Three Roguelite Devs Explain Why They Chose the Genre
At the Tokyo Game Show 2026 event stage on September 20, the teams behind three action roguelites met at UKIYO GAME BAR in Yurakucho, Tokyo, for a cross-border discussion. The participants were Xiao Yu, producer of MyACG Studio's Cinderia from China; Kim Minseu, lead programmer of Team Tapas's Witch's Garden from Korea; and Takumi Isogai, producer and director of Furyu's CRYMELIGHT from Japan. Asked why they built roguelites, the answers split. Xiao Yu said the genre keeps production costs down because the same scenes can be reused, which suits small teams. Kim Minseu said an early prototype closer to Vampire Survivors led the team to look for a genre that would let strong animation and action carry a project at limited cost. Isogai said CRYMELIGHT needed repeated retries for its story and staging, and that Hades raised the genre's recognition in Japan.