Oy, Gary! Is that you? Join us this week as we rehydrate some prisoners for derelict spaceship looting zaniness with Void Bastards! A 2.5D space shooter with more mutated freaks than the typical bus stop in Yoker, we try to appease the voice from the Stanley Parable with some bureaucratic busywork in the form of gun shooting. All the while fending off space pirates, space whales, and assessing if that gas station sandwich you just spent your credits on is or is not going to give you a parasite to start talking with a Glaswegian accent, aye? Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:19 - game stats 2:33 - one sentence(?) description 5:29 - Art style appreciation and initial gameplay impressions 11:17 - Story setup and tutorial sequence discussion 15:02 - Immersive sim comparisons and system complexity debate 22:30 - Looting mechanics criticism and lack of meaningful decisions 28:30 - Story problems and space whale encounter disappointment 34:23 - Weapon crafting system and progression unlock issues 43:30 - Development ambition vs execution capability discussion 48:40 - Character trait system praise and gameplay variety 54:18 - Missing boss battles and set piece sequences 58:40 - Wild Bastards sequel preview and comparison hopes 1:03:48 - rankings and final thoughts 1:12:37 - similar games Next episode: Inscryption Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Chip Whickham - Space Walk Outro music: Ryan Roth - Walk the Plank!

Caw caww!! It’s almost every episode that we reference Slay the Spire in some way, so what better time to finally cover it for the podcast than on our 50th episode spectacular?! Listen in as some Spire pros educate some Ascension 0 players on skills, powers, potions, relics and attacks. Every card is a block card if you try hard enough in this episode, but is Claw, in fact, Law? Who watches The Watcher? Why didn’t my Fairy Bottle trigger? With about 1,200 hours of gameplay under our Champion Belts, surely we can Slay these questions along with the beating of that hideous Heart! But will this game be the one that finally ascends the Spire that is our rankings list? You’ll have to tune in to our longest (and therefore highest quality) episode to date! Or just skip ahead to the rankings timestamp with those fancy Wing Boots of yours. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:24 - game stats 3:33 - one sentence description 12:37 - our story begins 23:32 - the characters and archetypes 47:20 - general gameplay 52:00 - ascension mode 1:03:00 - ideal win percentage 1:08:00 - Slay the Spire 2 wishlist 1:11:52 - Downfall 1:16:00 - music and art 1:18:50 - victory…? 1:26:46 - rankings and final thoughts 1:44:57 - similar games Next episode: Void Bastards Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Dave Brubeck - Take Five Outro music: Clark Aboud - Exordium, The Guardian Emerges

Helios has been abandoned! This week we’re playing the multiple BAFTA Award-winning Triple-A roguelite shooter Returnal. We continue bullet hell/heck month with swarms of huge colorful orbs, energy swords, and as many tentacled Matrix-inspired laser squids as you can shake your noodly appendages at! Join us in our foray into the first actual big-budget rogue-game of the pod with a game that had been locked behind Playstation 5 exclusivity like a gigantic interlocking metal door. We were able to just barely eek through the podcaster-sized hole in the bottom, but can we beat the boss that is…uh…well the first boss even??? Aim assist to maximum! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:10 - game stats 4:53 - one sentence description 5:30 - all devs go to heaven warning (sort of) 7:34 - Difficulty preferences and boss fight frustrations 16:18 - Story introduction and crash landing setup 22:33 - Atmosphere and alien environment descriptions 27:53 - Biome structure and room types explanation 32:46 - Progression systems and weapon upgrading mechanics 39:03 - PC port performance and hardware requirements 44:11 - Weapon synergies and parasite systems 51:24 - Game length criticism and pacing issues 55:00 - story spoilers discussion 1:04:05 - rankings and final thoughts 1:14:30 - similar games Next episode: Barony Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: McCoy Tyner - Search For Peace Outro music: Bobby Krlic - Hyperion

Ghostly squeal! This week we’re descending the floors of an ancient facility filled with ghosts, mages, machines, talking cats, and bullets! So, so many bullets. What else would you expect from the bullet hell game that is Star of Providence? A charming, NES-inspired modern throwback, Star of Providence puts us to the test with harrowing boss fights, secret endings, and more guns than you can shake a sword that shoots bullets at! Team D-13 were kind enough to give a quick Q&A on how Star of Providence came about for us. Give it a look-see here! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:52 - game stats 7:31 - Bullet hell categorization and genre spectrum discussion 11:04 - Boss fight difficulty and traditional schmup comparisons 15:19 - Retro aesthetic appreciation and NES style graphics 19:11 - Story and setting overview with facility exploration 22:38 - Tutorial quality and instant teleport feature praise 26:47 - Room design and environmental interaction mechanics 31:17 - Weapon system and ammo management mechanics 35:47 - Keyword system and weapon modification features 42:47 - Dash mechanics and movement system differences 48:17 - Meta progression and scoring multiplier complaints 54:17 - Health and power-up economy criticism 1:07:47 - rankings and final thoughts 1:17:24 - similar games 1:20:25 - upgrade terminal podcast shoutout Next episode: Returnal Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Time-Lapse City - GoGo Penguin Outro music: Tonal Dissonance - garoslaw

We did it listeners, we saved the city! This week we revisit Subset Games with their hit mecha-tactics bug-squisher puzzle-roguelike: Into the Breach. Time travel shenanigans are at a maximum this time, as we push our recording date back a couple days to get everyone in here. Woody joins us once more to talk about balancing the destruction of apartment buildings with making sure the train gets to its destination on time. Jump mechs, swap mechs, science vesseles, weapons to surpass Metal Gear, bugs that think!?!? Into the Breach is a timeless gem of intense noodle-scratching thought, so drop in from the sky and help us save the corporate islands! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:39 - game stats 3:00 - one sentence description 6:09 - Reactive turn-based combat system mechanics explanation 9:01 - Game rule consistency and fairness discussion 14:19 - Story setup: humanity defeated, time travel mechanics 19:07 - Criticism of story elements and time travel narrative 22:07 - Developer interview insights and content cutting decisions 27:04 - Squad variety and achievement system discussion 32:13 - Energy/reactor system and item acquisition complaints 38:22 - Item excitement and randomness in roguelike games 46:56 - Final boss absence and game completion discussion 54:56 - Game length and run time considerations 1:07:11 - Squad preferences and favorite team mechanics 1:15:49 - rankings and final thoughts 1:28:50 - similar games Next episode: Star of Providence Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Stanley Turrentine - June Bug Outro music: Ben Prunty - Into the Breach

This week we’re drawing a straight with the recent smash hit poker-puzzle deckbuilder Balatro! Join our four-of-a-kind hosts to talk about who will have the last laugh between random card draws and overtly complicated computer simulations. But no adventure is complete without joker hats and joker feet! Many jokes and many quips have passed behind our funny lips. By poking fun and making merry, our podcasts won’t be half as scary. So don’t be timid, don’t be nervous - Joker’s here, at your service! Aheuhheuuehehhah! Find a link to Will’s optimal hand play simulator here. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:18 - game stats 3:25 - one sentence description 6:06 - Will’s discovery and immediate obsession with the game 10:56 - Player statistics and victory counts discussion 13:44 - Story explanation: no narrative, just poker with jokers 18:00 - Will’s advanced mathematical analysis and strategy depth 24:06 - Randomness versus determinism debate in deck builders 32:31 - Accessibility and poker knowledge requirements discussion 42:17 - Most fun aspects beyond winning runs 52:04 - Strategy discussion: flushes, synergies, and joker combinations 1:01:17 - Runtime discussion and fast restart mechanics 1:08:45 - Hand ranking problems and inflexible build issues 1:17:15 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Into the Breach Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Lee Morgan - The Joker Outro music: LouisF - Balatro OST

