Uploaded November 2022 | Updated September 2026, 20 hours ago
The year is 1981, over one decade before the concept of "roguelike" would come to exist. It's the dark times of the prohibition of "rogue" (at least in the computer labs of the University of Oklahoma), and a young programming enthusiast called Robert Koeneke sets on a journey to create his very own version of the game to circumvent the interdiction. His work would ultimately become foundational for a genre of computer games, inspire many developers to build upon it, and provide endless hours of fun to thousands of players all around the world. 41 years later, Robert has abandoned this earthly plane, so let's take some time to celebrate his great contribution.
Lead-in music generated by Sonat Uzun.
The year is 1981, over one decade before the concept of "roguelike" would come to exist. It's the dark times of the prohibition of "rogue" (at least in the computer labs of the University of Oklahoma), and a young programming enthusiast called Robert Koeneke sets on a journey to create his very own version of the game to circumvent the interdiction. His work would ultimately become foundational for a genre of computer games, inspire many developers to build upon it, and provide endless hours of fun to thousands of players all around the world. 41 years later, Robert has abandoned this earthly plane, so let's take some time to celebrate his great contribution.
Lead-in music generated by Sonat Uzun.
