In this episode of Dead Code, Jared explores the world of roguelike game development with guests Mark R. Johnson and Darren Grey from Roguelike Radio, discussing the history, appeal, and technical challenges of the genre. They dive into the upcoming Seven-Day Roguelike Challenge, where developers create a game in a week, emphasizing the importance of procedural generation, permadeath, and strategic mastery. The conversation covers how roguelikes have evolved from classic ASCII-based dungeon crawlers to modern iterations like FTL and The Binding of Isaac, attracting both players and programmers due to their complexity and emergent gameplay. Darren and Mark share advice for aspiring developers, urging them to keep their projects small and focused while embracing the creative possibilities of procedural content.

Links:

Seven-Day Roguelike Challenge (7DRL) on itch.io

Roguelike Radio Podcast

Roguelike Dev Community on Reddit

Roguelikes Community on Reddit

Mark R. Johnson’s Game (Ultima Ratio Regum)

Mark R. Johnson’s Twitter (X)

Mark R. Johnson’s Bluesky

Darren Grey’s Bluesky

Dead Code Podcast Links:

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Jared’s Links:

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twitch.tv/jardonamron

Jared’s Newsletter & Website

Episode Transcript

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