Lousy Smarch weather! Come in from the cold and warm up with an episode on the recent hit citybuilder roguelite Against the Storm. We’ve got biscuits and pie, jerky, and a nice dry roof to keep your resolve high. There’s lots to talk about between lizard happiness, a Queen that no one has confirmed exists or not, and everyone’s favorite topic: supply chain logistics! Man it’s wet out there. Check me through will you? Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:19 - game stats 3:30 - one sentence description 6:20 - » all devs go to heaven warning « 9:30 - our story begins 12:19 - End game disappointment and seal mechanics explained 17:10 - Overworld structure and meta progression criticism 19:39 - City building mechanics and randomized building systems 27:07 - UI problems and blueprint menu frustrations 32:44 - Queen’s impatience meter and reputation system mechanics 42:12 - Art style debate (Warcraft-like graphics divisive opinions) 51:20 - Tutorial experience problems and UI learning curve 1:06:00 - rankings and final thoughts 1:16:48 - similar games Next episode: Balatro Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Chad Lawson Trio - If I Only Had A Brain Outro music: Mikołaj Kurpios - Forest Lights

Happy TOMEntines day! This week we choo-choo choose to revisit the traditional roguelike-sphere with an oldie but a biggie. Tales of Maj’Eyal holds a special place in the hearts of old guards of tradrogues, continuing a legacy from an Angband spinoff in 1998. There’s a lot of love stemming from a vibrant community around TOME, if you can look past the ugly duckling presentation. It’s time to use our Chronomancy to turn back the clock, fight back the Spellblaze Scar, and try to charm the master of Dredfell Tower to watch some sappy romcoms with us. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:57 - game stats 4:31 - one sentence description 6:13 - First impressions discussion and art criticism begins 10:18 - Will’s 60-hour experience and frustration with mechanics 16:41 - Mechanical cohesion: enemies use same systems as players 19:06 - Different starting scenarios for various races/classes 23:37 - Auto-explorer feature and movement controls discussion 30:19 - Game modes: permadeath vs multiple lives system 34:12 - Debate on roguelike length and investment vs permadeath 45:58 - Vault mechanics and elite enemies discussion 50:28 - Controls and UI complexity criticism 56:40 - Music repetition and sound design complaints 59:49 - Graphics critique: “objectively ugly” debate and art cohesion 1:12:32 - Dating quest discovery and bikini character screenshots 1:18:21 - rankings and final thoughts 1:26:38 - similar games Next episode: Against the Storm Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Thomas Marriott - The Tale of Debauchery Outro music: Celestial Aeon Project - Virtue Lost

Reap and tear! This week we’re DOOMing it up with the BOOMer shooter rogue Nightmare Reaper. We all go a little mad sometimes, but what better way to relieve that stress with some out-of-left-field minigames? Keep an eye out for the trumpet skeleton, platforming puzzles, and bolwing ball-launching shotguns. Oh and did I mention there was a chainsaw grappling hook? One more time for the folks in the back: chainsaw. grappling. hook! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:17 - game stats 2:34 - one sentence description 6:16 - Host preferences on shooter genres and boomer shooters 10:34 - Story setup: asylum patient experiencing nightmares/dreams with combat 14:18 - Gameplay loop: one chance per level, weapon persistence mechanics 17:57 - Weapon variety and combat mechanics discussion 24:27 - Level design and enemy behavior criticism 31:26 - Upgrade system problems and “should have been default” features 33:25 - Mario-style mini-game tech tree complaints and accessibility options 45:20 - Level navigation issues and procedural generation problems 57:11 - Gun sprite graphics quality and visual design critique 1:07:42 - Music discussion and soundtrack evaluation 1:12:13 - Roguelike classification debate and story execution issues 1:21:29 - rankings and final thoughts 1:27:50 - similar games Next episode: Tales of Maj’Eyal Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Charles Mingus - Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Silk Blues Outro music: Andrew Hulshult - Lucid Mayhem

Gather round children, it’s story time! This week we’re talking about the pop-up storybook RPG Wildermyth! We’re fighting gorgons with poison blood, turning into wolf people, and replacing arms with pirate hooks. You know, the normal things you always read about in kids books. It’s time to customize your coworkers, pick your pet, and save the lands from mechanical clockwork monsters! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:29 - game stats 2:23 - one sentence description 4:11 - Art style discussion: paper standee aesthetic and monster design 6:57 - Age of Ulstryx campaign experience and generic fantasy start 8:35 - Story volume complaints: too much text, too few choices 12:19 - Character customization and personality trait system discussion 16:38 - Magic system: infusing with environmental objects mechanics 21:44 - Overworld exploration and time pressure mechanics 28:13 - Difficulty and strategic decision-making critique 33:03 - Legacy character system and campaign connections 39:05 - Randomization vs bespoke story content debate 46:35 - Procedural vs handcrafted narrative generation discussion 52:27 - Combat mechanics and camera control issues 53:58 - rankings and final thoughts 1:01:10 - similar games Next episode: Nightmare Reaper Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Wayne Shorter - Wild Flower Outro music: Wildermyth Overworld

Happy New Pod! Or new game! Or new game+! For our second season kickoff we bring an army of orcs and goblins marching on your doom in Rogue Tower. What other podcast can you find deep dives on tower defense strategy in the form of thrilling spreadsheet functions and macros? The Excel fincancial modelling world cup may have just ended, but this game sure EXCELs at metal tunes, one-more-turn-itis, and laser-blasting pyramids. Does Will hold a world record for this game? Send in your armies of Boron-encased glass panes and find out for yourself! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:47 - game stats 3:13 - one sentence description 4:32 - Discord data science discussion and Andrew’s 17-level maximum revelation 7:02 - Game mechanics: health, armor, shields and tower specialization 11:14 - UI clarity issues and upgrade system confusion 18:21 - Tower placement strategy and height mechanics discussion 24:27 - Card draw upgrade system and meta progression criticism 30:25 - Mod discussion and game speed improvements 35:48 - Tower defense comparisons and roguelike elements breakdown 39:32 - UI problems: click-through issues and Steam Deck complaints 47:36 - Music discussion: harpsichord metal soundtrack praise 50:12 - rankings and final thoughts A link to Will’s crazy spreadsheet optimization tool can be found here And because I totally spaced on the similar games segment, if you’re a fan of Rogue Tower you should also check out: The Last Spell Dungeon of the Endless Tower Tactics: Liberation Bardbarian Bloons TD6 Roguelike mod Next episode: Wildermyth Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: George Shearing - I Didn’t Know What Time It Was Outro music: Andrew R. Mason - Orcs Attack!

It’s the holiday season (backup singers: the holiday season) and the GROGPOD is coming ‘round for a special winter break episode! We’ve been asked by listeners for a while to do a developer interview so who better to bring on the program than amazing solo dev Huw Milward of previous episode Warsim: The Realm of Aslona! We kick off the first hour of the program with Huw, Will, and I chatting by the fireplace with our ‘nog (grog?) in hand about topics like inspiration, marketing strategy, and of course ChatGPT. Join us after the interview for some listener letters too! Find Warsim on Steam here Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:20 - Interview with Huw Millward, solo dev of Warsim: The Realm of Aslona 6:25 - Warsim dev history and future 10:45 - How to stay inspired and creative? 13:00 - How to build an indie game community? 16:39 - Windows CMD design and spaghetti code 18:18 - Kitfox remasters of Dwarf Fortress and Caves of Qud 21:00 - Ascii art aesthetics, SanctuaryRPG, WORD GAME 26:39 - Randomness vs proc gen 34:24 - Gamedev feature strategy 37:48 - Steam reviews and marketing strategy 49:13 - ChatGPT 55:40 - Gamedev persistence and community engagement 58:30 - Favorite games and gamedev pen pals 1:05:43 - Emails: How long to evaluate a roguelike game? 1:18:31 - Emails: Mystery Dungeon games Next episode: Season 2 starts with Rogue Tower! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Huw Warren - Porto Alegre Outro music: Warsim 8bit main theme

