Roguelike Games

Here is a list of Roguelikes that I have found online or have played and which I recommend I hope you find this list helpful as well.

(yes I will change these to hyperlinks, some time this century).

Old Titles
Rogue
Beneath Apple Manor
Temple of Apshai

Less Old Titles
Nethack
Angband
Moria
Larn
ADOM
Crawl

Recent Titles
Slaves to Armok (I & II)
XLarn
TomeNET
Caves of Qud
Temple of Torment
Kaduria
HyperRogue
HexRogue
WarpRogue
Cataclysm: DDA

What is a Roguelike?

A rogulike, or RL, is a type of game that centers around exploration, combat, and tactical strategy. Roguelikes are primarily influenced by RPGs in the vein of AD&D, RuneQuest, and the like.

As a rule of thumb, most "traditional" roguelikes contain all or most of these elements:

Turn-based play
An emphasis on tactical strategy and planning rather than quick or reflexive actions and skill in timing (much like the game of chess).
An inventory and/or spell system and character sheet which require attention to detail and an ability to evaluate "the numbers".
A win-condition .ie the game is not infinite but rather has a defined end point
Some form of randomness - the terrain and events are almost always random and procedurally generated. This increases replayability and forces the player to rely only on tactical planning, not memorizing an entire level.

RLs are a wide genre and do not always include the above points. Dwarf-fortress, for example, is not winnable. HyperRogue, another great game, does not have a prominent inventory-management element. In very few RLs, the concept of turn-based play has been taken away.

I am working on a game of my own. Between school, work, and other responsibilities, it is slow-going. I hope to have something online in around a year. But if it never comes online, it is probably because I have made it and do not feel fit to share.