Advertise on podcast: GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast
Rating
4.5from
This podcast has
109 episodes
Explicit
Yes
Date created
2022/10/18
Latest episode
2026/09/22
Average duration
108 min.
Release period
10 days
Description
The GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast is a bi-weekly show about four friends talking about a featured Roguelike game. We cover the full spectrum of titles, from the more modern, action-oriented games like Binding of Isaac and Hades to the traditonal roguelike designs of games like Cogmind and Caves of Qud. Join us each episode as we unpack what makes a roguelike game fun (or not) and then rank it against the compendium we've compiled thus far.
Podcast episodes
Check latest episodes from GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast podcast
Diablo 2: Resurrected (with Robert Lippens)
2026/09/22
Rakanishu! We have quite a treasure in the Horadric podcast this week by summoning the remaster of one of the highest rated procedural generation games of all time: Diablo 2 Resurrected! The first action-RPG to feature a permadeath option, Diablo 2 was nothing if not foundational for its particular genre what with selling at least 25 million copies. The remaster brings a fresh new lighting system, controller support, not having to fumble with weird ISOs, and a wildly imbalanced new character class with the Warlock. Stay a while and listen once more as we follow a mysterious wanderer to the east…always to the east.
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Transcript
01:44 - Game Stats
03:36 - One Sentence Description
04:12 - Yeah We Know It’s Not A Roguelike…But…
9:43 - Speedruns vs. Casual 20-Hour Experience
13:22 - Class & Build Variety
17:22 - Multiplayer Hardcore Act 1
21:38 - Growing Up With Diablo 2
36:24 - New Warlock Class
40:07 - Named Champion Packs: Color-Coded Elites & Monster Name Generator
44:58 - The Solo Hardcore Experience and Roguey-ness
47:37 - Story and Remastered Cinematics
1:09:22 - Diablo 2’s Diverse Cast
1:18:46 - Rankings & Final Thoughts
1:31:02 - Similar Games & Show Wind Down
Next episode: Combolands
Contact us at [email protected]!
https://grogpod.zone
Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 2 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/
Outro music: Diablo 2 Lord of Destruction Main Menu Theme
The Void Rains Upon Her Heart: Interview with Developer Angel Polanco
2026/09/15
At PAX West this year I had a great time interviewing Angel Polanco: the solo dev behind the incredibly well-rated bullet hell roguelite The Void Rains Upon Her Heart! An incredibly interesting game from mechanics, boss designs, art, story, I couldn’t wait until our usual end-of-year PAX interview episode to publish. It was a great conversation where we talked in depth about the designs and motivations behind it. Very thankful again to Angel and the support staff handling the booth at PAX for letting me grab some interveiw time at the end of the 2nd of all day showcasing in front of the public!
Find The Void Rains Upon Her Heart on Steam here!
Soundtrack on Steam here
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Transcript
3:06 - Interview Start
4:10 - PAX Weekend Impressions
7:00 - Record-Breaking Steam Reviews
8:14 - Solo Dev Life: Programming, Art, Music & Community Bug-Hunting
9:28 - Development Prioritization: Following Gut Feeling to Avoid Burnout
11:02 - Touhou & Kirby Design Inspirations
13:15 - Difficulty Design & Accessibility
15:56 - Boss Design Philosophy: Start Simple, Combine Mechanics Progressively
27:39 - Undertale Influence: Pacifist-Only Path, Love Bosses Into Acceptance
31:17 - Hades-Like Story Driven Narrative
34:08 - Player Character Designs: Alien Looks & Deeply Human Feelings
45:43 - Success Beyond Expectations, Game as Diary & Future Plans
Contact us at [email protected]!
https://grogpod.zone
Intro music: TVRUHH OST - Blank Melody
Outro music: TVRUHH OST - Heaven Sends Its Love
STRAFE: Gold Edition
2026/09/10
It’s time to put the BOOM back into boomer shooters as we fire up the hottest graphics of 1996* with Strafe! Another entry in our Devolver Digital review catalogue, the self-described “ worlds bloodiest roguelike first-person shooter” will put our pixel-perfect aim to the test fighting aliens, mutants, and … human experiments?
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01:02 - Game Stats
02:55 - One Sentence Description
6:25 - Strafe as 2017 Genre Forerunner
9:16 - Roguelike FPS Genre History: Eldritch, Ziggurat, Barony & Strafe
15:18 - Gun Modifiers
17:41 - 1996 Nostalgia Marketing & VHS Camcorder Tutorial
35:10 - Biome 1 Enemy Incoherence: Too Many Types, Generic Asset Look
40:17 - Simplistic Enemy AI: All Rush or Shoot, No Puzzle Strategy
1:03:18 - Mechanics Deep Dive
1:21:09 - Disposable Guns vs. Meaningful Build Choice
1:27:49 - Rankings & Final Thoughts
1:40:40 - Similar Games & Show Wind Down
Next episode: Diablo 2: Resurrected
Contact us at [email protected]!
https://grogpod.zone
Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 2 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/
Outro music: Strafe OST - Paint It Red
Coal LLC
2026/08/25
It’s Christmas in August as we unload the sooty petro-rocks from our stockings and crack open the clean-burning Coal LLC! The quick action mining-themed roguelite version of Motherload, you are tasked to fill your quota of coal before time runs out. Hire employees to help dig, collect, and fly your mantle-shattering progress. Fulfill the quests of NPCs like Fiona Frog, Pippa Penguin, and Tabitha the Mermaid. But most importantly, follow the guiding principle of any good coal mining business owner: NUMBER GO UP!
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01:05 - Game Stats
01:50 - One Sentence Description
3:37 - Platforming & Youtubers
5:24 - MS Paint Art Style
7:15 - Core Loop: Mine Coal, Meet Daily Quota or Explode
12:02 - Going Deeper: Colored Coal Layers & Increasingly Valuable Resources
24:18 - Unlocks & NPC Quests
28:01 - Workers & Weapons
52:25 - Whats the Value of a $15 Indie Game These Days?
1:08:34 - Rankings & Final Thoughts (hidden gem new #10!)
1:20:44 - Similar Games & Show Wind Down
Next episode: Strafe
Contact us at [email protected]!
https://grogpod.zone
Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 2 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/
Outro music: Coal LLC Theme 1
Nordhold
2026/08/11
Roguelites belong to the Nords! This week we return to tower defense rogue land with Nordhold: the vaguely Viking-themed tower defense roguelite featuring tower synergy systems, work placement econometrics, and decisions about whether or not to sacrifice them to demonic gods. If careful optimization of numbers and slowly checking off metaprogression boxes is your thing, then Nordhold has got it in spades! We even have towers that shoot ravens at people, what more could you ask for here???
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01:13 - Game Stats
02:24 - One Sentence Description
4:53 - Viking Tutorial Walkthrough
8:28 - Resource Economy
10:24 - Meta Progression Treadmill
15:24 - Rogue Tower Comparison: Limited vs. Open Tower Selection Debate
19:23 - Oracle Choices: 5-Wave Passive Modifiers
21:56 - Banner System & Tower Fusions
31:49 - Hero System
54:45 - Cosmetic Glory Shop
1:04:36 - Rankings & Final Thoughts
1:10:52 - Similar Games & Show Wind Down
Next episode: Coal LLC
Contact us at [email protected]!
https://grogpod.zone
Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 2 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/
Outro music: Nordhold OST - Viking Layers 6
Episode 100 Part 3 - Brogue CE
2026/08/04
A dark presence surrounds you, whispering promises of stolen power! Our episode 100 mega special concludes with a mega special game in the traditional roguelike sphere: Brogue! Developed by a lawyer, Brian Walker sought to rewrite the state of roguelikes in 2009 from bloated checkbox-ticking, weeks-long RPG length games and bring the genre back to its coffee break length roots. Careful streamlining of systems, UI polish, graphical effects, and a much smaller monster pool make Brogue one of the most readily accessible roguelikes of the modern era. My, what a yummy mango!
