Creating roguelikes is a common pasttime among hobbyist game devs. Lower asset requirements free up development time to focus on the true nuts and bolts that make games both entertaining and challenging, i.e. mechanics. As with any type of game, there is a wide range of components and considerations that go into creating a roguelike, and there are as many solutions as there are developers.
That said, the core "roguelike problem set" is also fairly well defined, with most developers having to tackle similar problems that may or may not apply to games outside the genre. As such, it's interesting to look at many different approaches to the same set of problems.
Two years ago I began hosting a series called "FAQ Friday" over on /r/roguelikedev where we ask roguelike developers to discuss a specific aspect of roguelike development as it relates to their own project.
Participation has been strong, and you'll find input from the devs of Nethack, DCSS, Incursion, Cogmind, Armoured Commander, Black Future, Temple of Torment, Shadow of the Wyrm, The Ground Gives Way, Cardinal Quest 2, and a huge range of other games in development you may not have heard of yet.
If you're interested in an under-the-hood look at roguelikes in development, or thinking of developing a roguelike of your own, consider checking out some of these threads:
#3: The Game Loop
#5: Data Management
#7: Loot
#8: Core Mechanic
#9: Debugging
#10: Project Management
#12: Field of Vision
#13: Geometry
#14: Inspiration
#15: AI
#16: UI Design
#17: UI Implementation
#18: Input Handling
#19: Permadeath
#20: Saving
#21: Morgue Files
#22: Map Generation
#23: Map Design
#24: World Structure
#25: Pathfinding
#26: Animation
#27: Color
