Rogue Legacy Dev Shares Game Source Code in Pursuit of Sharing 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 took to Twitter (now X) to announce the free availability of Rogue Legacy 1's source code. The developer stated that, over a decade after the game's release, they are releasing the code "in the pursuit of sharing knowledge." The code, available on GitHub under a specialized, non-commercial license, allows for personal use and study.

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, offering valuable learning opportunities for aspiring game developers.

This release also ensures the game's long-term accessibility, safeguarding against potential delisting from digital storefronts and contributing to digital game preservation. The announcement even caught the attention of Andrew Borman, Director of Digital Preservation at the Rochester Museum of Play, who expressed interest in a potential partnership.

While the source code includes all localized text, game assets like art, graphics, and music are not included due to proprietary licensing. Cellar Door Games clarified on GitHub that the code's purpose is to facilitate learning, inspire new projects, and enable tool and modification creation for Rogue Legacy 1. They invite anyone interested in commercial use or incorporating assets outside the released code to contact them directly.