Can I play this solo?

[Chrisern]

Hello!

1. Can I enjoy this game solo, or does it require multiplayer?
2. Is this rogue-like? Can I save progress, or do I start at the beginning all the time, like in Roboquest?

[yk]

1. Playing with friends > Solo > Playing with randoms
2. Yes it is a roguelike. There is no saving progress in vanilla. There is a mod called ProperSave that allows you to save your progress at the beginning of each stage so that you can take breaks from the game and go back to your run later, or recover your run from a game crash. Even with mods, you will still have to start a new run if you die.

[lordclipsus]

The game can be perfectly played solo, multiplayer is entirely optional. The game is indeed a roguelike (technically a roguelite, that is, there is permanent progression in the form of ability and item unlocks for future playthroughs. Only making that distinction to avoid some pedantic ass quoting and correcting me later, lol), so you do start at the beginning each time you die.

Edit: got ninjaed lmao

[Ninja Zyborg]

solo or multiplayer is allowed.

it's not quite a roguelike, as you unlock items/abilities between runs as well as a rare currency that can buy special items (they have "downsides")

progress can be saved with a mod.

Originally posted by lordclipsus:

Edit: got ninjaed lmao

[bel]

solo fun

[ThanatosX]

Be aware it is a roguelike and not a roguelite, so you unlock things but every run is from scratch, no meta progression. Heavy RNG until you start unlocking optional artifacts to control some of the chaos.

[tacogao]

To the OP you can absolutely play this solo in fact the game is balanced for solo, its arguably the best experience you can have playing the game. playing with friends is fun too so you'll be able to enjoy yourself either way.


As for these...

Originally posted by Ninja Zyborg:

it's not quite a roguelike, as you unlock items/abilities between runs as well as a rare currency that can buy special items (they have "downsides")

Originally posted by ThanatosX:

Be aware it is a roguelike and not a roguelite, so you unlock things but every run is from scratch, no meta progression.

Originally posted by lordclipsus:

The game is indeed a roguelike (technically a roguelite, that is, there is permanent progression in the form of ability and item unlocks for future playthroughs.

Originally posted by Riff Wraith:

Yes it is a roguelike.

This is all wrong. Its a RogueLITE, and it has nothing to do with whether there's unlocks it's because as a genre it is a Hoard-shooter and the main gamemode has permadeath. I don't know why you're all saying the same mis-information, is some youtuber spreading this lie? Two seconds of research will quickly explain the difference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roguelike

These are roguelikes:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/259680/Tales_of_MajEyal/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/722730/Cogmind/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1271280/Rift_Wizard/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/837200/NetHack_Legacy/
Contrary to popular belief roguelikes can have "meta progression" (unlocks)

These are all rogueLITES:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/632360/Risk_of_Rain_2/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/588650/Dead_Cells/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/250900/The_Binding_of_Isaac_Rebirth/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/881100/Noita/

In other words, if you've played it its not a roguelike or you'd know what a roguelike is.

[yk]

Sorry grandpa, language changes over time.

[Bug Guy]

Originally posted by tacogao:

SNIP

In other words, if you've played it its not a roguelike or you'd know what a roguelike is.

" The exact definition of a roguelike game remains a point of debate in the video game community. A "Berlin Interpretation" drafted in 2008 defined a number of high- and low-value factors that distinguished the "pure" roguelike games Rogue, NetHack and Angband from edge cases like Diablo. Since then, with more powerful home computers and gaming systems and the rapid growth of indie video game development, several new "roguelikes" have appeared, with some but not all of these high-value factors, nominally the use of procedural generation and permadeath, while often incorporating other gameplay genres, thematic elements, and graphical styles; common examples of these include Spelunky, FTL: Faster Than Light, The Binding of Isaac, Slay the Spire, and Hades. To distinguish these from traditional roguelikes, such games may be referred to as "rogue-lite" or "roguelike-like" "

The above is an exact pull from the wikipedia article you referenced. It itself says the definition has no hardline. Typically, among the circles I have been in, Roguelike is used to describe games with independant "runs" and zero (or close to zero) meta progression. While Roguelite is used to describe ones with unlocks/upgrades that help make you stronger in between runs. Im sure other circles or people have their own definitions too. No need to police it, as long as people are describing it correctly to those who ask.

[Sopuli]

I have played this solo for 15 hours now. I enjoy it a lot, even though it seemed like a weird game when looknig at the market page but no regrets of buying!

[Palo Wagner]

You can definitly play solo, i prefer solo beacuse ima greedy ♥♥♥♥ and i dont see the need for help or interaction with other players, but of course it also very fun to play with friends

[tacogao]

Originally posted by Bug Guy:

The above is an exact pull from the wikipedia article you referenced. It itself says the definition has no hardline. Typically, among the circles I have been in, Roguelike is used to describe games with independant "runs" and zero (or close to zero) meta progression. While Roguelite is used to describe ones with unlocks/upgrades that help make you stronger in between runs. Im sure other circles or people have their own definitions too. No need to police it, as long as people are describing it correctly to those who ask.

