Rogue Beach, CA

a.k.a. Rogue Beach California

created and published by Ananasblau Games in 2013-01-30, running on Linux

type: turn-based
perspective: side view
player options: single player

game engine: LÖVE framework
languages: eng

Official description

Rogue Beach, CA is an attempt to create a surf games in the roguelike genre. No fancy 3D graphics, no stunts, no tunnels, just a beach, water, waves and you, represented by an @, with your board.
You gotta be mad to combine a very fast sport like surfing with the turn-based gameplay of roguelike (though some people just don’t get it on the first try), but I think it can be done with a few tricks. And let’s not forgot, a Rogue Beach will be the ideal game for anyone who’s too slow for surfing or would like to enjoy the wildlife while surfing.

First of all the grid will be a lot small than the usual 1x1m you find in roguelikes. Secondly the player will have a (very high) speed parameter so if she goes UP at high speed, a single hit on the LEFT button will only turn her a little and she will still go UP for a few turns, dozens of grid blocks.

Roguelikes are a lot about slaying monsters, creatures wouldn’t be expected on a beach. But, beaches offer alternatives: Sharks for example, but they would be very much to fight, with the surfer just being part the shark’s foodchain. Rocks, though very passive can be a hazard to anyone falling of their board. Lastely other surfers and even though this is a sad matter, violence between groups of surfers in order to claim their stakes on certain beaches or even waves, is not unseen.

The player start swith herr board on the beach, grab it, run for the water and paddle out. Danger might lie in waves crashing in. Once you passed the waves, wait for a good one (of course the waves are generated randomly, seeded, and how often does the map completely mutate in a roguelike?) and paddle like mad, jump and the Fun can start.

Players get scores for a good and long surf, a polished release will give score if some camera is waiting to get a shot of the surfers. Trade your score for some hot speedos, flashy bikinis, boards, magic mushrooms, or a tasty cheeseburger while you are at the beach.