Obligatory roguelike definition: I’m talking about traditional roguelikes. Games like Rogue. Difficult, complex, turn-based dungeon-crawlers. Procedural death labyrinths. I’m not talking about deckbuilders, autobattlers, synergy builders, bullet heavens, or run-based meta-progression games.
Other games are like action movies, and your character is Arnold Schwarzenegger. You run in guns blazing and win. Roguelikes are horror movies. You start as the victim, prey to monsters and unknown dangers in the dark. With the right mindset, you become the boogeyman.
The right mindset is key. You must approach the game with curiousity and respect, which are unnecessary for other games.