# Procedural generation

- Term: Digital term
- Date: 1980
- Canonical: https://www.lanternhall.org/lexicon/procedural-generation/

> Creating game content such as dungeons, maps, loot or entire histories with algorithms rather than by hand, so each play-through differs. It descends from the random dungeon and treasure tables of early D&D.

Creating game content such as dungeons, maps, loot or entire histories with algorithms rather than by hand, so each play-through differs. It descends from the random dungeon and treasure tables of early D&D.

**Origin:** Rogue (1980) generated a fresh dungeon each game; later milestones include Diablo's randomized levels (1996) and the simulated world histories of Dwarf Fortress (2006).

## Quick answers

**What does "Procedural generation" mean?**
Creating game content such as dungeons, maps, loot or entire histories with algorithms rather than by hand, so each play-through differs. It descends from the random dungeon and treasure tables of early D&D.

**Where does the term "Procedural generation" come from?**
Rogue (1980) generated a fresh dungeon each game; later milestones include Diablo's randomized levels (1996) and the simulated world histories of Dwarf Fortress (2006).

---
From The Lantern Hall (https://www.lanternhall.org/), a museum of fantasy literature and roleplaying games.