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01:11 - Game Stats
06:15 - One Sentence Description
10:17 - Brian the Dev’s thoughts on Rogue vs Angband vs Nethack
16:38 - Modernized Design Philosophy
31:58 - Character As Items Design
37:18 - Lumen Stones: Optional Hard Mode & Going Beyond Floor 25
41:30 - Brogue as a First ASCII Game?
51:02 - ASCII Sprites
53:24 - Monster Roster: Dragons, Liches, Jellies & Hover Flavor Text
56:11 - Emergent Narrative
57:37 - Identification Meta-Game, Percentages & Risk
1:10:50 - Magic System: Staffs, Wands, Charges & Enchantment Synergies
1:16:39 - Brogue Fan Community Correspondence
1:31:09 - Rankings & Final Thoughts (new #1 hidden gem game for the podcast!)
1:43:53 - Similar Games & Show Wind Down
See also:
The Incredible Power of Dijkstra Maps
Brian Walker - Procedural level design in Brogue and beyond
Brian’s thoughts on Rogue vs Angband and Nethack
Next episode: Nordhold
Contact us at [email protected]!
https://grogpod.zone
Intro music: The Lord of the Chiptunes: The Return of The Chiptune - Minas Tirith
Outro music: Sir Knight Beats - GELATINOUS CUBE (hexcore)
Episode 100 Part 2 - Moria, Hack, Larn, Omega
2026/07/28
What is this new devilry? Part 2 of the GROGPOD100 extravaganza continues, this time with a focus on the first ever rogue-like games ever made! Following the part 1 format, Scott does a brief historical deep dive of the games with some community correspondence, followed by our in-person live first experiences playing these games. We’ll experience why Gandalf had no memory of dungeon floors in Moria, see the first draft of history with Hack, try to rescue our poisoned daughter in Larn, and try to survive longer than 10 turns in the city of Rampart with Omega!
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00:28 - Part 2 intro
02:23 - 1983 Moria
15:42 - Moria correspondence
27:31 - 1984 Hack
38:23 - Hack correspondence
47:31 - 1986 Larn
54:07 - Larn correspondence
58:13 - 1987 Omega
1:12:11 - Omega correspondence
1:14:11 - GROGPOD live first impressions
Mentioned in this episode:
Dungeon Hacks: How NetHack, Angband, and Other Roguelikes Changed the Course of Video Games
Toma’s unedited 15 minute voicemail here
Toma’s 130 traditional roguelike reviews
Rogue Elements
Scott & Dan talking Dwarf Fortress back in 2020
Next episode: EP100 part 3: Brogue CE
Contact us at [email protected]!
https://grogpod.zone
Intro music: Shiryu - The Lord of the Chiptunes: The Chiptune of the Ring - The Council of Elrond
Outro music: Shiryu - The Bridge of Khazad-dûm
Episode 100 Part 1 - Rogue and its Predecessors
2026/07/21
The road to Rogue was paved with ascii, teletype, thousand-pound mainframes, and a hacker spirit only highschoolers and college kids and eminate. For our big 100th episode, we have for you a 3-part deep dive into the games that inspired Rogue, the first TRUE roguelikes, and the crown jewel of ascii games: Brogue. This being part 1, we focus on the biggest computer games of the 1970s and how those shaped the design of Rogue. For each game, Scott briefly talks about how its played and a short bit of history, followed by some community correspondence about the game. Finally we have the pod crew doing a first ever live in-person recording about our experiences playing these games for the first time. So use those podcast desription timestamps to jump around! You feel weak with hunger… a hunger that can only be satisifed by hitting that play button!