Hey everyone look, an old man is talking! This week we feel the weather change via our bones as we play the turn-based colony sim roguelite dotAge, created by solo developer Michele Pirovano! Listen in as we battle omens on the horizon of time and try to swiftly shuttle our pips and pippins to ward off the impending evils that await the village. And remember: the gift quote must be met, as Santa won’t accept ANY excuse! Now where was I? Oh yeah! The import thing was: I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. You couldn’t find any white onions, because of the war. The only thing we had were those big yellow ones… Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:06 - game stats 3:02 - one sentence description 8:44 - Tech Tree Mechanics & Randomization Critique 13:17 - Memory System & Meta Progression Complaints 18:10 - Agricola Board Game Comparisons & Design Philosophy 22:52 - Story Setup & Prophecy Mechanics Introduction 28:20 - Domain System & Doom Event Explanations 32:56 - Losing Mechanics & Rim World Comparisons 38:41 - Domain Implementation & Boss Battle Critiques 47:08 - Santa Claus Elder & Alternative Game Modes 54:12 - Development History & Early Access Discussion 59:26 - Difficulty Settings & Accessibility Issues 1:10:03 - rankings and final thoughts 1:27:58 - similar games Next episode: Slay the Spire Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Marian McPartland - I’m Old Fashioned Outro music: Luigi di Guida - Je Vivroie Liement

The end of season 1 of the podcast is here and to celebrate we are pitting our top games in a playoff tournament fight to the death! If you’re new to the podcast or the genre this is a great place to start. With a wide range of categories from platformer rogues, to solo dev efforts, to squad management simulators, there’s something for everyone today. Thanks to all the listeners that voted as well! Our finalists include: The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth Cogmind Dead Cells Enter the Gungeon FTL: Faster Than Light Hand of Fate 2 Invisible Inc The Last Spell Luck Be A Landlord Monster Train Rimworld Streets of Rogue Who will take the ultimate prize of the GROGPOD Omegabowl??? ! The full tournament bracket with spoiled results can be found here Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:00 - Tournament plan, categories, and games 7:21 - Wildcard 1: Cogmind vs Luck Be A Landlord 21:10 - Wildcard 2: Streets of Rogue vs Invisible, Inc. 28:04 - Wildcard 3: Rimworld vs Hand of Fate 2 37:28 - Wildcard 4: The Last Spell vs Enter the Gungeon 45:36 - Division 1: FTL: Faster Than Light vs ??? 51:34 - Division 2: Binding of Isaac: Rebirth vs ??? 58:19 - Division 3: Dead Cells vs ??? 1:06:45 - Division 4: Monster Train vs ??? 1:14:50 - Semi-finals 1 1:21:54 - Semi-finals 2 1:27:58 - Grand finals 1:40:18 - Show wind down Next episode: Holiday special! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Heavy Action - Johnny Pearson Outro music: Lost Sun (battle) - Squishyboi

That gooey flopping sound isn’t your GROGsgiving dinner quite yet, it’s the sound of you being reanimated for another run of the 2018 hit action platformer Dead Cells! Join the crew and returning guest Woody as we slice, dice, parry, and pray for mercy against monstrous bosses and darkening sephulcurs. Feel the guitar-strumming beat of a French co-op gamedev’s masterpiece and strap in for some fast kickin’, low biome times, and meta-progression? You bet! We round out this season of the podcast with a great one, but we’ve covered a lot of great games this year. Our next episode will feature a playoff tournament of our top rated games to see who takes the ultimate crown this year. Place your votes here and use your democratic power to help us crown a champion. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 4:27 - Game stats 13:48 - One sentence description 16:55 - Our story begins 19:00 - Core gameplay mechanics and weapon unlock system 25:20 - Cursed chests risk/reward mechanic discussion 29:10 - RPG stat system and color-based weapon scaling 36:02 - Legendary items and synergy build strategies 42:06 - Character design criticism and aesthetic evaluation 51:08 - Boss cell difficulty progression and accessibility options 59:12 - Game criticism: poor explanation of core mechanics 1:08:29 - Rankings and final thoughts 1:17:50 - Similar games 1:21:48 - Roguelike playoffs preview! Next episode: GROGPOD Roguelike Playoffs - the Omegabowl! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Coleman Hawkins & Ben Webster - Prisoner of Love Outro music: Valmont - ClockTower

Who’s a good baby amphibian? Is it you? Is it you? It is AK-Xolotl: the AK-47 wielding, you guessed it, axolotl baby raising simulator! Are reptiles different than amphibians? Is it worth sacrificing your children for permenant meta-progression unlocks? These are the kinds of questions all new parents need to answer at some point in their quest to take down Cthulhu-like monstrosities and heavy metal kittens. What other podcast will go into depth on axolotl biology while also talking about the intracacies of the Sten 9×19mm? Who’s a good submachine gun? Is it you? Is it you? Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:14 - Game stats 3:04 - One sentence description 4:27 - Comparison to Enter the Gungeon and twin-stick shooters 7:23 - Core criticism: lack of meaningful variety and randomization 9:53 - Opening cutscene confusion and narrative issues 13:47 - Baby management simulator vs shooting mechanics discussion 18:16 - Weapon unlock system and meta progression problems 21:48 - Baby care mini-game criticism and design flaws 26:25 - Kickstarter campaign and missing promised features analysis 32:27 - Quality vs quantity problems and Early Access comparison 36:08 - Controller issues and key binding problems 42:04 - Easy mode discussion and accessibility features 55:28 - Rankings and final thoughts 1:01:30 - Similar games Next episode: Dead Cells Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Charles Mingus - II B.S.* Outro music: AK-xolotl - Hell’O Kitty

Have you ever thought to yourself ‘Is it possible to import my friends into this game and harvest their skin for the leather of my chairs?’ Then you’ve tuned to the right episode! In an accidentally relevant-to-spooky-season selection, we turn to Rimworld! But wait, that’s not a roguelike, you’ll inevitably shout at your podcast feed. We decided to pull some editorial leeway this time with the defense of ‘well if Dwarf Fortress did it…’ Join our starving colonists as they try to figure out how to grow potatoes and fight off insectoid invasions and mind pulse machines as they dig too deep and unleash the terrors of internet connectivity issues. Thanks again for the gracious hosts of this year’s Roguelike Celebration, in which Scott was able to present his talk ‘The Data Science of Roguelikes’. You can find it on youtube here! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:47 - Welcome new listeners from the 2023 Roguelike Celebration! 3:20 - Game stats 5:09 - One sentence description 7:19 - Comparison with other colony sims and Dwarf Fortress 13:39 - Tutorial quality discussion and new player experience 18:34 - AI storytellers and difficulty selection advice 21:40 - Randy Random vs Cassandra Classic storyteller comparison 27:12 - Victory conditions and different player goal approaches 32:25 - Optimal drug production strategy and economic gameplay 36:17 - Cannibalism and organ harvesting meme discussion 41:03 - Food production confusion and learning curve challenges 54:00 - World map exploration and caravan system 56:48 - DLC content overview (Royalty, Ideology, Biotech) 1:05:30 - Rankings and final thoughts 1:18:27 - Similar games Next episode: AK-xolotl Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Kenny Burrell - Out of This World Outro music: Alistair Lindsay - Alpaca

