Category:RPGlike

Adventures with crucial RPG elements. There is still a web of family resemblances, but there is stronger cohesion than with the broader category of adventure games; many RPGlikes feature all of the typical RPGlike features, and all RPGlikes feature many of them.

There is typically a strong emphasis on stat-driven character development. Gameplay is paced with combat encounters with hostiles which offer a variety of tactical options, often with a melee and magic paradigm. Fighting is rewarded with experience points, money, and/or other treasures. There is a wide variety of armor, weapons, and other interesting or useful items which can be won through combat, exploration, or completion of other tasks, or can be traded for or bought from NPC vendors throughout the world.

There's still a lot of variety within this genre. You can play as a solo adventurer, or be in a party. Combat can be turn-based, action-based, or real-time strategic. The world can be open, linear, non-linear, be a dungeon crawler, or be one of any number of styles. Character creation can be extensive, and it can be nonexistent. But the most commonly emphasized features are narrative, character development, and combat resolution.