roguelike meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

roguelike

noun

US /ˈɹoʊɡlaɪk/

Etymology From Rogue (the name of a 1980 computer game which introduced the genre, from rogue) + -like.

Video games Any of a genre of computer role playing games loosely characterized by various characteristics such as randomised environment generation, permadeath, turn-based movement, text-based or primitive tile-based graphics, and hack-and-slash gameplay.

If you haven’t played a ‘roguelike’ before, it’s basically what happens when you take a twitchy hack-and-slash game like Diablo and make it boring, confusing, and frustrating.I “Like-Like” Roguelikes (Because Love Should Never Be So Cruel), 2011

Derived terms: roguelike-like, rogue-lite
Coordinate terms: hacklike

roguelike

adj

Etymology From Rogue (the name of a 1980 computer game which introduced the genre, from rogue) + -like.

Video games Of, relating to, or characteristic of the roguelike genre.

And I'm tempted to say that as long as it's got to do with fighting, single or in very small groups, with characters from different classes, different races, different stats, who learn along the way, it's roguelike enough for me. This may also include a lot of adventures, I know.1998 October 11, jwk, “Definition of roguelike”, in rec.games.roguelike.misc (Usenet), archived from the original on 04 Jan 2026:
I just played the remake of Sword of Fargoal to victory. I had to cheat like crazy (backing up saves) but it was fun. Granted, it's roguelike, at best, but it's a ton of fun: […]2003 September 22, p_conrad, “Remakes of "classic" crpgs ? Any one them finished ?”, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg (Usenet), archived from the original on 04 Jan 2026:

1 more example

It's not that there's some sort of a competition, and your game needs to meet some rules to qualify. If it's good, everyone will play it despite the fact it's roguelike or not.2004 March 17, The Sheep, “Roguelike characteristics?”, in rec.games.roguelike.development (Usenet), archived from the original on 04 Jan 2026: