{"id":32955,"date":"2026-04-28T04:13:04","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T04:13:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/?p=32955"},"modified":"2026-04-28T04:13:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T04:13:04","slug":"creators-of-enter-the-gungeon-criticize-the-roguelike-genre-for-turning-a-bit-cash-grabby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/?p=32955","title":{"rendered":"Creators of Enter The Gungeon Criticize the Roguelike Genre for Turning ‘A Bit Cash-Grabby’"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

**A Look Back at a Decade of Enter the Gungeon and the Development of Roguelikes**<\/p>\n

This month celebrates the tenth anniversary of *Enter the Gungeon*, a notable achievement for its creator, Dodge Roll. Co-founder Dave Crooks and the game’s composer, Adam \u201cDoseone\u201d Drucker, recently provided commentary to *Polygon* on the game’s impact and the broader evolution of the roguelike genre over the past ten years.<\/p>\n

Crooks voiced doubts regarding current trends in roguelikes, pointing out a movement towards a more commercialized, gambling-influenced model. He stated, \u201cThe most obvious thing that I see is a screen that pops up three choices every 45 seconds. That\u2019s changed.\u201d This transformation indicates a move away from the classic design ethos where gameplay is seamless to sustain immersion and excitement. In contrast, contemporary games frequently offer players instant rewards, reminiscent of slot machines.<\/p>\n

The analogy to a \u201cslot machine\u201d is not coincidental; Crooks ascribes this shift in gameplay primarily to two games: *Balatro* and *Vampire Survivors*. \u201cEspecially on the back of *Vampire Survivors* and *Balatro*, I think that it has gone a little bit\u2026God, I don\u2019t want to be the person that says this, but a little cash-grabby,\u201d he expressed. He argues that the enjoyment derived from these modern titles aligns more with gambling mechanics, implying that developers find it simpler to produce games that cater to this instant gratification model, rather than providing the depth and challenge that earlier roguelikes like *Rogue* or *The Binding of Isaac* delivered.<\/p>\n

Crooks further explained that the roguelike genre, which originated with the 1980 Unix game *Rogue*, underwent a resurgence thanks to titles like *Rogue Legacy* and *The Binding of Isaac*. These games effectively rekindled interest in the genre in the early 2010s, concentrating on richer gameplay systems rather than ephemeral rewards.<\/p>\n

The new trajectory in roguelikes is illustrated in *Balatro*, which features overt gambling elements; its card-based mechanics even resulted in it obtaining a PEGI 18+ rating in 2024 due to its content. Likewise, *Vampire Survivors* incorporates slot machine features into its gameplay, as its creator, Luca Galante, has admitted that his experience in the gambling sector shaped its design, especially the animations that trigger when players open chests.<\/p>\n

In the wake of the achievements of these games, there has been a surge of gambling-themed roguelikes, such as *Raccoin* and *CloverPit*. While players are enjoying these titles, Crooks raises important questions about whether this trend favors profit generation over genuine engagement.<\/p>\n

As we honor the decade-long legacy of *Enter the Gungeon*, there\u2019s growing anticipation about its upcoming sequel, *Enter the Gungeon 2*, slated for 2025. The evolution of the roguelike genre is currently a key focus for Dodge Roll, and numerous fans are keen to observe how they will navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by this new environment. The discussion initiated by Crooks not only prompts contemplation on the current state of roguelikes but also fosters dialogue about finding a balance between commercial viability and gameplay authenticity in the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/div>\n

**A Look Back at a Decade of Enter the Gungeon and the Development of Roguelikes**<\/p>\n

This month celebrates the tenth anniversary of *Enter the Gungeon*, a notable achievement for its creator, Dodge Roll. Co-founder Dave Crooks and the game’s composer, Adam \u201cDoseone\u201d Drucker, recently provided commentary to *Polygon* on the game’s impact and the broader evolution of the roguelike genre over the past ten years.<\/p>\n

Crooks voiced doubts regarding current trends in roguelikes, pointing out a movement towards a more commercialized, gambling-influenced model. He stated, \u201cThe most obvious thing that I see is a screen that pops up three choices every 45 seconds. That\u2019s changed.\u201d This transformation indicates a move away from the classic design ethos where gameplay is seamless to sustain immersion and excitement. In contrast, contemporary games frequently offer players instant rewards, reminiscent of slot machines.<\/p>\n

The analogy to a \u201cslot machine\u201d is not coincidental; Crooks ascribes this shift in gameplay primarily to two games: *Balatro* and *Vampire Survivors*. \u201cEspecially on the back of *Vampire Survivors* and *Balatro*, I think that it has gone a little bit\u2026God, I don\u2019t want to be the person that says this, but a little cash-grabby,\u201d he expressed. He argues that the enjoyment derived from these modern titles aligns more with gambling mechanics, implying that developers find it simpler to produce games that cater to this instant gratification model, rather than providing the depth and challenge that earlier roguelikes like *Rogue* or *The Binding of Isaac* delivered.<\/p>\n

Crooks further explained that the roguelike genre, which originated with the 1980 Unix game *Rogue*, underwent a resurgence thanks to titles like *Rogue Legacy* and *The Binding of Isaac*. These games effectively rekindled interest in the genre in the early 2010s, concentrating on richer gameplay systems rather than ephemeral rewards.<\/p>\n

The new trajectory in roguelikes is illustrated in *Balatro*, which features overt gambling elements; its card-based mechanics even resulted in it obtaining a PEGI 18+ rating in 2024 due to its content. Likewise, *Vampire Survivors* incorporates slot machine features into its gameplay, as its creator, Luca Galante, has admitted that his experience in the gambling sector shaped its design, especially the animations that trigger when players open chests.<\/p>\n

In the wake of the achievements of these games, there has been a surge of gambling-themed roguelikes, such as *Raccoin* and *CloverPit*. While players are enjoying these titles, Crooks raises important questions about whether this trend favors profit generation over genuine engagement.<\/p>\n

As we honor the decade-long legacy of *Enter the Gungeon*, there\u2019s growing anticipation about its upcoming sequel, *Enter the Gungeon 2*, slated for 2025. The evolution of the roguelike genre is currently a key focus for Dodge Roll, and numerous fans are keen to observe how they will navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by this new environment. The discussion initiated by Crooks not only prompts contemplation on the current state of roguelikes but also fosters dialogue about finding a balance between commercial viability and gameplay authenticity in the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32956,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32955"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32955\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/32956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}