DarkGod, also known as Nicolas Casalini, is the creative force behind ToME4, a celebrated roguelike game. He shares his early programming experiences and how they fueled his passion for gaming. Listeners learn about the journey from Tolkien inspirations to creating a unique universe, the intricate design behind the game's talent system, and the importance of community feedback in shaping ToME4. DarkGod also discusses the challenges of debugging and balancing development with daily life, all while maintaining an open-source ethos.

Eric Wykoff and Eric Welch, both dedicated contributors to ToME, share their insights on the beloved roguelike game ToME4. They discuss its evolution from earlier versions, the challenges of copyright in game development, and the unique gameplay mechanics that modernize traditional roguelikes. The guests highlight innovative features like the inscription system and unconventional character classes that enhance strategy and replayability. Their personal journeys offer a peek into the game's rich history and community-driven development.

Discussion about the Roguelike of the Year poll and the controversy surrounding the selection. Update on the voting figures and the lack of successful 7-day roguelikes this year. Praise for Vicious Orcs and its inspiration on Card Quest. Mentions of Larn HD, a game that makes old Roguelike games accessible online. Exploration of different roguelike games, their features, and the popularity of mobile devices for playing. Discussion about Calicalism, a roguelike game set in a post-apocalyptic world. Vision for the future of the genre and the impact of game interfaces.

Welcome to this week's episode of Roguelike Radio. Episode 16 looks back over the history of roguelikes, with a lot of extrapolating over what might happen in future and where we'd each like the genre to go. Talking this week are Andrew Doull, Darren Grey, Ido Yehieli and Keith Burgun. Read more »

Welcome to this week's episode of Roguelike Radio. Episode 15 features 3 Angband variant developers taking a quick time out from their grinding schedules to discuss Quickband, and Angband variants in general. Talking this week are Andrew Doull, Tom Demuyt and Brian Bull. Read more »

Welcome to this week's episode of Roguelike Radio. Episode 14 focuses on resource management in roguelikes, including food clocks, items and variations on these. Talking this week are Andrew Doull, Darren Grey and Ido Yehieli. Read more »

This week's episode of Roguelike Radio covers a classic commercial game relatively unknown in the U.S., Fushigi no Dungeon 2: Furaai no Shiren, a.k.a. Mystery Dungeon 2: Shiren the Wanderer.  Although part of a long-running Japanese series that's still fairly obscure (in its non-Pokemon forms) in the West, this did receive a recent U.S. release as Mystery Dungeon.  The participants this time are John Harris and Keith Burgun.  They had a blast covering this one -- although it's just two people this time they talked for an hour and a half, and could easily have gone on another hour.  The two of panelists are devoted Shiren fanatics, and John argues particularly think it's one of the best games of the 16-bit era.  Note -- this is not the recent Wii release, which is an inferior game in our opinion. Read more »

Welcome to this week's episode of Roguelike Radio. Episode 12 takes a look at how traditional rogue-like mechanics are put to use in games outside of the genre, with some reflection on how these mechanics work within roguelikes. Talking this week are Darren Grey, Andrew Doull, John Harris, Ido Yehieli and Keith Burgun. Read more »

The guest is Edmund McMillen, the designer and artist of the Binding of Isaac. The topics covered include the progress of the hosts in playing the game, the theme of child abuse in the game, the challenges of understanding tarot cards in the game, leaving Isaac's age undefined, the music in the game, balancing deaths and unlocked items, skipping cutscenes, and the evolution of flash game development.