Happy GROGSversary! As we celebrate one whole year of doing this program, we combine our forces to attempt our own answer at the unsolvable question of “what is a roguelike?” In possibly our longest episode to date, we dive into the pre-history of rogue-games, the infamous Berlin Interpretation, and just how “rogue-lite” games fit into all this. We talk about jazz subgenres, whether or not Minecraft is a roguelike game, Solitaire (yes that one), hierarchies of game design needs, and who could forget Elf Metal! Of course, no one can be told what a roguelike is, you have to experience them for yourself. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:56 - Today’s fight club topic: What is a roguelike game? 4:07 - Our story begins / why do we care? 13:30 - One-sentence summaries of roguelike genre definitions 15:30 - What is the original 1980 Rogue, the first games like Rogue, the Berlin Interpretation 30:00 - What are rogue-lites? 2008’s Spelunky, Binding of Isaac, and Rogue Legacy 49:32 - Are “-lite” games less hardcore? Does metaprogression matter? 56:42 - How roguelike is this game? (Minecraft, Diablo, X-Com, Into the Breach, Deep Rock Galactic, Don’t Starve, Inscryption, Gloomhaven) 1:08:30 - Data-driven roguey-ness and Steam tags 1:16:28 - Can board games be roguelikes? 1:20:55 - Do music genres suffer the same problem that the rogue-community has? 1:27:00 - Summary and final thoughts As promised, below you can find some of our notes referenced in this chonker of a recording: Our collected list of roguelike definitions over the years Scott’s 16 pages of show notes Will’s hierarchy of game needs Colin’s google sheet of undebateably roguey-ness scores Check out Scott’s tangentially related talk on The Data Science of Roguelikes here! See how the genre has evolved over time with our definitions timeline here. Next episode: Rimworld Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Bill Evans - Nardis Outro music: Tarn Adams - Dwarf Fortress mode theme

It’s finally here, our episode on one of the major traditional roguelike cornerstones: Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead. Humanity’s greatest desire is to drive crudely built, ascii-tiled cars in open source videogame projects. That and escape from zombies, of course. Tune in as we spend half an hour trying to open up menu systems and try to see just how big this fantastical world of “New England” really is. There’s only so much time to listen to this episode before XE037 finds you and adds you to the blobular collective! As noted, we’ve done a few developer interviews for CDDA which you can find here. Thanks to the devs for taking the time to answer some of our questions! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:30 - game stats 5:12 - one sentence description 6:37 - »»CDDA fans trigger warning alert«« 11:20 - Game story setup and multiple apocalypse scenarios 15:30 - Tutorial video requirements and learning curve comparisons 22:15 - Dwarf Fortress comparison and menu system complexity 28:45 - Character creation praise and detailed trait systems 34:20 - UI/UX criticism and accessibility problems discussion 42:15 - Simulation depth vs playability debate and system complexity 48:30 - Story expectations vs reality and emergent gameplay 55:45 - Target audience analysis and programmer appeal discussion 1:03:02 - rankings and final thoughts 1:17:52 - similar games Next episode: A GROGPOD fight club special episode to celebrate our 1 year anniversary of the podcast! We’ll be tackling the topic of “What Is A Roguelike?” There will be blood! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Hal Leonard Jazz Ensemble - Ain’t No Sunshine Outro music: CDDA Chesthole Soundpack - Ambient Track 1

One way or another, we were going to play this hit indie JRPG roguelike! Its One Way Heroics week for this dimension, as we take a keen eye at some anime pixel mobs and try not to wall ourselves in with a creeping black wall of doom. We must move forwards, not backwards! Upwards not forwards! And always twirling, twirling, twirling towards the 2000 KM goal to save the kingdom from the dark dragon of doom. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 3:13 - game stats 6:23 - one sentence description 8:17 - let’s talk JRPGs 12:15 - Game description: streamlined JRPG with wall of darkness 18:20 - Difficulty mode confusion and tutorial problems 25:40 - Wall of darkness mechanic and time pressure gameplay 32:15 - Combat system simplification compared to traditional JRPGs 38:45 - Save system mechanics and level trading discussion 42:30 - Hidden content and 2000 kilometer endgame discovery 48:15 - Meta progression and dimensional vault storage system 52:30 - NPC recruitment and character storyline advancement 58:00 - rankings and final thoughts 1:04:04 - similar games Next episode: Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Thelonious Monk - Straight No Chaser Outro music: Beginning Theme 1 - Saia Hyouseki, Boss Dead Theme 2 - Jinfa Dragon Symphony

Ymg’ ah ain’ghft eldritch n’ghftdrn ai! This week the podcast dials back the clock to one of the earliest roguelike games released on Steam: Eldritch! You remember Minecraft, right? Ever thought to yourself: “What if it had a bunch of tentacle monsters and guns?” Well have we got the game for you! Tune in as we confusingly bumble our way around a library looking for a good book to escape into, literally. All the while trying to frantically run away from gloopy, wet fish-men looking to mess you up in traditional H.P. Lovecraft fashion. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:25 - game stats 4:18 - one sentence description 8:45 - Game description: 3D voxel-based Lovecraftian dungeon crawler 14:30 - Procedural generation quality and 3D maze navigation 20:15 - Enemy design and Cthulhu Mythos creature discussion 25:45 - Combat mechanics and weapon systems criticism 31:20 - Stealth mechanics and difficulty balance issues 36:15 - Procedural vs handcrafted level design debate 42:30 - Horror effectiveness and atmosphere evaluation 47:23 - rankings and final thoughts 54:57 - similar games Next episode: One Way Heroics Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Eric Verlinde - Are You Free Outro music: Eldritch OST - Mountains of Madness

Hold onto your Brotatoes! You demanded, we listened: listener request week is over and from the ashes of our submissions arose the bullet heaven Brotato and the tower defense zombie horde killhouse The Last Spell. We are also joined by a new full-time member of the podcast: previous guest Andrew Harshman! With so much content to cover, will we be able to channel our summoner energies together before the hour is up? Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript) 1:42 - The GROGPOD Grows! 4:09 - Brotato game stats 6:44 - Vampire Survivor-like subgenre terminology debate (bullet heaven vs one-stick shooters) 10:49 - Brotato aesthetic criticism and Flash game comparisons 16:23 - Arena limitation complaints vs exploration desires 20:56 - Nintendo eShop story description and potato world lore 25:09 - The Last Spell introduction and tactical combat overview 32:57 - Game phases: town building, defense setup, and night combat 38:14 - Decision fatigue criticism and feedback loop discussion 46:17 - Character generation and goddess dialogue segments 54:21 - Night phase tactical combat depth analysis 1:07:24 - Roguelike classification debate and genre elements 1:11:30 - Rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Eldritch Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Jean Luc Ponty - Mirage Outro music: The Algorithm - Oath

Snake eyes! Because we forgot to do our homework this week, we are gambling away our fortunes to pay our rent with Luck Be A Landlord! Come spin some slots in a cutesy veneer of a capitalist hellscape. We needed some more time to review CDDA so stay tuned in an upcoming episode, but we did conduct an interesting set of dev interviews that you can check out here. In the meantime, get your crabs in a row, your gem golems lined up, and anchors in the corners for our spiciest take on apartment rent yet! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 0:51 - CDDA episode update 2:45 - game stats 8:32 - Progression system and difficulty scaling discussion 13:10 - Anti-capitalist story and rent payment mechanics 18:31 - Symbol synergies and engine building strategies 25:16 - Advanced strategy: avoiding noob traps and deck management 31:24 - Criticism: overwhelming symbol variety and decision paralysis 39:16 - Comparison to Slay the Spire and deck building preferences 45:10 - Anti-capitalism narrative and billionaire mechanics discussion 48:18 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Surprise listener request episode! It’s a secret! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Elvin Jones - Lady Luck Outro music: Vincent Colavita - Big Man Zaroff

It is a good day to dice! This week we polish up some D6’s for the dungeon crawler Slice & Dice and throw them against all sorts of hideous monsters. We’re talking goblins, zombies, exploding skeletons, bloodthirsty fanatics, and so many more. In a game with modes on modes on modes, we try to navigate being cursed, blessed, and blursed while slaying dragons, succubi and undead samurai. Can our party of housecats and an over-levelled wizard save the day or will all of our dice be turned to stone and we get swarmed by imps? Ready to roll out! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:46 - game stats 4:42 - Game Addiction & Mobile Gaming Appeal 8:33 - Undo Mechanics & Core Gameplay Differences 13:50 - Order of Operations & Dice Strategy Discussion 18:14 - Game Content Stats & Character Variety 23:16 - Game Mode Varieties & Cursed Gameplay Options 28:47 - Run Length & Difficulty Scaling Complaints 35:30 - Final Boss Problems & Surprise Counter Mechanics 39:08 - Item Shop Critique & Agency Issues 44:46 - Cursed Mode Strategy & Player Agency 51:27 - Dice Rolling Physics & Animation Quality 56:28 - Auto-Flee Mechanics & System Explanations 1:02:39 - rankings and final thoughts 1:10:04 - similar games Next episode: dotAge Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Thelonius Monk - April in Paris Outro music: Louigi Verona - Ancient Books of Magic

