In my need for escapist entertainment lately I’ve fallen back on
computer games, including several in the “rogue-like” genre. Yes,
those solo, dungeon-delving games based on Rogue from 1980
with dungeon elements defined by ASCII characters. Seems like
everyone’s making their own version (much like the Old School
Renaissance); I happen to like Pixel Dungeon for its upgraded
graphics and interesting magical item uses. Just a few clicks and I’m
exploring a random dungeon with monsters, magic items, and plenty of
opportunities to meet a horrid end. I don’t care, it’s fun,
caters to my interest in fantasy gaming, and doesn’t require me to
invest too much time, energy, or focus. I juxtapose this play style
with the kind of tabletop roleplaying game session that satisfies my
needs in my middle-aged years: heroic characters taking on epic
challenges in my favorite genres, where they stand a decent chance of
survival despite seemingly insurmountable odds. This illustrates to
me the vast differences between “grinder” style games and heroic
play, and reinforces why I prefer the latter in my full-fledged
roleplaying game endeavors.
