---
title: What is a Gurklike?
category: article
slug: what-is-a-gurklike
---

A **gurklike** is a game inspired by the **Gurk** series of mobile RPGs, or related games that share similar gameplay and presentation.

Fans of the series coined the term the same way "roguelike" was named after
*Rogue*.

## Common traits

### Open World

Gurklikes are usually **open world RPGs**, where the player is free to explore a large
world, interact with NPCs, and complete quests in a non-linear fashion. There are few or no restrictions on where the player can go.

### Party Based

The player controls a **party of characters**, each with their own abilities, stats, and equipment. 

### Role Playing Game

As a subset of the RPG genre, gurklikes feature **role-playing elements** such as character progression, levelling up, and gear acquisition through loot, quest rewards or shops (which may have a randomly generated selection).

### Grid Based

All actions in game take place on a grid, both in the overworld and in combat. All in game sprites and tiles align cleanly to the grid, frequently with 1 tile representing one object (without transition tiles or multi-tile objects, aside from walls). 

### Turn-based Tactical Combat

Combat in gurklikes is typically turn based, and takes place on a grid. Players and enemies take turns moving attacking with their characters, and positioning is important for strategy. Characters are restricted to a tile grid, and only move 1 or 2 tiles per turn.

Battles take place in their own map separate from the overworld, and the battle area fits on one screen.

### Vertical Physical UI Design

Gurklikes are often designed for mobile devices and optimised for vertical screens, allowing for easy one-handed play. The UI uses on screen buttons for controls (typically in a grid of 3x3), while the game world is displayed in a smaller area at the top. This mimics a Game Boy or other classic handheld consoles.

### Retro Pixel Art Style

As the genre is an intentional throwback to RPG games from the 1980s, the graphics are usually reminiscent of games from this era, specifically 8-bit gaming consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Sega Master System and the Commodore 64.