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Aliens Roguelike (PC: available here)
One of developer Kornel Kisielewicz’s many roguelikes in a state of perpetual development, such as Doom Roguelike, Diablo Roguelike, and Berserk!, this Aliens variant follows a similar formula. The setting and concept are incredibly focused -- a “high-concept game,” if you will -- on the motif set forth by the surrealist artist H.R. Giger, Alien film director Ridley Scott, and -- of course -- James Cameron’s return to the sci-fi horror with Aliens.
You take control of a stranded colonial marine based on those in Cameron's sequel, who finds himself dumped into an unnamed military complex. Your only stated goal is to find and kill the alien queen somewhere in the labyrinth of civilian, military, storage, and other towers that constitute the facility.
Aliens Roguelike builds the tension and atmosphere of what I imagine Rebellion sought with their first Aliens vs. Predator attempt for the Atari Jaguar back in 1994. With gameplay based on exploration, experimentation, and a little bit of luck, I’ve easily put more hours into this than Killzone 2.
Rogue Survivor (PC: available here)
Developer Rogued Jack’s simulation of the zombie apocalypse takes the survivalist aspect of roguelikes to a new plane. Traditionally, you’d gain experience and level up your character by eliminating enemies. In Rogue Survivor, you only increase in strength and ability by enduring a night of undead carnage.
“Dungeon” crawling in this title exists in the exploration of sections of town, which is split into randomly generated districts. To survive, you need to acquire food to satiate your hunger and weapons to defend yourself from not only the recently reanimated, but also biker gangs, a sinister corporation, and the military. You’ll also need to barricade yourself into basements and safe houses in order to get a good night’s sleep while keeping those hunting for your brains at bay.
Dungeon Crawl: Stone Soup (PC: available here)
Stone Soup is an actively developed, open-source roguelike based on Linley Henzell’s 1995 title Dungeon Crawl. And a fully realized tile-set in place of ASCII graphics isn’t the only thing that sets this game apart from the others mentioned here.
Exploration is certainly a central component of Stone Soup, but experimentation plays an even larger role. In Aliens Roguelike, experimentation comes in the form of weapon play versus different alien types. In Rogue Survivor, players experiment with defensive strategies. But in Stone Soup, everything is an experiment.
With 23 different species and 28 different classes to choose from, you’re forced to investigate different playstyles right from the beginning. The game also builds this concept directly into the random loot scattered about in the dungeons. Upon first discovery, scrolls and potions are mysteries. You won’t know what they do until you try them out for yourself.
Despite all this complexity, Stone Soup eases the player into the daunting task to combing the highly diverse, procedurally generated levels of byzantine mazes; long, spiraling corridors; and large, open spaces. A helpful tutorial introduces the controls (which includes full mouse support!), and a hints mode slowly educates the player of more advanced concepts as he uncovers them.
A roguelike reminds me of a cold bottle of Dogfish Head 90-minute Indian pale ale -- bitter at first but a wave of sweet, malty flavor washes over your tongue before you’re through.
You will die. A lot. But each death is a lesson that brings you closer to understanding the game merely by playing. Because each new try is random in every way possible, you’ll never feel like you lost traditional game progress. Instead, you’ll enter the next round with another piece of the intricate puzzle solved.
We define a roguelike through the core design tenets of exploration and experimentation. Aliens Roguelike, Rogue Survivor, and Stone Soup all utilize those concepts in different ways to encourage you to think for yourself. With enough experience, you might even be able to predict the outcome of future scenarios on the fly, which brings a satisfactory feeling of accomplishment that few other genres provide. These titles might even be able to shake that consolitis out of you.
Once you swallow that first bitter taste, your eventual victory in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds is that much sweeter -- just like a beer enthusiast's slow discovery of quality beverages in lieu of mass-produced, watered-down Miller Lites and Budweisers.
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