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1:00 - Intro to episode 100 parts 1, 2, and 3
05:30 - 1971 Star Trek overview
13:30 - Trek correspondence
20:22 - 1975 pedit5/The Dungeon overview
30:10 - 1976 Colossal Cave Adventure
41:12 - ADVENT correspondence
47:12 - 1980 Rogue
58:52 - Rogue correspondence
1:06:46 - GROGPOD live first impressions
Next episode: EP100 part 2: The First Roguelikes (Moria, Hack, Larn, Omega)
Contact us at [email protected]!
https://grogpod.zone
Intro music: Star Trek 1969
Outro music: Introduction to the PDP-11
BALL x PIT
2026/07/14
Ball don’t lie! This week we’re dropping into the chasm filled with Arkanoid-inspired enemies in BALL x PIT! The fabled city of Ballbylon has fallen and evil monsters have dragged the metropolis into, you guessed it, a pit! Your quest is to rebuild the city by taking a ramshackle elevator down into the depths, huck balls at the rampaging hordes, and escape with resources you can use to restore the town brick by brick. Sure none of the residents have eyes in their sockets, are largely magical warlock outcasts and fallen kings, and in some cases look like haunted versions of an American Gothic painting, but we will rebuild! And upgrade our infrastructure via as many ping-pong mechanics as possible!
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1:58 - Game stats
3:35 - One sentence description
4:07 - The Fall of Ball-bylon in 46 Seconds
8:46 - Visual Style: Scrolling Enemies, Mobile Game Look & Art
13:49 - Ball System: Build Strategy Synergy
29:06 - Early Game & Metaprogression Treadmill
35:18 - Town Building: RTS Grid Base Builder & Worker Trajectory
43:21 - Character Variety: Turn-Based Mode, Twitch Voting & Unique Gimmicks
52:32 - Narrative Theme: Descending the Pit & Level Progression Arc
55:04 - Town Building x Ball Combat x Sound Design
1:11:22 - How’s it Compare with Vampire Survivors?
1:22:30 - Rankings & final thoughts
1:30:00 - Similar games & show wind down
Next episode: Episode 100 part 1 - Rogue and Its Predecessors
Contact us at [email protected]!
https://grogpod.zone
Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 2 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/
Outro music: Liminal x Desert - Amos Roddy
Caves of Qud Part 3: Interview with Composer Craig Hamilton
2026/06/30
Moon and Sun! Caves of Qud returns for our summer music episode, as I grabbed some time with the composer Craig Hamilton! Since Qud is a dramaturgical triad, we couldn’t NOT do a third episode talking with the creative mind behind the creative sounds of the game. We’re talking Digital Audio Workstations, sci-fi literature, flamethrowers, traditional roguelikes, and so much more! The torsion of an external crank drags a rosin-slathered wheel against a metal cable, whose protestations emerge from the wooden case in a low, melodic groan.
Part 1 of our Qud Qoverage focusing on the story and soundtrack can be found here
Part 2 focusing on the gameplay and mechanics of Qud can be found here
Other topics discussed:
https://www.craigoryhamilton.com/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1247760/Caves_of_Qud_Soundtrack/
https://stumpyfrog.com/sfr24a-caves-of-qud-3lp/
https://eggplant.show/into-the-depths-caves-of-qud-finale
http://www.decklinsdemise.com/mordor.htm
https://store.steampowered.com/app/224500/Gnomoria/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima_Ratio_Regum_(video_game)
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Transcript
00:00 - Intro Premable
2:17 - Interview Start!
