Indie developer Cellar Door Games has generously released the source code for its acclaimed 2013 roguelike, Rogue Legacy, making it freely available to the public. The studio's stated goal is to promote knowledge sharing within the game development community.
Cellar Door Games Open-Sources Rogue Legacy
Game Assets Remain Proprietary, but Collaboration is Encouraged
In a Twitter (now X) announcement, Cellar Door Games shared a link to a GitHub repository containing the complete source code for Rogue Legacy 1. The code is released under a specialized, non-commercial license, allowing for personal use and study.
The GitHub repository is managed by developer Ethan Lee, known for his contributions to other indie game source code releases. The move has been widely praised on social media, highlighting its potential to educate aspiring game developers.
This open-sourcing initiative also offers a crucial safeguard against future game inaccessibility. Should the game be delisted from digital stores, the source code ensures its continued availability, contributing to digital game preservation efforts. This proactive approach even attracted 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 includes all localized text, game assets such as art, graphics, and music are not included as they remain under proprietary license. Cellar Door Games clarifies on GitHub that the source code's purpose is educational and to inspire new projects and modifications. They encourage contact for any projects intending to distribute work outside the license terms or using assets not included in the repository.
