Yeah, I think "turn-based" is one the core elements of the rogue-like genre. Maybe that is related to the slogan of the GET LAMP documentary: "before the first person shooter there was the second person thinker" - or, in other words; some games focus mainly on adrenaline-driven action, the thrill of quick reactions to dangerous situations; while other games focus on thinking slowly, figuring out a strategy, tactics and plans to overcome a challenging situation. Of course many of the games mix these elements, and the hectic action game often requires some tactical thinking as well. But, yeah - if I think of the games around the turn of 1980 / 90, there were plenty of turn-based games in various genres, and it felt very natural approach. I wonder if it was partially affected by ordinary table-top games (and the pen-and-paper role playing games) which tend to be turn based.

(imagine playing chess with such a set of rules that you can move your pieces as fast as you can, and if you move your hands faster than your opponent you can flood them with your pawns and quickly win the game)