Rogue Legacy Dev Shares Game Source Code in Pursuit of Sharing Knowledge

Cellar Door Games, the indie developer behind the acclaimed 2013 roguelike "Rogue Legacy," has generously released the game's source code to the public. Their stated goal? To foster knowledge sharing and game development education.

Cellar Door Games Open-Sources Rogue Legacy

Game Assets Remain Proprietary

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 available under a specialized, non-commercial license, allowing for personal use and study.

This act of generosity has been lauded by the gaming community, providing a valuable learning resource for aspiring game developers. The GitHub repository is managed by Ethan Lee, a developer known for his work porting indie games to Linux.

Beyond educational benefits, releasing the source code ensures the game's long-term accessibility, safeguarding it against potential delistings or platform obsolescence – a significant contribution to digital game preservation. This initiative even caught 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 is freely available, it's important to note that game assets (art, music, icons) are not included. These remain under proprietary license. Cellar Door Games encourages contact for inquiries regarding the use of assets or projects extending beyond the license's terms. The developer's GitHub page clearly states the intention is to enable learning, inspire new projects, and facilitate the creation of tools and modifications for Rogue Legacy 1.