Welcome to the family follower. Everyone here is happy and healthy. CHOP WOOD! MINE STONE! Obey our glorious leaders commands! This week we meditate on the nature of organized labor and religious indoctrination with Cult of the Lamb. What lies beneath the adorable art and crown that sits atop our infallible and fluffly leader’s head? Tune in for how to build your very own machine learning model to cheat at Knucklebones. That’s not a commandment, right? The Lamb is good, the Lamb is great, we surrender our will as of this date! No microphone problems, in the name of The Lamb! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:22 - game stats 3:29 - one sentence summary 5:39 - Split gameplay discussion: town builder vs roguelike combat 12:13 - First act strength and compelling intro sequence 17:17 - Art style discussion and Don’t Starve comparisons 18:06 - Cult naming and follower management mechanics 24:17 - Speedrun strategy reveals minimal colony management needed 28:51 - Rimworld comparisons and colony simulation elements 32:55 - Content update wishes and weapon system improvements 41:41 - Knucklebones minigame and machine learning potential discussion 53:42 - rankings and final thoughts 1:01:20 - listener emails Next episode: Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! Request an episode here https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Archie Shepp - Like a Blessed Baby Lamb Outro music: River Boy - Work and Worship

Ooooooh guns gun guns! The GROGPOD is playin to-night! I never miss a game. This week we visit an all-time bullet-hell classic of Enter The Gungeon. How many gun puns can we cram into 60 minutes? Is it as easy as shooting fish in a barrel, or using a barrel to shoot fish instead? Lock ‘n’ load your Uzi 9MM, your .45 longslide with laser sighting, and join us in finding a bullet that can kill our past. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 5:26 - Shattered Pixel Dungeon episode fallout 6:44 - game stats 12:54 - one sentence summary 18:57 - Story Setup & Gun That Kills Past 24:12 - Game Difficulty Changes Since 2016 Launch 28:26 - New Player Experience & Learning Curve 34:36 - Character Selection & Starting Equipment Discussion 39:27 - Meta Progression & Hegemony Currency System 48:00 - Health Management & Boss Perfection Strategy 56:41 - Comparison Discussion With Hades & Isaac 1:13:18 - Enter the Gungeon 2 Sequel Speculation 1:23:26 - rankings and final thoughts 1:33:55 - guest plugs Next episode: Cult of the Lamb Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Charles Mingus - Gunslinging Bird Outro music: doseone - Enter the Gun

You have 1 new message: a podcast episode about the hit roguelike mobile game Shattered Pixel Dungeon! We explore the android/ios sphere for the first time with an influential open source and community-driven spin on the dungeon crawling genre. Join us old boomers as we puzzle out why all the kids are looking at their phones all the time. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:31 - game stats 4:31 - one sentence summary 10:21 - Mobile interface challenges and magnifying glass discovery 13:37 - Pixel Dungeon series history and open source community 18:31 - Potion identification mechanics and traditional roguelike elements 24:45 - Game structure: five biomes and Amulet of Yendor goal 29:24 - Hunger clock mechanics and enemy respawning discussion 32:36 - Boss fights and tactical combat strategies 38:39 - Shop mechanics and tactical decision making depth 42:32 - Accessibility and hand-holding criticism for new players 46:50 - reddit meltdown 54:28 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Enter the Gungeon Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Sonny Rollins - Dial S For Sonny Outro music: Kristjan Thomas Haaristo - DM300 Boss Theme

Are you tired of the daily grind? Stressed out from the demands of modern life? Introducing Darkest Dungeons 2, the stress-relieving sequel that will transport you to a world where your worries melt away and your courage shines through. For the low, low price of … urhgm … $40, you too can battle eldritch horrors beyond your comprehension! Listen in on another contentious episode where the hosts try to keep their stress levels below the meltdown threshold. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:00 - game stats 3:57 - one sentence summary 5:41 - our story begins 8:36 - Darkest Dungeon 1 experience comparison and expectations 12:17 - Sequel vs prequel numbering and dungeon absence discussion 15:00 - Wagon driving mechanics and tutorial zone frustrations 20:18 - System complexity overload and decision fatigue criticism 27:20 - Inn mechanics and European board game comparisons 32:24 - Character unlock system and $40 pricing complaints 38:51 - Combat encounter length and boss fight difficulties 45:16 - New player experience problems and Act 1 redesign suggestions 53:40 - Enemy intent system comparison to other games 1:01:58 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Shattered Pixel Dungeon Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Sonny Rollins Trio - Wagon Wheels Outro music: Stuart Chatwood - Battle of the Mountain

We’re on the Highway to roguelike deckbuilding Hell this week, riding a Crazy Train filled with demons, sentient blackberry bushes, and occultic Lumières! We are also joined by special guest Joe Homes from Cephalofair Games: publisher of the award-winning tabletop deckbuilding game Gloomhaven, so there will be at least one person here who knows what they’re talking about in terms of game design. Come listen in on one of our highest rated games in a long while, as we discuss stategies to beat 4 story-tall gem gods and consume tasty, tasty, morsels. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:58 - game stats 4:58 - one sentence summary 7:10 - Hell narrative setup and train mechanics explanation 8:11 - Art style discussion and visual aesthetic opinions 11:27 - DLC discussion and Last Divinity expansion features 17:18 - Core gameplay differences from Slay the Spire mechanics 21:41 - Faction unlock progression and grinding criticism 25:02 - Dual class system and deck synergy strategies 34:04 - Deck size optimization and slim deck strategies 40:07 - Boss transparency and strategic planning advantages 48:24 - Visual readability issues when screen gets crowded 53:52 - Slay the Spire comparisons and “Spire-like” genre discussion 1:00:17 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Darkest Dungeon II Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Oscar Peterson Trio - Night Train Outro music: Jordan Chin - Daedalus, The Professor

When you walk in Griftlands, you better watch your back. There’s no room for heroes, just mercenaries and hacks. Every decision counts, every card in your hand. Gonna need luck to get through this land. Join us as the podcast hosts use both our battle and negotiation decks to convince each other about Griftlands’ rankings this week. Tune in for Will’s chicanery-level rant on games that aren’t Slay the Spire. Better call Sal Ik-Derrick! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:10 - game stats 3:06 - one sentence summary 6:14 - Story setup with bounty hunter Sal and revenge narrative 8:09 - Run-based structure and character progression mechanics 11:39 - Story comparison to Mass Effect and Hades approaches 16:18 - Run length comparison to other roguelike games 17:14 - Dialogue criticism and auto-skip functionality discovery 22:38 - Combat vs negotiation deck mechanics explained 29:43 - Game development theory and Slay the Spire comparison 33:07 - Card upgrade system and visual design criticism 41:04 - RPG vs deck builder identity discussion 47:28 - Art style and Klei Entertainment visual aesthetic opinions 54:34 - Potential improvements and single deck theory 1:01:21 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Monster Train Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Tom Waits - Down in the Hole Outro music: Griftlands OST - Smith Boss Battle Theme

