HyperRogue
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a hint of a grid
ASCII illustration
The shortest way home may stop making sense.
2011: Hyperbolic Rogue prototype; 2012: expanded 7DRL version.
By Zeno Rogue.
HyperRogue began as a small ASCII experiment in November 2011. Its author expanded it for the 2012 Seven Day Roguelike challenge, then added vector graphics and further systems. The early name, Hyperbolic Rogue, states the central experiment plainly.
The usual movement grid is replaced by a hyperbolic world. Space opens out faster than familiar flat geometry suggests. Taking a detour can make returning to a previous place unexpectedly difficult.
That geometry is part of the tactics. Enemies often act predictably, and a single mistake can be fatal, so the player reasons about escape routes and surrounding spaces with unusual care. Different lands add their own rules and hazards.
HyperRogue belongs here through its normal turn-based, grid-based mode. Its additional experimental modes should not be confused with that core game.
It is also a useful limit case for the genre. A roguelike does not have to use square tiles, an equipment pile or a conventional level-up curve to turn movement through a generated world into a serious decision.
Sources
Zeno Rogue’s development history
HyperRogue: geometry and rules