For last year's 7DRL I tried to write a text-based roguelike. I got hung up on the UI of all things and ran out of time due to life pressures, but spent some time over the summer trying to get the basic engine working.
This year I'm trying again. Using a modified version of the engine I wrote last year (i.e., actually making it a game) and a much simpler UI, I'm finally at a point where something resembling a game is there. It's the end of my Day 3, but honestly it's pretty good progress compared to other years. The game has a random dungeon of some sample rooms with lock/key puzzles scattered throughout. The generator is designed to pick random key/lock combinations depending on the room, so that will help with making thematically appropriate puzzles. The player has an inventory, light sources matter for seeing the rooms, and can die from too much damage due to traps or wandering in the darkness. The game is winnable, in that if you can reach the exit room you're presented with a win message and a total score. Thus, it is 'complete' in a very simple sense.
Tomorrow the plan is to add more content (treasures, keys, locks, and rooms) and test that these things work correctly. There was code for wearing stuff, but I suspect it's broken. After that I plan to break the puzzle generator by adding loops to the otherwise perfect tree, alternate ways of getting past locks, and keys with multiple uses. Once all of that is in an working correctly, then I'll add combat. It's going to be simplistic, but varied item effects and ways of dealing with enemies should keep things sufficiently interesting.
Demo and screenshots are expected tomorrow evening, so that I have a few days available for feedback for those interested in playing it.