Roguee – PixelScientists

From PixelScientists · working title

You are the Red Knight. Rats and ghouls keep coming; your sword swings on its own, and you choose where to walk and which upgrades to take. Win or lose, your Knight keeps his gear and grows stronger.

GET STRONGER. COME BACK. WIN.

YOUR HIT 12, then 32, then 87

Your Knight's hit as he climbs the test build's three stages.

In developmentNo release date yet

Join the playtest See it move

KEY ART Key art made from the game's own sprites. The castle is from Lantern Town, a planned map.

One swing inside a packed swarm: the Knight in a cloud of gems. Set up for the camera: in a real run the horde gets this big later.

Genre: Survivors-like roguelite, action
Players: Single-player
Language: English (test build)
Controls: Keyboard and mouse, or a gamepad. Keys can be changed.
Platforms: PC first: test builds run on Linux today. Windows, Steam Deck, Android and iOS are planned. Planned

About this game

In one minute

You walk; your sword swings on its own. In the test build
Kills drop gems. Grab them to level up, then pick 1 of 3 cards. In the test build
Last about 15 minutes against a growing horde, then beat the boss. In the test build
Every run pays: your Knight keeps the gear he found and his own level. In the test build
Each stage needs more Power, and your hit grows to match. In the test build
Coming: 7 more heroes (8 in all), handmade maps full of loot, traps that hurt everyone, relics that change the rules. Planned

One swing turns a packed swarm into a cloud of gems. Set up for this clip: in a real run the horde gets this big later.

One swing, a pile of gems

In the test build

Your sword swings by itself every 1.1 seconds, toward where you face. You choose where to walk.

Rats and ghouls pour in from every side, and the horde keeps growing. Every kill drops a mint-green gem: walk over the gems to level up. A level-up can add the Morningstar to guard your back.

Shield Bash: ghouls slammed into ghouls. Keys: E, or RT on a gamepad.

Shield Charge: rats scooped up and carried. Keys: Space, or RB on a gamepad.

Walk. Bash. Charge.

In the test build

One button bashes, one button charges: you push the horde around.

Shield Bash throws everything in front of the Knight about 6 metres. Shield Charge scoops up enemies and carries them; end against a wall and they're crushed. Want more control? Hold a button to lock your facing, or switch the aim mode: set it to Highest health and he goes straight for the big one. Keyboard and mouse or a gamepad; you can change the keys.

Level up: pick one of three cards, or reroll.

Pick 1 of 3

In the test build

Every level-up pauses the fight and shows 3 cards. Pick one.

A card adds a new weapon or passive, or levels one up. Each card rolls a rarity, and a rarer card is a bigger step. Don't like the three? Reroll. In the test build: the Oath Sweep, the Morningstar, and four passives: Whetstone, Hearty Stew, Mule Kick and Hourglass.

Planned: many more weapons, badges on each card that show how it fits your build, and ways to skip or banish a card. Planned

The Snuffer's slam, in the test build.

GEMS
GOLD
DANGER

Gems are mint, gold is gold, and danger is red, so you can read a crowd at a glance.

Read the boss. Step out.

In development

At 15:00 the bells ring and the Snuffer walks in. When a red ring fills around it, walk out.

The Snuffer is a giant ghoul. “The Burgrave's errand ghoul. Sent to put the lanterns out. Ate the lamplighter instead.” Before it slams, a red ring fills around it for one second, with a rising sound. The longer the fight, the angrier it gets. It's our test boss; the real bosses are planned (see below).

A run, start to boss

From the first rat to the boss bell.

0:00 Alone in the yard Your sword starts swinging. The first rats arrive. In the test build
FIRST MINUTES Gems and cards Grab gems, level up, pick a card. In the test build
2:30 The run starts paying From here on, the run earns gear for your Knight. In the test build
THEN The horde grows More enemies every minute. Then, just before the bells, a moment of quiet. In the test build
15:00 Bells “THE SNUFFER COMES FOR THE LANTERNS.” In development
THE END VICTORY or FALLEN Both pay into your Knight. Then pick your next stage. In the test build

Planned on the way: elites that drop chests and keys, swarms crossing the screen, the Murk Tide (a fog that rolls in with enemies inside), nightfall, and two mini-bosses before the final boss. Planned

Numbers go up

Your hit grows

In the test build

A fresh Knight hits for 12. Every 10 Power makes that hit 2.7 times bigger: 12, then 32, then 87, then 236.