THE OOZE! IT SPREADS! We have a surprise double-feature this time because we accidentally beat our planned episode of Streets of Rogue too quickly. It turns out the apes that run this podcast ooked too hard for the new mayoral election and won in a landslide. So to balance out the podcast, we’re also talking about Devolver Digital’s surprise roguelike hit Loop Hero! Join us to hear about drug-hunting robots, zombie apocalypses, and the heat death of the universe. Brother may I have some more loops? Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:44 - Streets of Rogue game stats 2:31 - one sentence summary 6:45 - Level design criticism and repetitive mission objectives 11:30 - Character variety and multiplayer vs solo gameplay differences 14:20 - Local co-op setup difficulties and controller configuration 16:45 - Disaster events and zany gameplay modifiers discussion 20:30 - Loop Hero introduction and card placement mechanics 23:15 - Auto-battler gameplay and equipment control limitations 26:00 - Resource grinding and gear replacement frustrations 31:45 - Watchtower strategy and meta progression building 37:30 - Necromancer character unlock and attack speed strategy 42:15 - Pixel art readability issues and font options 44:30 - Narrative appreciation and enemy encounter dialogue 57:47 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Griftlands Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Harlem Nocturne - Corelli Jazz Orchestra Outro music: Craig Barnes - Slum Scrum

I am GROGPOD. I take care of the place while the Master is away. What’s that? Oh HAND of Fate! Yes that’s the game (not movie) that we’re playing this week. Join us as we talk through two games of card shuffling, gnome-kicking, moustache twirling mania with our special guest Dahlia Tolleth! The Master would definitley approve of you listening to this episode. Prepare to explore some trap-laden dungeons, negotiate with bandis and play some metronome-based fishing minigames with Hand of Fate 1 and it’s well-polished sequel Hand of Fate 2. It will be dark soon. There is no way out of not downloading this podcast. It will be dark soon. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:50- game stats 3:51 - one sentence summary 6:38 - Card-based mechanics with 3D battle sequences explanation 9:25 - Resource management: health, food, and gold systems 12:45 - Card shuffling chance mechanics and Monty Hall strategy 18:19 - Hand of Fate 2 improvements and release details 21:26 - Popularity comparison between first and second games 26:28 - Narrator and dealer character discussion between games 35:40 - Token collection mechanics and encounter rewards 43:21 - Combat differences and ranged weapons in sequel 52:46 - Hypothetical Hand of Fate 3 improvements discussion 1:04:28 - listener emails Next episode: Streets of Rogue Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Robert Smith Jr - Love Inside This Magic Circle Outro music: Jeff van Dyck - Hand of Fate

Roll for initiative! This week’s episode has us examining the world of Dungeons and Dragons through the DnD combat simulator Low Magic Age. Join us for dicussions on vancian magic, royalty free music overlaps with previous episodes, and summoner-based arena races! We put the pal back in paladin and wonder why it is that you can’t make an Asamir chatoic evil. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:45 - game stats 2:46 - one sentence summary 5:37 - D&D video game vs real-life tabletop differences discussion 10:07 - Roguelike classification debate and party-based RPG comparison 13:32 - Tutorial vs actual gameplay and lack of story content 16:22 - Character creation frustrations and level adjustment rules 21:08 - Arena mode explanation: five fights with boss battles 23:28 - Adventure mode: procedural dungeons with limited interactions 26:32 - Early Access status and unfinished game assessment 27:25 - Mining and crafting mechanics criticism as boring grinding 32:09 - Death mechanics and lack of permanent consequences 38:42 - Combat limitations and lack of reward progression 43:59 - Music quality and War Sim soundtrack similarities 48:24 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Hand of Fate 1+2 Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Teru - Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra Outro music: Low Magic Age - Battle Music

Query(Cogmind) » A podcast episode about evolving a robot in a facility hell-bent on destroying it. We talk about one of the most influential modern traditional roguelike games of the past few years and why Will probably needs thicker glasses. This episode will crawl up from the scrapyard to escape to the surface of Tau Ceti IV with all sorts of lasers and tank treads attached. Trojan(Download) » Force(Listen). Chance of Success: High (100%) Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:05 - game stats 1:41 - one sentence summary 4:31 - Traditional roguelike comparison and combat disincentivization discussion 6:21 - Will’s graphics criticism: 8x8 pixel art readability issues 9:13 - Visual aesthetic debate and ASCII art comparisons 16:02 - Combat loop mechanics and tactical decision-making 17:54 - Stealth mechanics and “Mecha Gear Solid” comparison 22:54 - Equipment management and weight capacity systems 28:41 - Faction interactions and NPC alliance mechanics 32:31 - Will’s proposed fixes: Into the Breach graphics and meta progression 35:53 - Meta progression debate and traditional roguelike purity 48:07 - Power scaling and late-game weapon variety 1:00:11 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Low Magic Age Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Sadik Hakim - Peace of Mind Outro music: Cogmind ambient soundscape

Demonic presence at unsafe levels, podcast in effect! For our listener request week, we summon a granddaddy of the traditional roguelike pantheon: DoomRL - Doom: The Roguelike. But we couldn’t talk about a game with a 20+ year legacy without also crash landing on its gorgeous modern 3D remaster: Jupiter Hell. A traditional roguelike with…graphics? Voice acting? A b-b-budget? Come listen in on how to configure .ini files, assemble tactical rocket launchers, and learn how to be a sailor-mouthed hellish freight train on wheels. That’s how we do things downnnnntownnnnn. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:24 - Doom RL Release History & Developer Background 4:23 - One-Sentence Game Description & Roguelike DNA 8:17 - Roguelike History & Revolutionary Aspects Discussion 15:45 - Childhood Gaming Memories & Doom Experiences 20:16 - Story Setup & Mars Base Scenario 25:16 - Hell Arena Side Branches & Risk Reward 28:22 - Weapon Assembly System & Modification Mechanics 33:45 - Jupiter Hell Development & Legal Issues 38:08 - Production Values & Visual Upgrades 45:17 - Traditional Roguelike Evolution & Budget Impact 56:34 - Tutorial Quality & Cover System Mechanics 1:07:12 - Corner Shooting Exploits & Game Balance 1:19:28 - Music Comparison Between Games 1:23:35 - rankings and final thoughts 1:30:41 - similar games Next episode: Slice & Dice Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: The Geeky Guitarist - At Doom’s Gate (E1M1) Jazz Fusion Cover Outro music: Sonic Clang - E1M1

This week is a podcast episode so cunning you could brush your teeth with it! We finally answer the question: what if Dwarf Fortress, Zork, and Black Adder all joined forces into a game made by a single person in a 70,000 line long single program? Why of course the answer is Warsim: The Realm of Aslona! In our most widely divergent podcast thus far, we talk about goblin arena fighting statistics and gambling addictions, failing history exams of the Far North, and of course, the Doomstone! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:20 - game stats 3:03 - one sentence summary 6:45 - Colin’s keyboard complaint: no numpad makes game physically uncomfortable 9:15 - Procedural race generation discussion: 98 billion possible combinations 12:30 - Battle score mechanics and overpowered Behemoth lunar godlings 18:00 - Will’s detailed turn breakdown and Google sheet optimization strategy 22:45 - Arena betting as primary income source (78-85% of total income) 28:30 - Scott’s exploration focus: black market towns and world discovery 34:15 - Colin’s graphics criticism: needs maps and visualizations for engagement 39:30 - Kenshi comparison and emergent gameplay discussion 43:00 - AI-generated content future possibilities debate 1:04:49 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Cogmind Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Sun Ra - Kingdom of Not Outro music: Warsim main menu theme

If we FITS then we SITS down to listen to this week’s episode on Fights in Tight Spaces! Drop into a room with a bunch of very patient and polite criminals for this highly stylized deckbuilding roguelike. Keep your momentum up, sharpen up those high heels, and watch those replays of the spinning roundhouse kicks yeet those biker gangs right out the door! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:24 - game stats 2:22 - one sentence summary 4:06 - “Into the Breach meets Slay the Spire” comparison and single character focus 8:54 - Deck selection systems: preset decks vs drafting mode preferences 11:18 - Tutorial appreciation and symbology learning curve discussion 13:35 - Combat mechanics: pushing enemies into void spaces for instant kills 18:23 - Replay mode functionality and cinematic camera options 25:02 - Boss progression through different acts: bikers, prison, ninjas, mafia 28:22 - Deck building sameness problem and lack of variety 35:41 - Steven Seagal look-alike enemies in ninja act discussion 41:27 - Combat resource systems: momentum and combo mechanics 46:04 - Shop system comparison to Slay the Spire’s merchant features 54:18 - Event system criticism and missed narrative opportunities 1:05:32 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Warsim - The Realm of Aslona Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Freddie Hubbard - First Light Outro music: Kinetic Move - nervous_testpilot

