Arboria is a dark fantasy 3D rogue-lite, TPP action RPG. In Arboria you’ve been chosen as a sacrifice to the Godz, an honor that few are worthy of. You are the very best of the Yotun tribe, who will save The Father Tree. As a Yotun warrior, descend into an underground world in search of the ill Tree’s roots, use a variety of handy tools to overcome challenges, obliterate your enemies with Symbiotic Weapons, and mutate to become stronger.
A large variety of items can be found in procedurally-generated dungeons and numerous unique encounters with dozens of different enemies make Arboria a great example of a roguelite experience. But what are rogue-lite games? And what does rogue-like mean? Let’s find out!
Dive in!
What is the difference between rogue-lites and rogue-likes?
Let’s start with rogue-like since, of the two terms, this one goes further back. Rogue-like is a sub-genre of RPGs, in which a player collects treasures and fights monsters while exploring a dungeon.
A classification was created in 2008 to help people recognize a rogue-like game. This classification, known as the Berlin Interpretation, lists conditions a game should meet to be called a rogue-like.
These conditions include: permadeath, randomly generated content, exploration, and some kind of complexity to allow for more than one solution to a problem. Other important elements are tiled maps, combat with monsters, turn-based gameplay, resource management, and non-modality, meaning that everything happens in the same mode.
The whole genre was inspired by Rogue, a game from 1980. According to the Berlin Interpretation, Brogue and Dungeons of Dredmor are other examples of rogue-likes.
Rogue-lites, on the other hand, take only certain elements of rogue-likes—procedural terrain generation, for example. They usually incorporate other gameplay genres and have more complex visuals.
The sub-genre is becoming more and more popular—many well-known titles are rogue-lites. Spelunky, Hades, Risk of Rain, The Binding of Isaac? Yes, according to the Berlin Interpretation, those are all prominent examples of rogue-lite games.
Arboria—a real-time rogue-lite
A good combination of items and fast reaction time are crucial in Arboria’s challenging combat
Arboria, a unique third-person and real-time dungeon rogue-lite, features many elements from the list. While the game is neither turn-based, nor does it have any tiled maps, it does feature:
- Procedural content generation
- Permadeath
- Exploration
- Challenging combat
- Various types of monsters
- Resource management
- A dungeon crawl scenario
The underground dungeons of Durnar are randomly generated, changing with every descent. They consist of unique biomes (Worlds), each being visually different and putting various obstacles in front of the player. Exploring the underground is non-modal, meaning that you won’t switch between exploration and combat. So you’d better check your map often and watch your surroundings to avoid getting ambushed by packs of enemies.
Enemies are fought in real-time dynamic combat that will challenge your skills. Dash, roll, attack. Adjust your combat tactics when facing various opponents and choose your symbiont weapons wisely—they will affect your combat style. For an additional advantage, make the best use of organic mutations. The game offers 11 weapons so far, each changing your playstyle: the Lance relies on deadly thrusts, while Hammer smashes enemies like bugs. They are complimented with six skills that influence the gameplay. There is no perfect combination, so experiment with different builds and adjust your tactics to survive.
Different enemies require different approach
With each run, you can transfer Veri—your basic resource—to the village. Successfully transferred Veri is not lost after being defeated in combat and can be spent on various meta progression upgrades, which include perks, new items, skill and weapons improvements and more. Being able to spend even the smallest amount of currency makes each run meaningful and helps you progress in the game.
If you fall in combat, your character dies permanently and you have to start the adventure from the beginning. However, the tribe always remembers their brave combatants and you can raise your new Yotun’s statistics thanks to the fallen’s sacrifice. Depending on your performance in the previous run, you receive random positive or negative traits whenever you’re reborn.
Your fellow villagers are always happy to upgrade your items… for a reasonable price that is!
Arboria is novel in the way that different rogue-lite elements and modern game features come together in one dungeon crawler. Created with Unreal Engine (UE4), the game’s third-person perspective, procedural terrain generation, and challenging combat are a breath of fresh air for all the fans of the rogue-lite genre.
How do you spell rogue-like?
What is the correct spelling: roguelite or rogue-lite? Actually, both are correct! So don’t worry and just write the words however you like. As long as it’s not Rouge-lite and Rouge-like.
Do you agree with the Berlin Interpretation? Can you spot the difference between rogue-likes and rogue-lites now? What makes the game feel rogue-lite to you? Let us know in the comments!
Connect with the Tribe on Arboria’s official channels:
Arboria is now available on Steam in Early Access, so you can jump right in and start your rogue-lite adventure:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/924070/Arboria/