GAUNTLET
// The taxonomy

The vocabulary the whole index is built on.

Every filterable field is constrained to a controlled vocabulary — that is what keeps “hardcore” and “roguelike” meaning the same thing on every page. These are the canonical terms.

// Modes
softcore

Standard progression with recoverable deaths, checkpoints and unlimited reloads.

hardcore

Strict progression with higher stakes and semi-permanent consequences.

permadeath

A single death deletes the character or resets progress entirely.

ironman

No manual saving or retries. Continuous playthrough integrity.

roguelike

Procedurally generated, single-life design; no metaprogression.

roguelite

Procedurally generated, allows persistent metaprogression.

competitive

Ranked leaderboards, PvP focus, or scoring-based competition.

// Mechanics
7 tracked variables · FK from mode.mechanics[]

Each mode references these by id. Add a variable by appending one object — no migration.

Mechanic
Category
Definition
Values
Permadeath
permadeath
core
On death the character or run is permanently lost. Reserved for genuine save/character deletion — not a run reset with metaprogression.
enableddisabled
Meta Progression
meta_progression
meta
Persistent upgrades that carry across deaths/runs. Its absence is what separates a Roguelike from a Roguelite.
nonelimitedfull
Enemy Scaling
enemy_scaling
combat
How enemy strength scales relative to the player or world tier.
offpartialfullexponential
Legendary Actions
legendary_actions
combat
Bosses gain extra out-of-turn actions, sharply raising encounter difficulty.
enableddisabled
Health Regeneration
health_regen
core
Whether and how fast player health recovers passively.
disabledslowmediumfast
Weapon Degradation
weapon_degradation
world
Weapons and gear lose condition with use and must be maintained.
offlightheavyextreme
Hunger System
hunger_system
world
Character must eat or suffer escalating penalties.
offlightpunishing
// Death consequence
Type
Xp LossInventory LossCharacter DeletionResetRespawn
Scope
CharacterRunAccountWorldSessionCampaign
Persistence
TemporaryRecoverableSemi-PermanentPermanent
// Derived-genre rules

Auto-applied at build from a mode’s mechanics.

Roguelike
permadeath=enabled AND meta_progression=none
Roguelite
permadeath=enabled AND meta_progression!=none
Ironman
save_conditions has only_auto_saves AND permadeath=enabled
GAUNTLET

Mechanics-accurate game index. Every difficulty mode catalogued by what it actually does to your save.

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