"Project Phoenix": From Roguelike to RPG (and Staying Alive)

Posted by Gemma Ellison

July 26, 2025

Project Phoenix: From Roguelike to RPG (and Staying Alive)

So you’ve built a roguelike. The core loop is tight, the procedural generation is spitting out interesting challenges, and you’re thinking bigger. You want to add story, character development, choices that matter: you want to make an RPG. Good luck. This is a treacherous path, paved with scope creep and the shattered dreams of indie developers.

Why Roguelikes Tempt RPG Aspirations

Roguelikes offer a powerful foundation. They excel at replayability and emergent gameplay. This inherent replayability is attractive. Developers imagine layering RPG elements on top, creating a game with both depth and longevity. But it’s rarely that simple.

The temptation stems from the fact that many roguelikes already contain RPG elements. Loot, stats, and character builds are common. The mistake is thinking a few more quest markers and dialogue boxes are all that’s needed.

Scope Creep: The Biggest Boss

The single greatest threat to your “roguelike-to-RPG” project is scope creep. You started with a relatively contained system. Now, you’re looking at branching narratives, dozens of characters, and intricate world-building.

Consider Darkest Dungeon. Initially, it was a brutal dungeon crawler. Red Hook Studios resisted the urge to add a sprawling overworld and endless questlines. They focused on deepening the existing core. This is a masterclass in smart scope management.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking "bigger is better". Instead, think "deeper is better". Focus on adding meaningful depth to the existing roguelike foundation.

Preserving the Roguelike Soul

Adding RPG elements shouldn’t mean sacrificing what made your roguelike enjoyable in the first place. The challenge is to enhance, not replace.

Permadeath is a good example. Do you remove it entirely? Or do you integrate it into the narrative, perhaps with a lineage system or a new game mechanic tied to the fallen character’s legacy? Rogue Legacy does this well, turning death into a core element of character progression and world exploration.

Procedural generation is another key component to think about. Is your story going to be tightly scripted or use procedural generation to keep the experience fresh between playthroughs? If it is tightly scripted, you need to make sure that it will be high quality, since the player will experience the same story beats over and over again.

Core RPG Pillars: Story, Progression, Choice

A successful RPG needs these elements. But they must be implemented thoughtfully.

Story: Don’t just tack on a generic fantasy plot. Weave the narrative into the core mechanics. Consider environmental storytelling. Hades uses death and repetition to gradually reveal the protagonist’s motivations and the secrets of the Underworld.
Progression: Character progression needs to be more than just stat increases. Add new abilities, branching skill trees, and meaningful choices that alter the character’s playstyle. This can be as simple as the addition of skills or classes to your roguelike’s formula.
Choice: Meaningful choices are what make an RPG engaging. These choices need to have tangible consequences. The best choices aren’t always obvious, they force the player to consider the implications of their actions. Dialogue options alone aren’t enough. The environment, the quests, the gameplay should all react to player decisions.

The Prototype is Your Friend

Don’t start building the “full” RPG right away. Prototype everything. Focus on a single area, a single character arc, a single core mechanic. Prove that your vision works before committing to a massive production.

Create a vertical slice that showcases the key RPG elements integrated with the roguelike core. This will give you a clearer picture of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Testing and Iteration: The Iterative Loop

Get your game in front of players early and often. Feedback is crucial. Are the new RPG elements enhancing the experience? Are they detracting from the core gameplay loop?

Pay close attention to player frustration. Is the story confusing? Are the choices unclear? Is the progression system rewarding? Use this feedback to iterate and refine your design.

Checklist for Success

Define your scope: What RPG elements are essential? What can be cut?
Preserve the core: Don’t sacrifice the roguelike elements that made your game fun.
Focus on depth: Add meaningful layers of complexity, not just more content.
Prototype everything: Test your ideas before committing to full production.
Iterate based on feedback: Listen to your players and adapt your design.
Don’t be afraid to kill your darlings: Some ideas just won’t work. Be prepared to abandon them.

Case Study: Failing Upwards

I worked on a project that attempted this transition. The original roguelike was simple but addictive. We got caught up in worldbuilding and character development. We spent months writing lore and designing branching dialogue trees.

The result? A bloated, unfocused mess. The core roguelike gameplay was buried under a mountain of unnecessary fluff. We learned a valuable lesson: prioritize gameplay over narrative.

We ended up scrapping most of the RPG elements and focusing on polishing the core roguelike loop. The final product was a smaller, more focused game. And it was much better for it.

Staying Alive: Practical Advice

Limit the scope: Resist the urge to add everything at once.
Iterate constantly: Test and refine your design based on feedback.
Prioritize gameplay: The core mechanics are still the most important thing.
Be ruthless: Cut anything that doesn’t serve the game.
Don’t be afraid to fail: Learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward.

The journey from roguelike to RPG is challenging. But with careful planning, smart scope management, and a willingness to iterate, you can create a game that is both deep and engaging. Just remember to stay true to the soul of your original roguelike, and don’t let scope creep kill your project. Good luck, you’ll need it.