3:14 - Craig’s Musical Origins: Uncle’s Yamaha Keyboard & Early Life
6:22 - Mixtapes, High School Bands & College Hardcore Synth Work
10:10 - Childhood Dream: Astronaut, Video Game Maker or Musician
11:50 - Childhood Gaming: Diablo 1, XCOM & Cinematic Music Influences
17:38 - Film Score Influences: Arrival, Blade Runner & Disney Jungle Book
19:00 - How Craig Got Hired: Dropsy Tracks & Caves of Qud Audition
24:24 - Composition Process: Flavour Text Prompts & Dev Collaboration
26:43 - “Onward”: Multiple Versions, Melancholy Quality & New Keyboard
33:53 - Diegetic Sound Design: Golgotha Flamethrower & Theme Park Composition
38:45 - Craig’s Favorite Track: “Arrival” & Interstellar Inspiration
44:46 - “Bey Lah Heritage II”: Western Aesthetic, Harmonicas & Hindren Influence
47:36 - “Attack on Grit Gate”: Desperate Blown-Out Battle Sound Design
52:34 - Favorite Game Soundtracks: FF7, Nuclear Throne, Katamari Damacy
1:05:31 - Craig’s 40 Hours of Qud: Exploration Style & Mutant Builds
1:10:47 - The Caves Music: Danger, Oppression & Caving YouTube Inspiration
1:15:14 - Cozy Art Lulling Players Into a False Sense of Security
1:18:36 - Gnome Moria, Ultima Ratio Regum & Procedural Generation Discussion
1:25:21 - Show Wind Down
Next episode: BALL x PIT
Contact us at [email protected]!
https://grogpod.zone
Intro music: Caves of Qud OST - 3rd Spore Phase
Outro music: Caves of Qud OST - Of Chrome, and How (Sultan’s Song)
Hard Reset
2026/06/15
“You don’t have the cards!” This week we deep dive the cyberpunk productivity app roguelike deckbuilder hybrid that our very own co-host Will has been developing since 2018! A unique spin on gamification apps, Hard Reset asks the ever-important question of: “what if we made the game part actually fun?” The capitalist oligarchs have taken over and you must stop them by upgrading your cybernetics as provided by a mysterious benefactor. Fight through mutant-filled cyber slums with the help of rocket arms, irradiation blasters, and a helpful hand or two. But don’t skimp on those tasks to practice your cello or take out the garbage! Being consistent rewards gameplay with bonuses, and missing days will add consequences to your deck.
Find Will’s app at:
https://hardreset.app/
https://discord.com/invite/VdqP5AWBnz
https://bsky.app/profile/hardresetapp.bsky.social
https://www.youtube.com/@HardResetApp
Hard Reset has already been getting some coverage by other outlets that you can find below:
ParadoxPort - Hard Reset: When To-Do Lists Meet a Dystopian Cyberpunk Game
Sam Liberty - Hard Reset Is the Gamified Productivity App I’ve Been Waiting For
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1:13 - Game stats
2:28 - One sentence description
5:09 - Origin Story: Behavioral Therapy Work & Contingency Management
9:18 - Hard Reset’s Purpose vs. Previous Therapy App
12:07 - Habitica Comparison & Fun-as-Reward Design Philosophy
15:25 - Vesper-5 & Checklist-Game Symbiosis Discussion
23:52 - Boot Sequence, Node Map & Game Structure Walkthrough
24:34 - Hardware & Wetware System vs. Slay the Spire Relics
35:10 - Card Codex Stats: 71 Cards, 15 Hacks & Unique Mechanics
43:41 - Combat Animations, Eye-Opening Intro & Protagonist Identity
46:01 - Portrait Mode Innovation & One-Handed Mobile Design
59:50 - AI Art Ethics: Solo Dev Cost Reality & Moral Debate
1:09:43 - Story & Theme: Cyberpunk Anti-Oligarch Revolution Narrative
1:33:43 - Player Build Strategies & Community Discoveries
1:53:00 - Rankings & final thoughts
2:01:13 - Fan Write-Ins
2:05:10 - Similar games & show wind down
Next episode: Summer music fest interview with Caves of Qud composer Craig Hamilton!
