Game Source Code Released: Rogue Legacy Dev Furthers Knowledge

Indie Dev Cellar Door Games Releases Rogue Legacy 1 Source Code

Art and Music Remain Proprietary, But Collaboration is Encouraged

Cellar Door Games, the developer behind the acclaimed 2013 roguelike, Rogue Legacy, has made a generous contribution to the gaming community: the game's source code is now freely available for download. Announced via X (formerly Twitter), the studio stated that this release, over a decade after the original launch, is driven by a desire to foster knowledge sharing. The code, hosted on GitHub under a non-commercial license, allows for personal use and study.

The GitHub repository is managed by Ethan Lee, a developer and Linux porter with experience contributing to open-source projects for other indie games. The move has been met with widespread praise, offering aspiring game developers invaluable learning opportunities.

Beyond educational benefits, this release ensures the game's long-term accessibility, safeguarding it against potential delisting from online stores and contributing to digital game preservation. This initiative even caught the eye of Andrew Borman, Director of Digital Preservation at the Rochester Museum of Play, who expressed interest in collaborating with Cellar Door Games.

It's important to note that while the source code is open, the game's assets—including art, graphics, and music—remain under a separate, proprietary license. Cellar Door Games clarifies on GitHub that the intention is to facilitate learning, inspire new projects, and enable the creation of tools and modifications for Rogue Legacy 1. However, those wishing to distribute work beyond the license terms, or incorporate assets not included in the release, are encouraged to contact the developers directly.