between runs, and the cheeky humor inspired by tabletop games. Get ready for insights into indie development and crowdfunding!
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Episode notes
Tactical Combat With Persistent Rewards
- Dungeonmans focuses on tactical positioning and combat rather than deep simulation or exhaustive item interactions.
- The Academy provides a light persistent meta-layer that transfers knowledge across runs to reward long-term play.
Hobby Project Turned Prototype Weekend
- Jim started Dungeonmans as a side hobby while learning XNA and coding in his spare time from around 2007.
- He held taco-fueled game jams with friends in late 2009 that produced playable prototypes and led to the April 2010 public release.
Laid Off, Then Revived By Community
- Jim paused Dungeonmans while working at BioWare Austin because of restrictive side‑project policies.
- After layoffs from SWTOR, community interest convinced him to revive Dungeonmans in 2012 with artist Bobby Fry.