Today’s forecast is partly sunny with a Risk of Rain. Join us to talk about the 10 year old (but timeless in our hearts) loot-collecting roguelike platformer with an incredibly enduring legacy. Be a Burning Witness to a podcast where two Meat Nuggets try to convince the third that his Tough Times could really just be solved by seven Crowbars and a Hydraulic Gauntlet. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:28 - game stats 3:24 - one sentence summary 14:20 - our story begins 54:20 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Fights in Tight Spaces Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Bill Evans - Waltz for Debby Outro music: Chris Christodoulou - Coalescence

Stack ‘em up! This week we’re playing the 2022 (literal) card game by the Sockpop Collective that became way more popular than they could have imagined. Join our Strange Portal of discussion about walls of carrots, ninjas, magic dust, and booster packs as we build a village of slowly completing progress bars in this relaxed and chill game of survival. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:09 - game stats 2:23 - one sentence summary 48:58 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Risk of Rain Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Thelonious Monk Quartet - ‘Round Midnight Outro music: Stacklands Village Theme

Call me Sna- uh, er, Inc. Invisible, Inc. The tactical espionage (action?) game by renknown developers Klei Entertainment! Your mission, should you choose to download it, is to tune in on our descriptions of cybernetic noir, wireless daemon hacking, and comparisons with X-Com. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:20 - game stats 3:50 - one sentence summary 50:37 - rankings and final thoughts 56:04 - listener emails Next episode: Stacklands Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Bill Evans - Romain Outro music: Vince de Vera and Jason Garner - Plastech Cybermedical

A space plague has broken out, but you have to break in to The Pit! Join us as we dive through 30 floors of monsters and robots with shotguns, psionics, and hyper intelligent dolphins and explore the cartoonishly styled traditional roguelike from the Sword of the Stars creative universe. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:12 - game stats 4:30 - One-sentence game description and setting confusion about “pit” 6:45 - Character classes and extended universe background 9:15 - Recipe system criticism and food scarcity problems 12:30 - Tutorial praise and voice acting disappointment 15:45 - Art style appreciation and Steam Deck compatibility 18:00 - Gameplay texture and pacing comparison problems 21:30 - Traditional roguelike mechanics and floor progression 25:00 - Strategy limitations and combat simplicity complaints 28:45 - Sequel discussion and graphics quality concerns 32:15 - Game texture theory and lack of variety 36:00 - Difficulty balance and fairness issues 40:30 - Ending spoiler discussion and trophy controversy 1:00:42 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Invisible, Inc. Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Bill Evans - Santa Claus is Coming to Town Outro music: Ben Lam - Sword of the Stars Main Menu Theme

Fire up your warp drives because we’re outrunning the rebels to deliver to YOU what they’re after: a podcast about one of the most popular roguelikes of all time: FTL Faster Than Light. We are lucky to be joined by our good friend Woody Ciskowski from the Ultra64 / Wii-Universe podcast (https://www.ultra64podcast.com/) to talk about how giant alien spiders are no joke. FTL Multiverse info can be found here. A direct download link can be found here. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 00:00 - Podcast Introduction & FTL Game Overview 2:37 - game stats 4:40 - one sentence summary 05:42 - Genre Classification Debate (RTS vs Board Game) 09:47 - Personal Play Time & Difficulty Statistics 14:23 - Story Setup & Federation vs Rebels 17:08 - Ship Selection & Unlocking Mechanics 21:35 - Combat Strategy & Resource Management 26:18 - Event System & Random Encounters 34:07 - Final Boss Difficulty & Strategies 43:22 - Advanced Edition Content & Hacking Systems 46:35 - FTL Multiverse Mod Discussion 51:58 - Game’s Lasting Impact & Influence 1:01:17 - Podcast Promotion & Social Media Updates 1:02:13 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Sword of the Stars: The Pit Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Eric Dolphy - Hat and Beard Outro music: Ben Prunty - Space Cruise

Happy GROGsgiving all! This week we go down the wormhole on a couple super indie titles and one megapopular rogue. We talk about how Mario meets Inception with Cargo Commander, the overwhelming visual nature of Realm of the Mad God, and the spartan enigmatically of Din’s Curse. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 00:00 - Podcast Introduction & Thanksgiving Theme 01:16 - Episode Bundle Overview & 2012 Games Context 03:31 - Cargo Commander Introduction & Developer Background 08:37 - Cargo Commander Story & Working Class Themes 12:11 - Cargo Commander Gameplay Mechanics & Gravity System 18:23 - Cargo Commander Assessment & Content Analysis 27:25 - Realm of the Mad God Introduction & Popularity Stats 32:34 - Realm Development History & Publisher Changes 37:18 - Realm Gameplay Experience & MMO Elements 43:50 - Realm Combat Mechanics & Character Progression 49:01 - Din’s Curse Introduction & Diablo Comparison 54:08 - Din’s Curse Character Classes & Skill System 58:09 - Din’s Curse Quest Structure & Town Dynamics 1:06:17 - Din’s Curse Permadeath & Procedural Generation 1:08:26 - Final Rankings & Episode Wrap-up Next episode: FTL: Faster Than Light Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! Intro music: Bill Evans - Romain Outro music: Nineyards - Down the Drain

We kick off the roguelikes of 2012 with a collection of the some pretty extreme indie titles: Hack, Slash, Loot - a coffeebreak length roguelike with inventory slots as small as your character, the overall bamboozling title A Valley Without Wind, and the explosive squad-based shooter Pineapple Smash Crew. Thanks again for David Williamson and Rich Edwards for providing indie game dev Q&A for this episode. You can find David’s full response here and you can find Rich’s one here. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 00:00 - Podcast Introduction & 2012 Game Overview 01:39 - Steam Greenlight Context & Episode Structure 05:05 - Hack Slash Loot Introduction & Developer Background 13:58 - Hack Slash Loot Story & Gameplay Mechanics 18:24 - Character Unlocks & Death-Based Progression 23:43 - A Valley Without Wind Introduction & Developer History 28:25 - Valley Development Challenges & Design Changes 30:01 - Valley Art Style & Procedural Generation Issues 35:24 - Valley Opening Text & Overwhelming Complexity 43:15 - Pineapple Smash Crew Introduction & Developer Background 48:29 - Pineapple Story & Core Gameplay Loop 52:25 - Pineapple Boss Design & Replay Value 56:32 - Pricing Discussion & Game Value Assessment 59:29 - Final Rankings & Game Comparisons 67:26 - Episode Wrap-up & Next Episode Preview Next episode: Cargo Commander / Realm of the Mad God / Din’s Curse Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! Intro music: Pharoah Sanders - You’ve Got To Have Freedom Outro music: Syphus - Fragmentation Symphony

Prepare to cry edition! For our spookiest episode yet, we are covering a historic pillar of the modern Roguelike genre by covering the 2011 smash hit The Binding of Isaac and its 2014 remaster The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. It’s not a trick, it will be a treat to listen to … if you dare traverse the depths of Mom’s basement! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:51 - game stats 03:20 - Developer Background & Flash Gaming History 07:32 - Edmund McMillan’s Career & Super Meat Boy 09:14 - Biblical Story of Isaac & Religious Themes 17:53 - Gameplay Overview & Progression Structure 24:27 - Items, Power-ups & Visual Changes 28:57 - Item Complexity & Wiki Dependency Issues 31:29 - Binding of Isaac Rebirth Introduction 35:26 - Content Comparison & DLC History 38:34 - Development Issues & Community Relations 41:30 - Future Sequels & Biblical Themes Discussion 47:50 - rankings and final thoughts Next episode: Hack, Slash, Loot / A Valley Without Wind / Pineapple Smash Crew Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com Intro music: Charles Mingus - Moanin’ Outro music: Binding of Isaac Rebirth - Genesis 22:10

