Roguelikes have a reputation for being the most difficult and unforgiving games out there. It is a reputation well earned. In most, you can’t revert to previous saves, death is permanent, and half the time you have no idea what to expect, because a sizable portion of the game is randomly generated. Winning is a rarity and cause for celebration, while failure will be something you cope with regularly, sometimes for months on end without success. This is cause for many to be disinterested and pass these games by. But there exists a hardcore following for these games, a masochistic horde of die-hard fans who grind their fingers into the keyboard until the bone shows through, ever hoping to be one of the proud few to see their character achieve victory. Why?
The frustrations of Roguelikes
"But there exists a hardcore following for these games, a masochistic horde of diehard fans who grind their fingers into the keyboard until the bone shows through, ever hoping to be one of the proud few to see their characters achieve victory." Roguelikes.com has some introduction, as well as RogueBasin (a Rougelikes Wiki).