Episode 145: 7DRLs 2018

A discussion of the outputs from the Seven Day Roguelike Challenge 2018, with Darren Grey, Steve Johnson (aka irskep), Rob Howard (aka AquaTsar) and Jeremiah Reid.

You can download the mp3 of the podcast, play it in the embedded player below, or you can follow us on iTunes.

Topics Discussed

• 113 new roguelikes released for the Seven Day Roguelike Challenge!
• Results of the 7DRL2018 review process (click on Average score for review text)
• Use of itch.io for the first time as a platform for the challenge, and having it help make accessible profiles for games
• ScreenToGif for recording gifs of gameplay
• Rob's incomplete 7DRL attempt - Search for the Crown (which is playable - a party-based roguelike with different character types)
• Steve's first ever 7DRL, Dr. Hallervorden, roguelike about escaping a mad scientist's laboratory with a strong emphasis on item placement, made with BearLib + Swift
• Jeremiah's latest game, DEAD FACE, a bullet hell / mech / hacking roguelike that got the highest rating in the review process
• Common theme of bullet shooting / bullet dodging in this year's crop of 7DRLs
• Darren's entry Time To Die, a time-manipulation bullet-shooting roguelike
• The problem of early game variety in roguelikes, and different solutions to this
• 7DRL highlights from this year discussed:
• Coffee Brogue, a mod of Brogue which streamlines much of the game
• Meters Below the Ground, a short game with deterministic combat and good balance
• POLYBOT-7, a tactical robot game from the maker of Cogmind
• Zombie Rogue, a highly reviewed game with an infection mechanic letting you change forms for different abilities
• восток рогалик корабль (East Bagel Ship), a side-scrolling turn-based shooting game with multi-tile ships
• DeliveryRL, a fun game of pizza delivery in a dungeon
• Patient Rogue, a card-based version of the original Rogue
• Dicey Dungeons, a dice-based dungeon crawler
• 65 Million Years Ago, a fun and goofy time travel themed game
• Arcana, a party-based roguelike
• Arcane Seeds, a game with many random effects from magical seeds
• Artifex Gladii, a tactical game with momentum-based combat
• One Way Out, a defensive game where you face waves of enemy whilst guarding a bridge
• Dimlit, a game of defending against grues by building light structures and powering your glow suit
• Gauntlet Rogue, a turn-based implementation of the classic game Gauntler
• Greedy Warlock, a resource management and score optimisation game
• Turncoat Tomb, a game of outfit changing with combat based on matching colours with enemies
• The Numerologist, a puzzle roguelike where you can see upcoming dice rolls and have to manipulate them to the most advantageous sequence
• TouretteQuest, a surprisingly deep and sensitive representation of Tourette's syndrome in roguelike mechanics
• Mito, where you play the single cell responsible for the growth and success of a plant-based life form
• Hell is Other People, a game set in a house party and focused on awkward social interactions
• @rcus, a ranged combat focused game
• Some games with art style praised: Temporus: Rogue, Dealing With Demons, Verger, HeroQuestRL, The Jarl's Heritage, Tower Noire 
• Lots of PICO-8 games this year, and lots of in-browser games
• Lots of great let's play videos of 7DRLs!

Join us next time for more roguelike-y goodness!