The Cave

Released

Release Date: January 22, 2013

Adventure, Platformers, Puzzle Elements, 2.5D, Co-op, Splitscreen, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Multiplayer, Singleplayer, Internet, Xbox Game Pass Premium

A humorous adventure with elements of an arcade platformer and a puzzle game. The title was produced by Ron Gilbert and the development team from Double Fine studio (Psychonauts, Brutal Legend, Stacking and others). The action of The Cave takes place in the title cave, full of secrets and traps. The player directs the actions of a group of three heroes who roam the corridors of the cave in search of an enigmatic "something".

8.7

Steam

7.9

Users

Rate It!

Ratings

 Videos: 6 

Images: 20 

The Cave is a combination of an arcade, adventure, and puzzle game, drawing inspiration from the classic series, such as Metroid or Castlevania. The game was developed by the American Double Fine Studio, founded by an industry veteran Tim Schafer. The team working on the game was lead by Ron Gilbert, the creator of the first two Monkey Island games and Maniac Mansion.

Players start their adventure with The Cave by choosing three of the seven available characters. Each one is unique and has an individual set of useful skills. You can control a wise monk, an adventurer, a scientist, a brave knight, a hillbilly, or two small children. All of the characters are looking for a mysterious something in an uncanny cave. Its appearance and design will vary depending on who is in our team. The game is flavored with a specific sense of humor and comic- style graphics, a feature that is well-known to Double Fine fans. The authors hid many symbols and references in the game, so the meaning of the journey leaves a lot of space for various interpretations.

Read More

The purpose of the Ron Gilbert’s game is to reach the end of the maze and discover all its secrets. At first glance, The Cave seems like a typical platformer game, but it is enriched with many often surprising riddles and puzzles, which puts it close to Trine series. Similarly to the just mentioned popular game series, here, in single player mode at the same time you control one hero, but you can switch to another member of the team. In order to solve all the challenges, you must use all the abilities available, as well as the environment and the objects found on the way. Most of the tasks can be completed in a variety of ways, which leaves space for experimenting and gives a level of replayability to the game.

The game has a multiplayer mode designed for three people. In this game mode, each player controls only one character.

All the objects in The Cave are actual 3D models, whereas the thematically varied levels are made in 2D. The in-game locations are seamlessly connected to one another which results in smooth transition between them without loading screens. The colorful animations and special effects make the game pleasing to the eye.

Platforms:

PC Windows January 24, 2013

Xbox 360 January 23, 2013

PlayStation 3 January 22, 2013

Nintendo Wii U January 22, 2013

Android December 19, 2013

Apple iOS October 2, 2013

Developer: Double Fine Productions, Inc.

Publisher: Sega

Similar Games:

LittleBigPlanet

Never Alone: Ki Edition

Trine 2: Complete Story

Features

Guide

Last update: March 3, 2013

The Cave Game Guide

Guide for The Cave helps in solving all the puzzles in such a way that finishing the game should be possible regardless of the chosen characters.

The Cave Game Guide

System Requirements

System Requirements for The Cave Video Game:

PC / Windows

Recommended System Requirements:
Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz, 1 GB RAM, graphic card 512 MB (GeForce 9800 GTX or better), 1.5 GB HDD, Windows XP/Vista/7.

Ratings

Game Ratings for The Cave Video Game.

87%

STEAM Score

All Reviews: Very Positive (2,851)

STEAM

User Reviews Summary generated by AI

The main pros of the game

Humorous Narrative: The game features witty and engaging narration by the Cave itself, providing a unique storytelling experience.
Interesting Characters: There are seven distinct characters, each with unique abilities and backstories, allowing for varied gameplay and replayability.
Challenging Puzzles: While some puzzles are easy, many require creative problem-solving and the use of character-specific abilities, making them enjoyable.
Art Style and Sound: The game features charming graphics and animations, along with quality voice acting and a fitting soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
Replayability: The need to play multiple times with different character combinations to experience all storylines and endings adds to the game's longevity.

The main cons of the game

Excessive Backtracking: Players must often retrace their steps multiple times to solve puzzles, which can become tedious and frustrating.
Repetitive Gameplay: Due to the fixed character selection and common areas that must be revisited, the game can feel repetitive after several playthroughs.
Limited Control Mechanics: Some players found the platforming mechanics to be imprecise, making navigation less enjoyable.
Frame Rate Issues: The game is capped at 30 FPS, which can affect the fluidity of movement and overall gameplay experience.

The features or elements that are missing from the game according to users

Hint System: Many players expressed a desire for an in-game hint system to assist with puzzle-solving, especially for those who might get stuck.
Character Tracking: There is no in-game tracker for which character endings have been completed, making it harder to manage progress.
Skipping Content: Players noted the lack of an option to skip previously completed sections, which could alleviate some of the repetitive nature of the game.
Improved Co-op Experience: Some users were disappointed with the co-op functionality, stating it did not allow for equal participation, as one player often did most of the work while the other watched.

Summary

Overall, while "The Cave" has many strengths in terms of humor, character design, and puzzle mechanics, it suffers from issues related to pacing and repetitiveness that may detract from the experience for some players.

Summary generated on: October 29, 2025

7.9

USERS Score

Average score from votes.

Rate It!