YOUR HIT 12 · 32 · 87 · 236 with POWER 8 · 18 · 28 · 38

THE TEST BOSS'S HEALTH ON EACH STAGE

STAGE 1THE SNUFFER Boss health4.89K
STAGE 2THE SNUFFER, AGAIN Boss health13.2K
STAGE 3THE SNUFFER, PERSONALLY OFFENDED Boss health35.6K

Each stage's boss has 2.7 times the health of the last, and each stage needs 10 more Power: just enough to make your hit 2.7 times bigger. 236 is your hit at Power 38; the test build's stages need up to 30, and bigger stages are planned.

Each stage needs more Power

In the test build

One number says how strong you are. Each stage shows what it needs, and one word sums up your chances.

Power is a base, plus your Knight's level, plus his gear, and it never goes down. A fresh Knight on stage 1 reads POWER 8 / NEEDS 10.

Below what a stage needs, enemies are tougher and hit harder; above it, they're softer. A stage you've just opened usually reads GRIM: that's the wall, and you always see how high it is. Outgrow a stage by 10 Power and the run is SWIFT: the boss comes at 7:30.

The six words, worst to best: GRIM SLIM · TOUGH FAIR · GOOD EASY

POWER 8 YOUR HIT 12

MORE STAGES Planned: the real maps, each played at darker tiers, Dusk to Murk. Details still open. Planned
STAGE 3NEEDS 30 · GRIM Murk in the Drill Yard
STAGE 2NEEDS 20 · GRIM Rain in the Drill Yard
STAGE 1NEEDS 10 · TOUGH Dusk in the Drill Yard

Every run pays

In the test build

Even a death pays, so a bad run still moves you forward.

Survive 2:30 and you earn your first piece of gear, more the longer you last, and two more for a win. A better piece goes on at once; a worse one is scrapped. Five slots: helm, coat, gloves, boots and charm. Four rarities, each with its colour: common, magic, rare and heroic.

Two kinds of level: the levels and cards inside a run start over every time (the summary calls that RUN LV). Your Knight's own level stays, up to 50.

In the test build

VICTORY on stage 1: “THE LANTERNS STAY LIT. FOR NOW.” Knight XP +150, level 2 to 3. Six pieces of gear rolled: two better ones go on, four are scrapped. POWER 12 to 14, and stage 2 opens.

FALLEN on stage 1: SNUFFED, with the Snuffer at 3% health. Still Knight XP +100, level 1 to 2, four new pieces of gear, and POWER 8 to 12.

REAL GEAR FROM THE TEST BUILD

THE BURGRAVE'S OWN BRACERS
GRANDMOTHER'S LUCKY NAIL
GILDED HAUBERK
GILDED BOOTS OF WET FEET
GILDED SALLET OF WET FEET
STURDY BARBUTE
OILED GREAVES
OILED GAUNTLETS
BORROWED SAINT'S TOOTH
SECOND-HAND MITTS
RUSTY GAMBESON
DAMP SURCOAT
DENTED KETTLE HAT
BORROWED BRACERS

Heroes

Every hero plays a different game. You start with the Red Knight.

A hero is a signature weapon, one ability, a dash and one rule they bend: the Countess, for one, pays health to reroll her cards. 8 heroes are planned for the full game, the Knight included. Each new hero unlocks through a feat that teaches their style. Planned

Playable in the test build

RED KNIGHT

Sir Hardric, the Order's shield wall.

“Diplomacy, but with a shield.”

Herd the horde against a wall: every shove is damage.

Oath Sweep:: a wide sword sweep where he faces, every 1.1 seconds.
Shield Bash:: throws everything in front of him about 6 metres.
Shield Charge:: scoops up enemies (up to about 12) and carries them. End against a wall and they're crushed.