Contact us at [email protected]!
https://grogpod.zone
Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 2 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/
Outro music: Hard Reset trailer theme
Rift Wizard 3: Interview with Developer Dylan White
2026/06/09
It’s a special bonus episode this week! With Rift Wizard 3 launching in June 2026, I sat down with developer Dylan White to talk about the third game’s evolution, how its distinguished itself from Rift Wizard 2, and what it takes to make a traditional roguelike game stand out in the ever evolving morass of games being released on Steam these days. Come for the discussion on PyGame, stay for the discussion on metal music band names as monsters!
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1:51 - Interview Start
2:49 - Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup as Primary Design Inspiration
6:15 - Original Concept: Not a Wizard Game at First
9:06 - Core Design Goal: Every Encounter High-Pressure & Unique
13:11 - Rift Wizard 2: Items System Added to Fight Forced Builds
16:46 - Dominions 5 Influence & Knowing Your Game’s Identity
20:35 - Why Python/Pygame: Fast Prototyping & Fun to Code
22:38 - ASCII Prototype Origins & Discarded Pac-Man Mana Mechanic
32:22 - AI Coding Agents: Core Logic Hand-Coded, UI Outsourced
41:52 - Crafting System Design: Balancing Planning vs. Improvisation
47:31 - Rift Wizard 3 Art Direction: Ralph Bakshi & 70s Animation
56:36 - Grid Size Changes Across Versions & Rebalancing Challenges
1:02:14 - Sequel Philosophy: 75% Familiarity, 25% Novelty
1:07:17 - Switch & Steam Deck Portability: Mouse-Keyboard Dependency Problem
1:22:50 - Dylan’s Favorite Roguelikes & Final Thoughts on Genre
Contact us at [email protected]!
https://grogpod.zone
Intro music: Rift Wizard 3 Title Theme
Outro music: Rift Wizard 3 Boss Theme
Mewgenics
2026/06/04
He’s a bad bad kitty! We’re snapping our fingers and fighting through the alleways this week with Mewgenics! The long-awaited game by Binding of Isaac creator and roguelite genre legend Edmund McMillen, fans have been wating something like 15 years to experience the cat breeding tactical combat RPG. You are a crazy cat lady, reanimated from the dead by a mad scientist and your goal is to breed cats to send on harrowing adventures through junkyards, spider caves, the moon, and beyond the reaches of the spacetime continuum. All the while maintaining your most impressive collection of freaks (cats) as they create offspring, poop in your house, and defend you from headless horrors rampaging the neighborhood.
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Transcript
0:57 - Listener Request Week & Game stats
3:55 - One sentence description
4:30 - Mewgenics dev history
6:28 - Welcome Roguepod Litecast listeners!
10:25 - Art Style & Edmund McMillan Tone
16:51 - NPC Designs
29:02 - Cat Generation, House Overview
31:03 - Typical Run Breakdown: Node Map, Acts & Biomes
33:43 - Boss Music with Lyrics & Soundtrack Discussion
49:57 - Combat Mechanics, Character Classes & Unlocks
57:58 - Cat Breeding Meta Progression System Deep Dive
1:07:16 - Genealogy System
1:21:14 - Guillotina House Defense Battle
1:26:35 - Difficulty Modes, Run Length & Off-Ramp Mechanics
1:39:07 - Rankings & final thoughts
1:50:00 - Similar games & show wind down
1:52:19 - Episode 100 details!
1:53:40 - Next episode - Will’s app/game - https://hardreset.app
2:04:10 - Gigi, Ari, Rakanishu, and Molly (see the youtube episode for videos!)
