Roguelike Radio

Bonus content! Following from last week's episode on Obsession, and in celebration of ADOM's release on Steam, here's a recording of Darren narrating his 440-line poem based on ADOM - The Red Rooster at Dawn. Read more »

Mark Johnson, a competitive gamer and developer known for bullet-hell world records and roguelike projects. He recounts how high-level play reshaped daily life. Conversations jump from long-term solo development and community playtesting to why imperfect games spark intense dedication. They also explore obsession’s ties to health, creativity, and avoiding burnout.

Josh Ge (Kyzrati), indie designer behind Cogmind and creator of RexPaint, discusses creating a robot-building sci‑fi roguelike. He recounts its 7-Day Roguelike origins, going commercial after becoming a parent, design choices for ASCII and tiles, open development with community input, UI and accessibility tradeoffs, pricing and release plans, and ambitions for sequels and hidden content.

This is episode 108 of Roguelike Radio, where Darren Grey and Mark Johnson chat about Information in roguelikes. Read more »

Mark Johnson, a roguelike developer known for his work on procedural generation, and Alan Charlesworth, a content creator from IndieOcean, dive into the world of roguelikes. They explore hybrid games that blend genres with roguelike mechanics and discuss the impact of classic roguelike features on new designs. Mark shares advances in procedural generation, while the team debates the potential of narrative-driven content. They also brainstorm unique mechanics and thematic diversity within roguelikes, questioning why a Robin Hood roguelike hasn't emerged yet.

This is episode 106 of Roguelike Radio, where we discuss the 30 Minutes of UMoria video series by Ben Horst. Read more »

David Craddock, an author and game journalist known for his insights into video game history, delves into his book, Dungeon Hacks. He shares how research into roguelikes began in 2009 and highlights the creative nonfiction techniques that bring the genre’s story to life. Craddock discusses the evolution of roguelikes, their open-source culture, and the emotional engagement linked to permadeath and minimal graphics. He also reflects on the potential of a sequel that explores modern titles and his aspirations to create a traditional roguelike.

Tanya Short, co-founder of Kitfox Games and lead on Moon Hunters, explores how procedural design shapes player identity and myth-building. Mark Johnson, developer of Ultima Ratio Regum, discusses creating meaningful procedural narratives and balancing transparency with mystery. David Dunham, known for King of Dragon Pass, emphasizes character-driven storytelling and the importance of immersive history. The trio debates how to craft engaging experiences that remember both player choice and emergent storytelling in game worlds.

DarkGod (Tales of Maj'Eyal developer) on modability and community add-ons. Alan Charlesworth (YouTuber/reviewer) on conference takeaways and audience practices. Mark Johnson (IRDC organizer and Ultima Ratio Regum developer) on conference logistics and procedural worldcraft. They discuss procedural generation, AI challenges, level aesthetics, making death meaningful, and modular community content.

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.