Spikes, barrels and relics of his own are planned. Planned

GREEN RANGER

“Technically still poaching.”

Keep them far: arrows hit harder the farther they fly. She sees what places hold.

Planned

BLUE ROGUE

“She didn't build the traps. She just knows who paid for them.”

Loop the horde through traps that fire when she says so.

Planned

VIKING

“She heard there was a fight.”

Leap in and stay in: every projectile flies back to her through the crowd.

Planned

LAMPLIGHTER

“Promoted from 'hey, you with the ladder'.”

Light lanterns into a network of burning wards and run the loop.

Planned

COUNTESS

“She pays for everything in blood.”

Lower health, more damage. She pays health to reroll cards.

Planned

NECROMANCER

“Not a necromancer. Just very good at his job.”

The parish gravedigger. Raise the dead and point the army.

Planned

ALCHEMIST

“Labels are for cowards.”

Carry five weapons, mix the elements and set off big reactions.

Planned

Planned for the first free update

Planned

Designed for a free update after launch. Not final.

SHEPHERD

“The horde is just a flock that hasn't been told yet.”

Her dogs herd the horde into a pen you choose. Then something explodes.

Planned

LEGIONNAIRE

“He was told to hold this bridge. Nobody said until when.”

Stand still to block and reflect. Move before the guard breaks.

Planned

PEDLAR & AGATA

“Neutral in the war against the Murk. Prices are not.”

A merchant and his donkey: gold opens vaults, and spending makes his coins hit harder.

Planned

Silhouettes drawn from the design notes. Final art isn't made yet.

What's planned

Everything in this section is designed but not built yet. Here's where Roguee is going. Planned

The Lantern Road

Planned

A living fog, the Murk, has swallowed the old roads. The Lantern Order walks out at dusk to relight its shrines.

Half-timber towns in the rain, castles on crags, a moonlit graveyard, a frozen fjord, temple cliffs at golden hour. Warm lanterns against cold blue fog, with dry jokes in the text. The test build plays in a practice arena, the Drill Yard; these pictures are an art preview of Lantern Town, the first real map.

Lantern Town's final boss, Burgrave Ottokar, has eaten the town's lanterns. Kill him and he coughs them up, and the lamps along the street light up again.

PLANNED MAP · ART PREVIEW

Art preview of Lantern Town, a planned map: the horde follows the Knight through the rain. Not in the game yet.

THE PLAN FOR THE FULL GAME · MAY CHANGE

8heroes in all, the Knight included, +3 planned for the first free update
30weapons
24evolutions
72relics
13bosses
35kinds of enemies
14kinds of traps
15kinds of places
4+1maps, one of them secret
6element reactions

Planned

Counts from the design notes; they may change.

The map is the loot table

The strongest power waits out in the world. You choose the route.

Planned

Handmade maps whose places, traps and chests are reshuffled every run: boss shrines, vaults that open with keys, trap gauntlets with a relic at the end, an altar of deals, a fountain, the Hand of Greed, and a rare secret cellar behind a cracked wall.

Four maps and a secret one

Each map has one big twist.

Planned

Runaway carts in Lantern Town. Graves that dig pits in Strigoi Hollow. A frozen fjord where the whole horde skates, so every shove becomes a throw. Toppling colossi. And a secret map where the wind blows everything off the edges: light a hidden beacon on each of the four maps to open it.

Traps hurt everyone

Drag the horde across them.

Planned

Spike floors, blade pillars, barrels that blow up in chains, runaway carts, falling icicles, toppling statues. A trap never takes more than 15% of your health and never kills you in one hit. Every trap glows and makes a sound before it fires. No hidden traps.

Bosses that use the map

Every main map has two mini-bosses and a final boss.

Planned

The Black Knight stuns himself when his lance charge hits a wall. Kick carts down the ramps into Burgrave Ottokar. Face away from Medusa and her gaze can't touch you. Grimgut the Bridge Troll sends you an invoice: pay his toll and he starts the fight weaker. Every attack has a warning and a way to walk out of it.

