Rogue: A Deep Dive into the Game That Started a Genre

Rogue is a landmark computer game, considered the ancestor of the “roguelike” genre. It’s a single-player, turn-based dungeon crawler with a lot of history and a surprisingly enduring legacy. Here’s a comprehensive overview:

What is Rogue?

Genre: Roguelike (the original!) – characterized by procedural generation, permadeath, and turn-based gameplay.
Release Date: 1980 (originally created in 1978)
Developers: Michael Toy, Glenn Wichman, and Ken Arnold
Platform: Originally Unix-based systems. Later ported to many platforms, including DOS, Windows, macOS, and even mobile.
Gameplay: You control a single adventurer exploring a randomly generated dungeon, seeking the Amulet of Yendor. The dungeon is filled with monsters, traps, and treasures. The goal is to descend through multiple levels, becoming more powerful, and ultimately retrieve the Amulet.
Visuals: ASCII graphics. Everything is represented by characters on a text-based screen. Monsters are letters (e.g., ‘d’ for dog, ‘o’ for orc), items are symbols (@, #, etc.), and the environment is constructed from characters like walls (#), floors (.), and stairs (>). This simplicity is a key part of its charm and accessibility.

Key Features & Gameplay Mechanics

Procedural Generation: Each game is unique. The dungeon layout, monster placement, item distribution, and even the dungeon’s features are randomly generated each time you start a new game. This ensures high replayability.
Permadeath: When your character dies, that’s it. There are no save points or continues. You start a completely new game with a new character and a new dungeon. This creates a high-stakes, tense experience.
Turn-Based: You and the monsters take turns moving and acting. This allows for strategic thinking and careful planning. You’re not relying on reflexes, but on making smart decisions.
Inventory Management: You have a limited inventory space, forcing you to make tough choices about what to carry. Identifying items is crucial, as many are cursed or have unexpected effects.
Character Classes: You can choose from several character classes (Warrior, Rogue, Priest, etc.), each with different starting stats and abilities.
Alignment: Characters have an alignment (Lawful, Neutral, Chaotic) that affects how NPCs react to you and can influence certain events.
Skills & Stats: Characters have stats like Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. They improve these stats by leveling up and using skills.
Identification: Most items start as “unknown.” You need to identify them through scrolls of identification, using them (risking negative effects), or through other means.
Curses: Many items are cursed, meaning they have negative effects that you won’t discover until you try to remove or use them.
Traps: The dungeon is littered with traps, such as pits, poison darts, and magical runes. Detecting and disarming traps is essential for survival.
Prayer: Praying to your deity can provide benefits, but excessive or inappropriate prayer can lead to divine wrath.
Wishing: Finding a magic lamp allows you to make a wish, which can grant you powerful items or abilities.

Why is Rogue so important?

Foundation of a Genre: Rogue established the core mechanics that define the roguelike genre. Games like NetHack, Angband, Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup, and Tales of Maj’Eyal all owe a significant debt to Rogue.
Emergent Gameplay: The combination of procedural generation, permadeath, and complex interactions between items and monsters creates emergent gameplay – unexpected and interesting situations that arise from the game’s systems.
Strategic Depth: Despite its simple graphics, Rogue is a deeply strategic game. Success requires careful planning, resource management, and a good understanding of the game’s mechanics.
Influence on Other Games: Roguelike elements have influenced many other genres, including action RPGs (like Diablo), strategy games, and even puzzle games. The term “roguelite” is now used to describe games that borrow some, but not all, of the core roguelike features.

Playing Rogue Today

Original Versions: You can find versions of Rogue that closely resemble the original, often available for free online. Search for “Rogue 1.5” or “Rogue 2.0.”
Ports & Remakes: Numerous ports and remakes exist, some with improved graphics or user interfaces.
Online Emulators: You can play Rogue in a web browser using online emulators.
Difficulty: Be warned: Rogue is hard. Expect to die frequently, especially when you’re starting out. Learning from your mistakes is a key part of the experience.

Resources

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_(video_game)
List of roguelikes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_roguelikes

Rogue is a challenging but rewarding game that offers a unique and enduring gameplay experience. While its ASCII graphics may seem daunting at first, its depth and replayability have made it a classic and a cornerstone of the gaming world. If you’re interested in exploring the roots of the roguelike genre, Rogue is an essential game to try.