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[gornova]

Hi everyone!

I'm working on design for a new roguelike and I'm trying to focus on space roguelike, more precisely, on roguelikes set on spaceships.

Do you have any examples of such roguelikes ? What kind of gameplay elements do you think are more important?

In my experience a good roguelike set in space uses design elements of "alien" franchise: lethal enemies on close combats, uses of traps and take advance of "ship", few rounds and so on..

What do you think about it ?

[Shashwah]

I personally would say that the same elements as a generic roguelike apply and are most important even when themed to be a space game.
Mostly you would have to focus on making sure that attacks and such are themed in such a way that there isn't a feeling of ludonarrative dissonance or at least in a way that is limited compared to other games.
When it comes down to it, lethal enemies would have to just be part of the difficulty curve of the game and as for traps, they again are just part of the difficulty, obvious theme traps and enemies to fit the visual genre that you are aiming for.

[gornova]

thank you Shashwah for your answer!

I agree with you that most of the "roguelike" elements could be used into a space themed roguelike, but I'm wondering if space can add some other gameplay elements, like for example zones without gravity or zone without oxygen, where you can advance only with a tank of oxygen (if player decide to use an human explorer of course!).

what do you think about it ?

[baconman]

Look up FTL, Weird Worlds, and Super Space Rogues.

[gornova]

thanks!!

[PaulWv2.017]

thank you Shashwah for your answer!

I agree with you that most of the "roguelike" elements could be used into a space themed roguelike, but I'm wondering if space can add some other gameplay elements, like for example zones without gravity or zone without oxygen, where you can advance only with a tank of oxygen (if player decide to use an human explorer of course!).

what do you think about it ?

I think you're confusing theme for mechanics. How is a zone where a player takes damage without an oxygen supply any different from a zone in a fantasy world with a gas cloud?
The only real differences that sci-fi offers you is the possibility of great distance (and great dissonance) between levels, assuming you include some non-realistic breaking of Einsteinian physics.
You can also go deep into the lore and drag the player along with you so that they don't notice the existence of magic (EG: Mass Effect series) but honestly it's all the same thing, don't kid yourself.

More meaningfully, I think, is to set a challenge for yourself - find one mechanic that necessitates sci-fi and cannot be reasonably replicated by medieval/fantasy. If you can find that mechanic, make a game around it. I include the word 'reasonably' because by definition 'magic' excludes reason, so.