Next episode: Hard Reset (2026)
Contact us at [email protected]!
https://grogpod.zone
Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 1 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/
Outro music: Rediculon - Chumbucket Kitty
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
2026/05/19
Emperor guide thy aim! Roguelikes and -lites span a spectrum, especially when they come as added game modes to big budget titles that aren’t roguey themselves. This week we explore Warhammer 40K Darktide: the action RPG featuring two … sort of … rogue-ish (heavy squinting) game modes: Expeditions and the Mortis Trials. From the moment I understood the weakness of game genre definitions, they disgusted me. I craved the strength and certainty of roguelikes. I aspired to the purity of the blessed permadeath. Your kind cling to your save files, as if they will not decay and fail you. One day the crude biomass that you call a gameplay loop will wither, and you will beg my kind to save you. But I am already saved, for roguelikes are immortal. Even in death I serve the GROGnissiah.
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Transcript
2:35 - Game stats
4:08 - One sentence description, Non-Roguelike Games with Rogue Modes Discussion
7:05 - Lore Overview
17:33 - StarCraft & Warhammer
21:56 - Intro Cinematic & Satire
26:17 - Character Creation, Classes & Hub World Tour
38:32 - Adventure Mode, Main Story & Mission Structure
44:47 - Procedural Generation (Or Lack Thereof) & Roguelike Credentials
51:43 - Expeditions Mode: Node Map, Scrap System & Extraction
56:08 - Mortis Trials: Horde Mode, Wave Perks & Chaos Builds
1:13:20 - Soundtrack & Sound Design
1:17:48 - Servitor Healing Stations & Imperium’s Dark Worldbuilding
1:22:10 - Rankings & final thoughts
1:33:08 - Similar games & show wind down
Next episode: Mewgenics
Contact us at [email protected]!
https://grogpod.zone
Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 1 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/
Outro music: Jesper Kyd - Disposal Unit (Imperium Mix)
UFO 50 (with Woody Ciskowski)
2026/05/07
Play forever! It’s time to climb one of the most ambitious game releases in recent memory by dusting off UFO 50: the collection of games from the fictional LX Systems console of the 1980s. With some titles being very small, and others being very huge, we focus on just 7 that are the most rogue-ish: Bug Hunter, Velgress, Planet Zoldath, Waldorf’s Journey, Party House, Overbold, and Campanella 2! Will we be able to squash the eggs before they hatch? How many times will our hot pink spacecraft be graffito-tagged while hunting for precious treasure? We’ll share stories on our own Wild Buddy experiences as we search for our imprisoned little brother as well. They’re coming for your TEEETH!
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Transcript
1:56 - Game stats
6:17 - One sentence description
8:56 - Who is UFO 50’s target audience?
23:15 - UFO 50 intro sequence
26:45 - Variety of the 50 games in general
33:26 - Bug Hunter
46:57 - Velgress
1:03:30 - Planet Zoldath
1:16:43 - Waldorf’s Journey
1:30:10 - Party House
1:50:18 - Overbold
2:03:44 - Campanella 2
2:28:38 - UFO 50 general discussion
2:41:10 - Rankings & final thoughts
2:56:35 - Similar podcast: Eggplant Presents a Year of UFO 50
2:58:21 - Similar games & show wind down
Next episode: Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Contact us at [email protected]!
https://grogpod.zone
Intro music: GROGPOD Theme 1 by Balatro composer LouisF - https://louisfmusic.com/
Outro music: Eirik Surhke - Big Party / Infinity
Podcast reviews
Read GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast podcast reviews
Eqblackrose 2026/08/26
Thanks for history
I love this show. Listening to it, especially the episode 100 series took me back to my time as a teenager. I remember things now that I had long forg...
ajsbdfnjwvdba 2025/04/13
Keep up the great work
I love the podcast! I found the analysis of gameplay really insightful. You can tell that the hosts are experienced gamers.
The banter between hosts...
PeregrinT 2024/04/26
Fantastic for roguelike fans
Thanks to all the hosts for their efforts planning and producing these great episodes!
I like that there tend to be a myriad of opinions from each of...
necrosonic138 2024/04/24
More turn based please
Really wish there was more free cus on turn based permadeath games. You guys did Cogmind dirty.