once a year i have a roguelike or "rogue-adjacent" game binge. i am considering dagerfall the latter but never really played any "rogueLITE"s, nor do i even like that term. dcss is the only one i was really into in the past
anyway i'm very glad i decided to try caves of qud for the first time in a decade. i remember my friend from high school (2008-2012) telling me to give it a try, when i was lugging my 10lb dell laptop around school to play dcss like a fool. qud is without a doubt the best proper (ascii and tiles) roguelike i have ever played, seen, and heard. sounds are on point, pallete is on point. the first roguelike i've played without wanting to immediately switch off the tileset. every element comes together better than most other games, certainly all other roguelikes. the most cohesive roguelike i've experienced, i love it.
roguelikes are often literally "hit and miss" (as in the gameplay), but figuratively hit and miss as well, in many aspects. i usually just switch to ascii in most others, but qud's tileset is incredibly evocative, despite not being complete yet. it is every bit as immersive with and without it, same goes for the new and old UI. qud is more immersive than some first person games, even.
the "worst offender" of roguelike tilesets imo has to be ADOM, that flat out looks like a pay-to-win mobile game.