Adagio, listeners! This week is our summer special focusing on the wide diversity of music found in roguelike games! From the biggest budget orchestras, to the lowliest growling chants that 1bitdragon can muster, there’s a lot of love to be listened to when playing $5 indie games. We thank the listeners that wrote in with tons of suggestions for us to cover and we’ll definitely have to revisit this format in the future. We also have some listener correspondence to cover on topics from not liking games, randomness, and how long is TOO long for roguelikes at the end of the show. Enjoy and be sure the blast some GROGPOD on the beach for all your friends this summer weekend! A talking-free version of all the tracks featured today can be found on our youtube playlist here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ShOmyMvd4gaydO4wbNhLsDIFbEsBTUO Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 00:00 - Vampire Survivors - Tides of the Foscari 6:39 - Crypt of the Necrodancer - Disco Descent (1-1) 11:19 - The Last Spell - Distant Memories 17:40 - Hades - The Unseen Ones 23:08 - DoomRL - Unholy Cathedral 27:09 - Returnal - Ascend the Spire 32:05 - Caves of Qud - Lazarus 37:23 - Rogue Tower - Orcs Attack 42:04 - Path of Achra - Main Theme 46:13 - Dwarf Fortress - Main Theme 51:07 - Risk of Rain 2 - The Rain Formerly Known as Purple 57:56 - Balatro - Main Theme 1:04:57 - Spelunky - Yeti Caves 1:08:47 - Brutal Orchestra - Feel the Rhythm (Music Man Theme) 1:15:01 - Enter the Gungeon - Enter the Gungeon Rap 1:19:58 - Rimworld - Waiting for the Sun 1:23:36 - Lonestar - Main Menu Theme 1:27:45 - Inscryption - Leshy’s Theme 1:33:00 - FTL: Faster Than Light - Last Stand 1:38:22 - Slay the Spire - The Heart 1:43:28 - Hades - The King and the Bull 1:48:26 - Listener emails (Not liking games) 1:52:13 - Listener emails (Star of Providence updates) 1:55:06 - Listener emails (Roguelike RNG) 2:00:35 - Listener emails (How long do YOU like your gameplay?) Next episode: DoomRL / Jupiter Hell Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone

We’re live! Join us for the first episode of the podcast on the surprise hit of 2011: Dungeons of Dredmor by Gaslamp Games. Get your Diggles in a row, stop by a vending machine and hear about our plans for the podcast and what we think about monster zoos. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 00:00 - Podcast Introduction & Goals 01:06 - Genre Explosion & Motivation 02:53 - Learning the Genre & Host Experience 03:53 - Steam Data & Game Selection Process 07:35 - Defining Roguelikes & Host First Experiences 11:24 - Steam Roguelike Statistics & Tags 17:09 - Dungeons of Dredmor Introduction 17:54 - 2011 Gaming Context & Traditional Roguelikes 20:48 - Developer Background & History 29:02 - Game Overview & Character Creation 33:55 - Skill Builds & Player Strategies 40:07 - Enemies, Combat & Game Mechanics 51:37 - Art Style, UI & Technical Issues 54:06 - Game Design Criticisms & Improvements 62:46 - Final Thoughts & Rankings Next episode: The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com Intro/outro music “Blue Monk” by Thelonious Monk Trio

OwO it’s VTuber time! This week we grab out pet aligators and wrap them in a trench coat to investigate the wild world of Holocure - Save the Fans! We’re talking jazzy beats, explosions of color, shrimp simps, skeletons with baseball bats, and (you guessed it!) six-legged monsterific horrors that would be well at home in any HR Geiger film. To navigate this deep sector of internet a-pog-rypha, we’re joined by VTuber and friend of the show Daniru17! We’ll need all the help we can get unraveling the mysteries of the Shubangelion and where exactly that character upgrade tab in the shop is. Here’s where you can find Daniru17 on the interwebz! Twitch: daniru17 Youtube: daniru17 X/Twitter: Dani_daniru Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:02 - game stats 3:07 - one sentence description 4:47 - What is the V-tuber world explanation 8:22 - Character selection and V-tuber identification discussion 13:30 - Fan project nature and free game monetization 16:10 - Danny’s introduction to HoloCure and publicity 19:42 - Gameplay differences from Vampire Survivors 25:05 - Story segment and narrative setup 29:23 - Enemy types and mascot character explanations 32:06 - Boss battles and specific character references 37:58 - Meta progression and upgrade systems discussion 44:16 - Character builds and gameplay strategies 48:49 - Future content plans and dungeon crawling 56:26 - Trumpet stamp and cosmetic upgrades discussion 1:07:20 - rankings and final thoughts 1:15:09 - similar games Next episode: Summer Music Fest and listener emails! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Emmet Cohen Trio ft. Patrick Bartley - After You’ve Gone Outro music: eufrik - Suspect

Adoro l’aglio! The time has come to suck the blood out one of the most popular roguelikes of all time: Vampire Survivors! A wild tale of a 5-dollar indie game that created its own sub-genre of bullet-heaven one-stick shooters, Vampire Survivors is nothing short of the gamedev dream. We celebrate bizarre Italian nomenclature with returning guest Woody and try to suss out what could possibly be the plot of a Vampire Survivors tv show. Grab some Tirajisú for dessert and strap in for a tasty treat of a game, but just keep an eye out for a gigantic Katamari of skeletons looking to run you over. Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 2:42 - game stats 7:25 - one sentence description 13:36 - TV show adaptation announcement and story elements 17:37 - Game pricing history and mobile monetization features 21:16 - Basic gameplay loop and 30-minute timer mechanic 25:28 - End game content and killing Death character 29:01 - Genre terminology debate (bullet heaven vs survivor-like) 31:37 - Progression system and relic collection mechanics 41:01 - Meta progression criticism and character stat upgrades 48:52 - Level design comparison with Brotato arena gameplay 54:04 - Soundtrack quality and sound effects discussion 1:02:08 - Best character recommendations and tier lists 1:06:35 - rankings and final thoughts 1:14:25 - similar games Next episode: Holocure: Save the Fans! Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Giorgio Gaslini - Conservatorismo Puro Outro music: William Davies‎‎ - The Beginning, Filippo Vicarelli - It’s Raining Minotaurs

Okay, 3…2…1… Let’s Jam! This week we are blasting off across the galaxy in pursuit of scum and villainy to collect some bounties for the space sheriff in Lonestar! With a unique spin on the roguelike deckbuilding genre, we debate over what is red versus orange as we power up our lasers in an epic showdown. Well, when we’re not using our vacation days of course! Build up your outlaw-hunting ship with tons of parts and upgrade those energy points to deal massive damage, or spend those points to defuse the spider mine the enemy has planted on you! Sit down in a space saloon for a nice relaxing card game, but be on the lookout for someone’s pet cat wearing a scouter level eyepiece! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:36 - game stats 2:43 - one sentence description 4:07 - Will’s challenge and players’ surprising victory rates 10:08 - Game terminology and localization issues discussion 17:13 - Soundtrack appreciation and space western aesthetic 19:43 - Game lore and event description experiences 29:10 - Narrative elements and story generation in roguelikes 34:32 - Three-lane combat system and unique mechanics 42:12 - Learning curve and frequent gameplay revelations 48:00 - Energy draw system and deck building mechanics 53:11 - Character variety and pilot abilities discussion 1:00:07 - Difficulty curve and ascension level balancing 1:03:19 - Proposed mechanics to improve the game 1:08:06 - Retreat mechanic and infinite retries discussion 1:14:23 - rankings and final thoughts 1:22:00 - similar games Next episode: Vampire Survivors Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Sonny Rollins - Way Out West Outro music: Lonestar - Main Menu Theme