TetRogue

Developer: Timbo Johnson (@timbo_jay)

Genre: Roguelike + Block-Stacking Puzzle (featuring “mutation” mechanics)

Status: Alpha Test (currently in Alpha 6.x stage)

Platform: Browser (Web) – web build available

Gameplay Overview

TetRogue is a creative puzzle game that combines the classic falling-block mechanic with Roguelike-style progression. As the game goes on, it becomes increasingly “cruel,” introducing trickier and more unconventional shapes. If you dislike your current shape choices, you can take a “Cursed Row” to get new options — but the cost is a permanent reduction in your available play area. The goal is to see how far you can go and how high a score you can achieve.

Versions and Progress

Alpha 5.1 (Initial Public Release): Included the basic 7 shapes, with a new shape unlocked every 10 lines (14 total at that time). Players could “shrink the board” to exchange for new shapes, gain combo bonuses, and face speed increases every 25 lines.
Alpha 6 (Current Version): Introduces a range of updates, fixes, and quality-of-life improvements. The web version is now live. Save data is not yet supported (planned for Alpha 7). The developer also announced that official Tetris-style controls have been replicated, with improved controller handling, bidirectional rotation, and hold-to-move functionality.
Future Plans: The developer has discussed ideas for achievement-based unlocking and progression restructuring. During Alpha 6, an “achievement unlock shape pool” system was considered, but in the October 5, 2025 devlog, the creator announced plans to abandon the “currency shop” style unlocking in favor of a purer motivation-based design.

Core Features

Roguelike Progression: As you advance, shapes become trickier, forcing you to decide whether to take a shape or accept a cursed row to change your strategy.
Unlocks and Variants: From early versions, the game has featured new shape and mutation unlocks, offering diverse gameplay styles.
Continuous Updates: The developer actively maintains the project, frequently posting devlogs to share progress and design decisions.

Tips and Key Strategies

Use “Cursed Rows” wisely: They can help you escape difficult shape situations but will permanently reduce vertical space, lowering your margin for error later.
Establish rhythm early: From Alpha 6 onward, holding left or right enables continuous movement, and both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation are supported — take advantage of these for smoother control.
Play with stage-based goals: Earlier versions increased speed every 25 lines and unlocked new shapes every 10 — organizing your stacking rhythm around these milestones makes for more stable progress.
Stay aware of version changes: The current web version does not save progress, so aim for high scores in one run; Alpha 7 is expected to add saving support.

Developer Notes and Updates

The developer stated that from Alpha 6 onward, a full codebase refactor is underway — shapes are now defined once, automatically generate rotations, and use unified metadata management. This ensures greater scalability and stability for future updates. The developer also shared plans for a possible “non-shop-based” progression system focused on pure gameplay experience.