What does roguelikelike mean?

[chooseusername]

Exactly what a roguelike is, is contentious.  Given this, what exactly a roguelikelike is, becomes even weaker.

What makes a game a roguelikelike?

Does it mean anything worthwhile, or is the author unwilling/incapable to write an actual roguelike, and they're desperately clinging to the dream?

[guest509]

A roguelike-like, something I often call a hybrid roguelike, is just a game that shares some but not all of the the major roguelike traits. Generally it's a game that has procedural generation but is missing the turn based or permadeath components.

[AgingMinotaur]

"Hybrid Roguelike" is actually a pretty good term, more precise and much more palatable than Roguelikelike. Most games designated Roguelikelikes take their core gameplay from some other genre and slap on "the stuff that makes Roguelikes fun".

As always,
Minotauros

[Quendus]

People write whatever games they want, and they call whatever games they want roguelike. If someone (the creator or otherwise) thinks that a game isn't a roguelike by their own definition, and if they see some elements of a roguelike game or hear someone else say it's a roguelike(like), they might call it a roguelikelike.

Berlin interpretation aside, both concepts have such variable meaning in the wider game community that they're not very precisely descriptive outside of small, like-thinking groups or one's own head.

[Rickton]

To me, it basically means "not a roguelike, but inspired by them." It's kind of a silly term, but I see its usefulness. Calling something like FTL or Binding of Isaac a roguelike would make the definition even more meaningless than it already is, but they're clearly inspired by roguelikes and use some of the features and design goals of roguelikes. And so: roguelikelike.

[Vanguard]

"Roguelike-inspired" is a much better term.

[guest509]

In practice it's a game with procedural generation but not a turn based crawl.

Examples are Spelunky and Binding and FTL.

[Enke]

For me, the things that make a game a rougelike are turn-based combat, high levels of interactivity with the world, permadeath, and a general focus on gameplay over story.

Also, I'm pretty sure that this topic has been done before.

[Eben]

In practice it's a game with procedural generation but not a turn based crawl.

Examples are Spelunky and Binding and FTL.

I'm pretty much on board with this, although I'd count FTL as an actual roguelike largely because of the active pause system giving you the full advantage of the turn based "think for as long as you want, we'll wait" style

[Vanguard]

Also, I'm pretty sure that this topic has been done before.

It's the only topic allowed on this forum.

[Krice]

I want to falcon punch the guy who invented that term.

[chooseusername]

I want to falcon punch the guy who invented that term.

Wait till you see my roguelikelikelike, it's also kind of a platformerlikelike and a rpglikelike. 

[guest509]

If you do the falcon punch in real time it's a falcon_punch_like.

 

[Slash]

A rogue likelike is a like-like gone out of control.

Further info: http://zeldawiki.org/Like_Like

[Vanguard]

A rogue likelike is a like-like gone out of control.

Further info: http://zeldawiki.org/Like_Like

A 7drl called Roguelikelike where you play as/hunt down a berserk like like would own.