Genre guide

Roguelite auto battlers

A roguelite auto battler is a run-based game: you start with little, pick a route through a randomised map, grow a team between automatic fights, lose or win within an hour or two, and keep something for the next run. The roguelite half gives the structure, the auto battler half gives the core where you build instead of controlling the fight

The two halves

From roguelites: a branching map, elites with better loot, relics that change the rules, events with choices, a boss at the end of each act, difficulty steps after a win, unlocks between runs. From auto battlers: a shop, merging copies, synergies, items and placement, and a fight that plays itself

How Erumaru does it

Three acts of 13 floors on a map of 12 columns with 3 to 4 branches each, a guardian in the middle of every act and a boss at the end, then a three-floor finale against the Empty Mirror. 100 relics, including cursed ones and boss relics, 40 events, a workbench to forge legendaries with sparks of Eru. The Lantern levels up to 50 between runs and unlocks heroes, items, perks, relics, lands and 12 Filters that change the starting rules. After the first win, 20 steps of Thickening; after the final boss, the Descent with mutations every five floors

How long is a run

60 to 90 minutes for the 42 floors, and you can save at any node. The Descent after a win lasts as long as your squad does

Games in this genre

Questions people ask

What is the difference between roguelike and roguelite?

Roguelikes reset everything on death. Roguelites keep progression between runs: unlocks, levels, new options. Erumaru is a roguelite, the Lantern remembers more after every run

Does Erumaru have permadeath?

A run ends when the Lantern's Heat reaches zero, and heroes of that run are gone. The Lantern itself keeps its levels and unlocks

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