Evolution — Rogue-like:

Unlike traditional skill trees, these often define your physical capabilities (e.g., movement speed vs. armor) and can drastically alter your appearance. Part 3: Comparative Evolution: Roguelike vs. Roguelite

Experience points are often gained by consuming food rather than just killing enemies.

Infinite replayability through procedural maps. Permadeath: High stakes where every mistake is final. Rogue-like: Evolution

Evolution is rarely a straight upgrade. Choosing fur might provide heat resistance but prevent you from growing an exoskeleton.

While Rogue (1980) gave the genre its name, Beneath Apple Manor (1978) was the first to implement the core pillars of procedural generation and permadeath. Unlike traditional skill trees, these often define your

At the International Roguelike Development Conference, developers codified the "8 must-haves" for a "pure" roguelike:

Strategic decision-making over mechanical reflex. Grid-Based: Movement on a discrete spatial layout. Roguelite Experience points are often gained by consuming

Modern titles like Everything is Crab allow players to stack mutations like poisonous spines with dash attacks to create unique biological "builds".