The One Video Game Feature Everyone Is Sick Of

When Is A Roguelike Not A Roguelike?

With examples such as Void Bastards in mind, it’s clear that the permadeath feature is one that can be tough to implement in a satisfying way. It’s often either optional or at least toned down somewhat.

Even in roguelikes, titles that are all but defined by the feature, developers take steps to make things at least somewhat less punishing. Indie smash Slay The Spire is an intriguing twist on the concept, a roguelike deck-building title in which the player character battles a series of monsters as they traverse the floors of a foreboding tower. They’re able to upgrade and expand their deck of cards as they go, but more are unlocked for future runs in the process.

The mechanics works in a similar fashion to The Binding of Isaac and its various updates and expansions. More powers are unlocked for later attempts based on achievements and successes in the current one. This tends to be the way with roguelikes: just enough progress is being made between runs that failures and permadeath aren’t supposed to be too much of a turn-off. Is this enough, though?

Hades has proven a success with some players who perhaps tend to find the genre too punishing. In this title, gamers take the role of Hades’ son, Zagreas, who is trying to escape the underworld to reach the surface. While he receives many Boons (elemental power-ups) from the gods of Olympus along the way, Hades’ hordes will inevitably defeat Zagreas many time over (depending on player ability, naturally).

On death, he’s returned to the House of Hades, where his snarky father usually berates him for his supposedly futile attempts. The difference with this game, though, is that each death advances the story and relationship between the main characters.

It’s truly engrossing stuff, even though Zagreas doesn’t really get to carry much over between his attempts (though he does power up in various ways). The gameplay loop is very enjoyable, but Hades doesn’t rely on that alone as roguelikes often do. Permadeath, then, is at its least annoying when it isn’t a barrier as literal as it may sound.