From RPS to roguelite
The design rules behind enemies, upgrades, shops, cards, and risky runs in Paper, Rock, Scissors, Shoot!
ยท Fabio Festa and Pietro Carnevale
The duel is only the beginning
A normal round of rock paper scissors ends in seconds. A roguelite run needs consequences that carry forward. Money, streaks, perks, cards, shops, and enemy abilities make each hand part of a larger decision.
The goal is to keep the input simple while making the context around each choice increasingly dangerous.
Enemies change the meaning of a hand
An enemy is interesting when it changes how the player reads the next duel. Some opponents create pressure, others affect rewards, and others make a familiar choice feel unsafe.
We use strange characters and clear visual feedback so the mechanic and personality arrive together.
Runs should create stories
The best run is not always the cleanest win. A risky purchase, a bad streak, or an unexpected enemy can create a memorable sequence even when Fred loses.
That is the tone we want: quick decisions, visible consequences, dark comedy, and another reason to start one more run.