The Cave asks players to pick three of seven strangers, walk them into a talking hole in the ground, and live with the choice. Double Fine Productions built it around a question Ron Gilbert had carried for nearly twenty years: what if a cave lured people in to expose their worst traits?
Trailer, via SEGA.
Seven Strangers at the Entrance
The setup is the hook. A knight, a scientist, a hillbilly, an adventurer, and a pair of twins count among the seven, and each arrives with a dark secret and a private wish. The cave itself is sentient, voiced by Stephen Stanton, and it has watched all of human history.
A Princess, a Dragon, an Amulet
Gilbert’s cave is a comedy of bad behavior. A knight asks a princess for her amulet, the key to pulling the sword. She sends him for the dragon’s treasure. He succeeds, forgets to close the gate, and the dragon eats her and coughs up the amulet. The knight brings it to the king, who runs off to congratulate his favorite daughter and gets eaten too.
learn something about themselves and who they might become
That line, from Gilbert, is the whole design in one sentence.
Maniac Mansion, Twenty Years Later
The Cave borrows its structure from Gilbert’s 1987 game Maniac Mansion: choose three from seven, then you are locked in. Puzzles demand coordination between the trio, and some hinge on one character’s unique ability. You cannot see everything in one run. Multiple play-throughs are the point, not a bonus.
A Metroidvania With a Mean Streak
Exploration runs on 2D platformer rules over 3D graphics, with tunnels opening as you collect objects. It is Metroidvania-like in shape, and the game is rated teen for blood and violence. The tone earns that.
What the Cave Gets Right
The writing has teeth. The cave’s wry narration and the seven selfish little stories give the puzzles a reason to exist beyond door-opening. The coordination puzzles are the best argument for the three-character lock.
Where It Grinds
The lock cuts both ways. Restarting to see a new trio means replaying shared ground, and the platforming is thin enough that the second trip is a chore. The humor carries scenes the mechanics cannot.
One Descent, One Replay
The Cave is a smart, funny, slightly thin adventure that trusts its premise more than its play. It is worth one full descent and one replay. 7 of 10.
Key facts
– Release: January 2013 on PlayStation Network, Nintendo eShop, Xbox Live Arcade, and Steam
– Later: iOS and Android on October 3, 2013; Ouya on December 2, 2013
– Delisted from console storefronts April 2, 2018
– Developer: Double Fine Productions; publisher: Sega
– Critic aggregate: 7.0/10 (IGDB, 11 outlets)
– Rated teen for blood and violence
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