Is Ember Knights a Roguelike?

Ember Knights offers players a huge challenge with its fast-paced, hack-and-slash combat. While it does have some features that make it difficult to play, the developers would not call it a Roguelike.

Ember Knights is not a Roguelike—it is a Roguelite. This normally means that you should not expect death to have as much consequence as it would in many other games, so don't worry about a learning curve or unforgiving gameplay.

Related: Does Ember Knights have multiplayer?

What's the difference between Roguelike and Roguelite?

Roguelike games are known for their permadeath, which is one of the most distinct features. While Roguelites share some characteristics of Roguelikes, they also let you keep certain items after death. They're also easier than Roguelikes.

It comes from a 1980 game called Rogue. The game was unforgiving and had many of the features that we consider as Roguelike today, so a game like Rogue is a Roguelike. A Roguelite is a watered-down version that has more opportunities for error. As a Roguelite, you can expect death not to be as devastating.

Roguelites offer the challenge of Roguelikes without all of the consequences. For a great example of a Roguelite, look at The Binding of Isaac. The Steam page for The Binding of Isaac talks about its Roguelike elements, but it's not a complete Roguelike, making it a Roguelite.

For more games that offer rogue elements, why not check out our guide on Is Have a Nice Death a roguelike? or When does Ember Knights go into Early Access? Here on Pro Game Guides.