Creators of Enter The Gungeon Believe Roguelike Genre Has Strayed and Turned ‘Somewhat Cash-Grabby’

Enter the Gungeon recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, and during a chat with an outlet, co-founder Dave Crooks and composer Adam “Doseone” Drucker reflected on the game’s impact. As the conversation progressed, Crooks expressed his concerns about the direction of the roguelike genre over the past decade.

“The most noticeable change is the frequent pop-up of three choices every 45 seconds,” Crooks remarked. “There was a time when interrupting gameplay in a fast-paced environment was considered a design flaw. Now, the game’s structure seems to rely on these bursts of excitement and decision-making, resembling more of a slot machine than a traditional roguelike.”

Crooks pointed to two specific titles, Balatro and Vampire Survivors, as pivotal in this shift towards mechanics that feel more like gambling. “Especially with the influence of Vampire Survivors and Balatro, it seems to have become a bit… I hate to say it, but a little cash-grabby,” he noted. “The core fun of these games feels more akin to a slot machine experience than what made Rogue enjoyable. Designing a game that checks off those slot machine elements is simply easier.”

For context, Crooks mentioned Rogue, the classic 1980 Unix game that gave rise to the roguelike genre, along with titles like Rogue Legacy and The Binding of Isaac, which helped revive interest in the genre in the early 2010s.

It appears Crooks is linking the gambling-centric evolution of the genre in the early 2020s to both Vampire Survivors and Balatro, and his perspective is understandable. Balatro’s gambling elements are evident, even leading to a PEGI 18+ rating in 2024. Similarly, Luca Galante from Poncle has acknowledged that his background in the gambling industry influenced the slot-machine-style animations in Vampire Survivors.

The success of Balatro and Vampire Survivors has inspired a wave of gambling-themed roguelikes, such as Raccoin and CloverPit. While I’ve enjoyed all four of these games, Crooks raises valid points about the genre’s trajectory.

Given this context, I’m particularly eager to see how Enter the Gungeon 2, announced in 2025, will unfold. It’s clear that the evolution of the roguelike genre is a significant focus for Dodge Roll right now.