No genre has "hard" rules theyre arbitrary ways to classify games into categories. That being said its still very clear that Rogue and Risk of Rain are entirely different genres of game even at a glance. This is where the distinction comes in. "Roguelike" is a term which defines a genre. "Roguelite" is a term that defines a gamemode INSPIRED BY rogue. That is, if the game just has randomized runs and permadeath and has nothing else in common with Rogue its a roguelite.

Did you stop reading at that paragraph? because its talking about different Roguelikes and how they've made rule changes over the years its not blurring the line between Likes and Lites in any way. Its like you're intentionally mis-reading this. Again this is because you've never played a Roguelike so you're not even equipped to discuss the topic and some youtuber sold you a lie that you repeat out of ignorance.

[Bug Guy]

Originally posted by tacogao:

Originally posted by Bug Guy:

The above is an exact pull from the wikipedia article you referenced. It itself says the definition has no hardline. Typically, among the circles I have been in, Roguelike is used to describe games with independant "runs" and zero (or close to zero) meta progression. While Roguelite is used to describe ones with unlocks/upgrades that help make you stronger in between runs. Im sure other circles or people have their own definitions too. No need to police it, as long as people are describing it correctly to those who ask.

No genre has "hard" rules theyre arbitrary ways to classify games into categories. That being said its still very clear that Rogue and Risk of Rain are entirely different genres of game even at a glance. This is where the distinction comes in. "Roguelike" is a term which defines a genre. "Roguelite" is a term that defines a gamemode INSPIRED BY rogue. That is, if the game just has randomized runs and permadeath and has nothing else in common with Rogue its a roguelite.

Did you stop reading at that paragraph? because its talking about different Roguelikes and how they've made rule changes over the years its not blurring the line between Likes and Lites in any way. Its like you're intentionally mis-reading this. Again this is because you've never played a Roguelike so you're not even equipped to discuss the topic and some youtuber sold you a lie that you repeat out of ignorance.

I didnt stop reading, I was explaining how my classification, and that of many other people I know, was different from yours. I didnt hear this on Youtube its literally just what ive seen from people discussing this. Youre the first person I have seen who has made this distinction. Youre probably technically correct, but it seems like generally people seem to draw the line the same way I have. Steam even draws the line the same way I have. Keep on spreading the good word I guess if you hope to change that but theres no reason to be hostile to me about it. Ill keep what you said in mind

[Antorius]

Bug Guy has it right, imo.

Arguably the best, most authoritative explanation of "Roguelike" mechanics is the Berlin Interpretation. A roguelite is more-or-less like a roguelike in this sense, but the defining characteristic of a roguelite is that the playable entity grows stronger over time, between runs. This is to take the sting out of losing everything that was achieved in the previous run, and to help mitigate the randomness of a true roguelike. The most common implementation is some kind of perks system (e.g., the Mirror in Hades, upgrading the castle in Rogue Legacy, etc.). Less common implementations include caching items acquired during the previous run for use in a future run (e.g., the vault in One Way Heroics), or carrying over currency to purchase items and buffs prior to the next run (e.g., Desktop Dungeons). A game that deviates from the Berlin Interpretation but does not implement feed-forward mechanics may be called a roguelike-like (but I have also seen this treated as a synonym for roguelite).

Though subjective, I do not consider unlocks by themselves to constitute a roguelite. This is because the playable entity does not become stronger between runs, per se. So, I would consider Binding of Isaac and Noita to be [action] roguelike (or roguelike-like), and Skul and Hades to be [action] roguelite. I wouldn't quibble with someone who thought otherwise.

However, whether a game is action (i.e., not turn-based) or a shooter or whatever has very little to do with whether it is a roguelite. That's why the genre is so rich: you can embed rogueli*e mechanics into a wide variety of gameplay modes.

[tacogao]

Originally posted by Antorius:

Bug Guy has it right, imo.

Arguably the best, most authoritative explanation of "Roguelike" mechanics is the Berlin Interpretation. A roguelite is more-or-less like a roguelike in this sense, but the defining characteristic of a roguelite is that the playable entity grows stronger over time, between runs.

No this is false. Rogue is a turn based dungeon crawler rpg. If your game is not a turn based dungeon crawler rpg its not a roguelike.

[Hiroko]

Ninja said "not quite a roguelike"
Lord said "...(technically a roguelite..."
You said, they are wrong, ror2 is a roguelite. So, they're wrong, but you're right when you say it. smart way to have declared a hill to die on.