ROGUEish
A downloadable game
ROGUEish is a rogue-like for the C64 computer (either via emulation or on real Hardware).
It was inspired by "Rogue 64" (a c64 game), "RogueCraft" (an Amiga game), and to some extent, Marvel Avengers Alliance (an online game that is now dead).
Try before you buy!
You can download a free 2-level demo before you purchase the full version (which will be coming soon here as well!) :) The demo (and full game) includes a PDF help file too.
The Story
You are a famous, brave adventurer who has found a magical tower full of monsters, traps, enchanted items, and other loot. You notice enemies appear to be getting tougher as you climb the tower, which is weird. How far up the tower can you get before you perish??
Choose your weapons (and your next moves) carefully, your life depends on it!
What will you choose: close-combat weapons (better defence/attack), or long-range weapons (less defence/attack, but more reach)?
Strategy is a big part of the game:
- Which enemy is the greatest threat next?
- Do you attack while you are bleeding, or keep moving?
- Do you avoid enemies, or attack them to get more money/better items?
- Will you choose a bow (better range, less defence/attack), or a sword & shield (less range, better defence/attack)?
- Is this creature immune to a specific debuff, or causes an effect, ie. ignores defence?
Controls
Joystick in PORT 2 controls movement & mode selection (move mode, or cross-hairs mode).
Long-pressing the fire button toggles between move and cross-hairs mode. Examine items/monsters/environmental stuff in cross-hairs mode (or attack within weapon range). To grab loot, just walk over it (and confirm where appropriate). To attack monsters, bump into them (or aim with cross-hairs and hit fire when in range).
F1 will swig a healing potion, starting to heal you over 5 turns (if you have any!).
Press fire to restart the game after Game Over.
Happy adventuring!!
Comments
Saberman RetroNews 
"Awesome Game!"
ROGUEish demo playthrough...
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- ROGUEish demo released!26 days ago
Comments
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Very nice game! Our German-language review can be found in our recorded livestream starting at 00:58:31. English subtitles are also available. Subscription to our YouTube and Twitch channel is welcome. 🙂
Gioco a dir poco spettacolare! Complimenti! Attendo il gioco completo!
THANKS!! 🙏 😊❤️❤️❤️❤️
Great game, thanks
THANKS!! 🙏 😊❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thanks! Please try it again, but selecting Y to accept weapons, armour, etc... Much easier 😁😁
Absolutely loving this game and really looking forward to the final version! No major issues running it on my NTSC C64 but music, sound effects and animations are all a bit too fast. Hope you can fix that before the full version. Only 2 levels but I'm already liking this better than Rogue64..which is saying a lot!
Thanks so much for your awesome, kind words mate!! As for NTSC compatibility, how does that work? Do I skip a frame of music/animation for one frame every 5 or 6 frames? Can you give me an example of how I might do this please?
Looking forward to playing the finished game!
Thanks mate! :) The plan is to have a simultaneous physical/digital release...
I really love this game. I like Roguecraft and Rogue 64 but I really need to see the final version of your game. Really good job.
Btw: What is the advantage of the Bow instead of the sword. Maybe I missed something ?
It might also a good idea to have a more detailed description of the weapon magic features.
Thanks for the kind words! :)
The bow has a longer range (is an advantage), but usually less damage, and you have less defence (no shield), so it's a balance.
All the weapon "magic" features are explained in the .pdf file, do you feel I should add more there (not sure what though)?
How do I see that the bow has a longer range, is there an option for a shot from distance before a enemy arrive. I didn't find any information in the document ?
Right now, a bow always has the same attack range; 4. You can always see your attack range in the HUD next to the small crosshair character.
Swap between move mode and look/ranged attack modes by holding down the fire button. It's mentioned in the document 😊 hover over an enemy (in range) and it will show a sword in the crosshair... You can then attack with fire button.
Hi, sorry I meant your attack range is there in the HUD ("circled" in red). The one I mentioned previously is the range from you to the cross-hairs! You can attack any creature within your range in the HUD if in look/attack mode :) If you are in move mode, then melee attack ranges only; 1 square adjacent (N, S, E, W)
+ Very addictive game. This has a lot of potential!
- As others already mentioned: the title music needs to go XD
😁😁 regarding the title music, that's mine lol 😂 (you could always hit fire 😅). I've not done any music before, so my apologies, and I not gotten anyone make a tune for me...
i asked nordischsound and he said you could contact him if you are interested: https://linktr.ee/nordischsound
Cool, thanks! 🙏
Awesome chance for you. NDS is one of the best u could get nowdays!
Nice!
Incredible! 😮 From what official online BBS can we download this from straight to our C64/C128 systems, so everyone can enjoy it and try it out??
Thanks for the kind words about my humble game!! It will be released right here on this page when done (hopefully soon) :)
But this isn't an online BBS we can download the game straight to our C64/C128 systems from 🫤. That's why I asked where we can expect to officially find it, seeing there are quite a few online BBS boards out there.
No, itch.io is not a BBS. There might be a way to use a modem and modern software to download from itch.io onto a C64, but I don't know about that at all. Sorry.
I would have to upload it to a BBS someone was hosting to allow you to do that.
Also, the full game will be a PAID download, not free...only the demo is free.
Of course, which is why a demo would be a great way to gain some traction among real Commodore 64 and Commodore 128 users. There are plenty of big Commodore BBS systems connected to the internet. Most of them support Punter or X-Modem, so downloading to your Commodore setup is really easy.
Cool...I'll have to see if anyone wants to host my ROGUEish demo on their BBS then...
Great demo. Can't wait to play the final version... And see how far I can go :)
I finished the two levels of the game and explored all 50 rooms.
Very very nice, but... please, in the final version, change the BEEP initial music that is truly terrible :-D
Curiosity, once you die in the game, what button do you have to press to start again?
I have the same question about the "game over" part.
I'm afraid the BEEP initial music was my creation lol I doubt it's going to change :D I could reduce it's volume a little?
After dying, press fire again (port 2) to go back to the title screen...
I played it with the VICE and once you die, the FIRE is not recognized, while "in game" it works correctly.
Hi, I just confirmed in VICE that the same fire button works to get you back to the title screen after the "you have died message" showing [OK] comes onto the screen.
Ok, so the problem, at least in my case, is that once I die, no writing appears!
I have no way to select OK!
VICE 3.9 r45465
Thank you! ROGUEish – Demo version
What an awesome writeup, thanks!!!! Bows...
Seems to be the same demo like on Zzap!64 covermount 24.
Hope this game will be finished.
It is the same (some tiny changes since), they wanted the demo for the cover disk :)
Very interesting idea 😁 I can't wait for the full release ☺️ Nevertheless, I would like, as editor of K&A PLUS, to talk to you about this game. Feel free to contact me by email
yahwey88@gmail.com
Email sent ☺️
Awesome game!
Thanks chief!! :)
Where do we purchase the full version?
When it's released here ☺️☺️ hopefully soon :D