The “roguelike” genre is right up there with other OG genres such as platforming, space shooter, role-playing game, etc. If you are not familiar with the classic Rogue, then maybe just maybe, you have played a game based on it. Games that featured basic role-playing elements and randomized game worlds to play through fall in the “roguelike” genre, such as Diablo by Blizzard. Now that genre is coming to the ColecoVision console thanks to an independent homebrew developer.

<h2>Reviving a Classic Genre on Classic Hardware in 2024</h2>

Matthew Kiehl is someone that I have followed for a while now. They are proficient in the Mattel Intellivision platform world with many exciting works in progress. From Castlevania to Gradius II and even the Prince of Persia ports to the Intellivision, Kiehl stays busy to say the least.

Now we can add his dipping his toes into the ColecoVision platform world with this roguelike game.

Rogue was originally released in 1980 by Epyx for various computer platforms of the time. The ColecoVision console was released in 1982 in North America. Now in 2024, Kiehl is bringing the two together for the first time.
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<h2>Nostalgia at its Finest</h2>

If you are not filled with nostalgia watching the embedded video then I am not sure this is for you. Roguelike games to this extent, basically minus modern graphics, are not for everyone. Losing to the letter G or E is not for everyone and that is perfectly fine.

For those that are interested, and still reading, roguelike games are quite deep, not just in number of unexplored levels either. Your view is limited by what you have explored so far being the only lit area of the current level you are on. Want to find all the treasure? Get to exploring, get over that nagging sense of something is out there and it is coming for you – it is and it will sooner than later.

Roguelikes are almost like the backrooms; they are familiar to most gamers but pinpointing why is often harder than initially thought. 

If you want to give this roguelike for ColecoVision a playthrough, [head over to the AtariAge forums]( https://forums.atariage.com/topic/372717-colecovision-rogue-like-wip/) and grab a copy of the current build.

Don’t forget to swing [by Matthew Kiehl’s YouTube channel]( https://www.youtube.com/@matthewkiehl9933/videos) and show him some support.

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