The Cave asks a simple question: can three people survive together? That question rarely gets answered the way anyone expects. This PS3, Ouya, Linux and Android release from 2013 puts players through a series of trials meant to test cooperation, and the game leans on surprise more than fairness.
Trailer, via SEGA.
The Setup
Players pick one of three characters and send them down a cave full of dangers. The catch is that the other two players each control a character with their own goals, and those goals often work against each other. A character chasing treasure might ignore a falling stone, while the player guarding a companion has to watch both of them.
Three Characters, One Goal
The game hands out three characters per playthrough, each with a distinct goal:
- One chases treasure
- One guards a companion
- One avoids danger at all costs
The Cave
These goals rarely agree with each other, and that friction is the whole point.
Difficulty
The difficulty rises fast, and some trials punish mistakes harshly. A wrong step can cost a player’s character, and since each death removes a life shared across the team, the stakes grow quickly. That pressure can make The Cave feel less like a fair challenge and more like a test of patience.
Replay Value
The game offers multiple endings depending on who survives and who dies, which gives repeat runs a reason to exist beyond curiosity. The twist ending, which arrives after a player completes the game, remains the talk of the game.
Sound and Look
The look stays simple throughout, with hand-drawn art that reads well even on older hardware. The music matches the tone, light and cheerful at times, tense and dark at others.
Where It Falls Short
The difficulty can feel harsh rather than fair, and some trials depend too heavily on precise timing that feels less about skill and more about luck. The controls also show their age, especially on console, where the game asks for quick reactions that the hardware can’t quite deliver.
Final Word
The Cave succeeds at being memorable, even when it frustrates. Its twist ending alone earns it a place in memory. The difficulty stands as a real barrier, and the controls show their age, but the core idea of three players working against each other holds up.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