Weapons that change shape

30 weapons, and 24 evolutions that change what a weapon does, not just its numbers.

Planned

Max a weapon, own its partner item, open a gold chest: it evolves. Dalmatian Hounds: a pack of dogs that bite and shove. A Powder Keg that also sets off the map's barrels. A Skittle Ball: “bowling, with ghouls”. Evolve the Villager's Torch and the whole town turns up with pitchforks.

Relics with a price

Rule-changers you find on the map. The strongest carry a downside, printed in red.

Planned

72 relics, including five legend sets of 3 pieces: Midas, Icarus, Robin, Merlin and Arthur. Glass Edge: double damage, half your health. Midas Gloves: kills drop gold, but you can't be healed.

Builds that click

Collect items that share a type and your build changes shape. Mix elements and they react.

Planned

Own 4 fire items and burning kills explode. Own 4 trap items and traps pull enemies in before they fire. Freeze a pack, then throw one fire flask: they shatter. And when two things clash, there's always an item that makes them work together.

Elites, chests and keys

Elites are walking presents.

Planned

Bigger enemies with one or two traits shown above them, like Swift, Shielded or Volatile. They always drop a chest, and some drop keys for the vaults. The cursed chest is the best box in the game: opening it calls two elites and a swarm. You open every chest yourself.

Planned: the keyhole always shows the best rarity inside.

Oaths

When you can't carry another weapon or passive, level-ups offer Oaths: small rule cards.

Planned

Oath of the Pyre: a burning enemy that dies passes the fire to its neighbours. Oath of the Snare: when one of your traps fires, the nearest other trap fires too.

Between runs

The Last Lantern: the Order's tavern under the castle.

Planned

The chalkboard reads “KNIGHTS' CAFE. FORMERLY A TAVERN. THE KNIGHTS INSISTED.” Unlocked heroes eat at the long table. New heroes, items and maps unlock through feats that teach them, and you can keep one treasured relic between runs. The tavern cat lets you pet it once.

Questions

When does it come out?

There's no release date yet. Roguee is in development, and test builds go to playtesters.

Can I play it now?

Only as a playtester. Write to hello@pixelscientists.com to join.

What's in the test build?

The Red Knight in a practice arena, the Drill Yard, against rats and ghouls. His sword, the Morningstar, Shield Bash and Shield Charge. Level-up cards, four aim modes, music and sound. Three stages, gear, and the test boss, the Snuffer. Everything marked Planned on this page is not in it yet.

Which platforms?

PC first; test builds run on Linux today. Windows, Steam Deck, Android and iOS are planned.

How much will it cost?

That isn't decided yet.

Is it hard?

A new stage is meant to be nearly impossible on the first try. Every run makes your Knight stronger, so you come back and win it. There's no difficulty menu: if you're less quick, you climb a little longer.

Do I lose everything when I die?

No. Even a death pays your Knight XP and gear. Only the run's own levels and cards start over.

Are there daily rewards or timers?

No. No daily rewards, no timers, nothing you can miss. That's a rule we've set for the full game.

Play it early

Roguee is in development. The test build has the Red Knight, three stages and the Snuffer. Play an evening or two and tell us what's fun and what isn't. Test builds run on Linux PCs for now.

Join the playtest

Opens your email app: hello@pixelscientists.com. Tell us a little about what you play on.

Screenshots and clips

About this game

In one minute

One swing, a pile of gems

Walk. Bash. Charge.

Pick 1 of 3

Read the boss. Step out.

A run, start to boss

Numbers go up

Your hit grows

Each stage needs more Power

Every run pays

Heroes

RED KNIGHT

GREEN RANGER

BLUE ROGUE

VIKING

LAMPLIGHTER

COUNTESS

NECROMANCER

ALCHEMIST

Planned for the first free update

SHEPHERD

LEGIONNAIRE

PEDLAR & AGATA

What's planned

The Lantern Road

The map is the loot table

Four maps and a secret one

Traps hurt everyone

Bosses that use the map

Weapons that change shape

Relics with a price

Builds that click

Elites, chests and keys

Oaths

Between runs

Questions

Play it early