The Difference Between Roguelikes and Rogue-lites

When I read the System's answer, I remembered the day that my best friend from high school told me the difference between 'roguelikes' and 'rogue-lite'. It's funny, I seemed to remember the conversation better than the name of said best friend — what was his name again? I think it started with S…

— I am a believer in the camp that games should be fun and relaxing. Usually, people played games to destress, right? So, why would you play a game that would stress you out by being difficult? My friend, he was of the 'git gud' camp. Anything that required some semblance of skill and game knowledge was among his favourites, and his favourite one of all was an independent classic called 'Binding of Isaac'.

One day, I mistakenly described 'Binding' as a 'rogue-lite', and he paused the game and stared at me.

"Eric," he said in a cold, flat voice, "You can't be for real right now…"

I was serious because I read an online article describing the game as a 'rogue-lite' and referencing it, "It's not that big of a deal, is it?"

He chuckled, not in a friendly way, but in the way that someone would chuckle before they schooled someone.

"How dare you, sir?" my friend started. I remember he liked to go all regal when he started to lecture about the games he was into — Samuel! That was his name!

Samuel continued without missing a beat, "'Binding' is a rogue-LIKE, Eric, not rogue-LITE. Roguelikes are named after one of the games that pioneered — it pioneered the genre, Eric! — called 'Rogue', and it was magnificent, man. It was magnificent."

Sam had a look on his face that signalled that he was about to go off on an unnecessary tangent, so I grabbed his shoulders and got him to refocus, "What's the difference between LIKE and LITE, Sam?"

"Oh right," Sam cleared his throat, "Rogue-LIKEs are games that have several factors that came from games like 'Rogue'. The most important ones are…"

Sam counted each of the things that he listed with his fingers.

"Randomly generated levels and items. Permadeath. Emergent gameplay. Map exploration. These are, like, the most important points to have. Especially the first two." Sam explained.

"And Rogue-LITEs?" I followed up, using the same emphasis that Sam had been using to distinguish between the two similar words.

"Well, rogue-LITEs are just that. 'Lite' versions of 'Rogue'," Sam sat back in his bean bag, "The biggest thing that differs between the roguelike and rogue-lite is usually meta-progression."

"Meta-what?"

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, though I thought I should have been the one who was frustrated.

"Basically," Sam said after another exasperated sigh, "Meta-progression is the progression that you unlock in between the runs or the levels that provide a permanent upgrade. It could be weapons, health boosts or whatever."

He pointed to the screen of the 'Binding of Isaac' menu, "'Binding' isn't rogue-lite, it's a roguelike."

"But, hang on," I started, "Don't you unlock new items and stuff in 'Binding'? Isn't that meta-progression, or whatever?"

Once again, Sam looked quite offended.

"Yeah, you unlock new items and stuff, but you don't get the new items straight up from the beginning. Random level and item generation, remember?"

He snapped his fingers quickly and exclaimed, "Oh! Oh! You know what IS a rogue-lite? That other game that I got you to try, 'Hades'! That's a really good one. That has permanent upgrades that you start off with."

I remembered the game. It was too difficult for me, but I understood what he was referencing, "The Mirror upgrades, right?"

"Yes!" He yelled excitedly, "See, that's why it's a rogue-lite! It has that kinda stuff to help the player get stronger. It's not as hardcore as 'Binding' where you start from scratch each attempt."

My mind snapped back to the present day in the toilet cubicle. And since I remembered there was another stranger in the toilets with me, I barely managed to control myself as I hissed to the System in utter disbelief, "You mean, my life has turned into a rogue-lite?"

[Answer: If it helps your understanding, that is correct.]

A toilet to my right flushed and I waited in silence as the stranger whistled to himself and walked straight out of the toilets. He didn't even wash his hands.

Gross.

But my focus went straight back to the System, "Does that mean that if I prestige over and over again, random things will change and happen?"

[Answer: Not necessarily. Certain events will always happen. While others will be modified. Today's appointment with the specialist will always happen, for example. Though, as you have witnessed, the outcome of the appointment is subject to variance.]

I almost pressed my forehead onto the toilet bowl in defeat, then I remembered that it was, in fact, a toilet bowl and frowned. I straightened up onto my feet, closed the toilet lid and sat on it.

There was a time when I was excited that I got the Prestige ability, where it seemed like I could go back in time and do things differently like those stories I read online with the 'regressor' main character. I thought I was going to be able to do the same thing. Whilst I was getting stronger, I thought I could think up a plan to get my revenge on the people that wronged me in my previous life.

People like Gary and Richard Morewind.

"I can't really do much, can I?" I mumbled.

[Error: The query is too broad. Please specify.]

I glared at the System box that hung in the air in front of me.

"What can I even do with all this?" I asked the System, "It's pretty much a useless prestige ability!"

The same error message hung there, completely impotent.

I suddenly felt an overwhelming wave of hopelessness come over me, "What's the point?" I muttered under my breath as I rubbed my eyes.

There was silence for a moment before the chime from the System played in my head again.

[Answer: In their previous attempt, the Player wished to be stronger. Though the Prestige Ability is currently 'useless', as you describe it, it has a potential that is yet to be discovered. It's all up to the willpower of the Player whether that potential will be discovered.

In short, 'the point' is all up to you.]

It was so surreal.

The whole world had already turned surreal with the occurrence of the 'Event' — whoever named it was obviously not very creative — but I was currently getting a pep talk from the System in a public toilet. That brings the surrealism to a whole other level.

"Well," I sighed as I stood up, "What should I do first, then?"

[Answer: Reach your new innate limits.]

I swapped the tabs over to the current Fortitude Attribute quest.

"Will I unlock the other attribute quests at some point?" I asked the System.

[Answer: Correct. The Fortitude attribute is the best attribute to start with, given the Player's current stats.]

I blushed in embarrassment, "Hey, I know I'm not fit right now. I'll work on it, okay?"

My phone buzzed and when I looked at it, I saw that it was a text message from Fallrow.

"Hey kid, just letting you know that to celebrate your mom's remission, we've decided to have a family dinner tonight. Your mom would love you to be there."

I really didn't feel like being with them. It was so off-putting seeing Mum and whom I knew to be Dad's best friend act all lovingly to each other. It was one of the 'variances' that the System just explained to me, but that doesn't mean I would get used to it straight away.

[Note: The Player should go to the family dinner.] The System chimed.

"What? Why?" I asked it.

[Note: The family dinner is a 'new experience' that the Player is encouraged to unlock. For each 'new experience' unlocked, the Player will be gifted 5PP.]

"Oh nice," I mumbled before I did a double-take and realised that I read the System's message properly, "Wait, what?"