Rogue Legacy Creator Releases Source Code to Foster Knowledge

Indie developer Cellar Door Games has generously released the source code for its acclaimed 2013 roguelike, Rogue Legacy, to foster knowledge sharing within the game development community.

Cellar Door Games Opens Rogue Legacy's Source Code

Art and Music Remain Proprietary, but Collaboration is Encouraged

Cellar Door Games announced via Twitter (now X) that the complete source code for Rogue Legacy 1 is now publicly available for free download. The developer stated, "It's been over 10 years since we released Rogue Legacy 1, and in the pursuit of sharing knowledge, we are officially releasing the source code to the public." The code, hosted on GitHub, is licensed for non-commercial use, allowing individuals to learn from and build upon the game's foundation.

The GitHub repository is managed by Ethan Lee, a developer and Linux porter known for his contributions to other indie game source code releases. The move has been met with widespread praise from the gaming community, highlighting the educational value and preservation benefits of this open-source initiative.

This release ensures the game's longevity, safeguarding it against potential delisting from digital stores. The accessibility of the code also contributes to digital game preservation efforts. The announcement even caught the attention of Andrew Borman, Director of Digital Preservation at the Rochester Museum of Play, who expressed interest in collaborating with Cellar Door Games.

While the source code is freely available, the game's assets—including art, graphics, and music—remain under proprietary license and are not included. Cellar Door Games clarifies on GitHub: "The purpose of making the contents of this repo available is for others to learn from, to inspire new work, and to allow the creation of new tools and modifications for Rogue Legacy 1. If you are interested in distributing work that falls outside the terms in the license below, or if you are interested in distributing work that includes using any part of Rogue Legacy not included in this repo then please get in touch."