Rogue-likes & F2P RPGs - A Surprisingly Good Combination
The biggest RPGs on the mobile market like Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, Marvel Strike Force and AFK Arena are all games that monetize on progression & collection. Power progression is fairly linear with little variance, with perhaps Summoner's War having the most diverse endgame through extensive customization through their Runes system. It is then surprising that another genre I love, rogue-likes, have found a home in many of these RPGs. The essence of a rogue-like is its instance-based gameplay. This is why most advanced conversation around rogue-likes center around individual, independent "runs" with specific builds. One can complete a Watcher character run in Slay The Spire with a Pressure Points build, or an FTL run with a Crystal ship using the Flak Cannon. Rogue-likes often have a clear beginning and an end, and most of the time if you make it to the end you'd have managed to assemble a pretty impressive build. Apart from the difference in progression stru