The Cave (2013)

 PC
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 224 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 145 out of 224
  2. Mixed: 57 out of 224
  3. Negative: 22 out of 224

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  1. kostermw
    Mar 24, 2014
    9
    Don't get it why it has been rated only fair. For me this game stands out of the crowd. Beautiful graphics, funny and a very original game play as you must cooperate with 3 characters (each having a unique capability) in a single game. The puzzles are not very hard and you cannot die. The controls work simple, but take a little while to master. I bought this for as little as 3.50 Euro's,Don't get it why it has been rated only fair. For me this game stands out of the crowd. Beautiful graphics, funny and a very original game play as you must cooperate with 3 characters (each having a unique capability) in a single game. The puzzles are not very hard and you cannot die. The controls work simple, but take a little while to master. I bought this for as little as 3.50 Euro's, and it has already given me two hours of great joy. A parking lot for an hour will cost you more.… Expand
  2. postmanpat
    Aug 2, 2013
    8
    Even though this game is somewhat flawed, I think it's being critizised for the wrong reasons. People expecting a late LucasArts kind of adventure will be very disappointed.

    "The Cave" is a VERY old school adventure game. In fact, Ron Gilbert designed it as a personal homage to his first 1987's LucasFilm game: "Maniac Mansion". "Maniac Mansion" was a very simple game where three    Even though this game is somewhat flawed, I think it's being critizised for the wrong reasons. People expecting a late LucasArts kind of adventure will be very disappointed.

    "The Cave" is a VERY old school adventure game. In fact, Ron Gilbert designed it as a personal homage to his first 1987's LucasFilm game: "Maniac Mansion".

    "Maniac Mansion" was a very simple game where three characters had to do a concatenation of puzzles with almost no plot or dialogue and lots of backtracking. The magic of that game wasn't its gameplay but its amazing ambiance (at the time) and creepy humor, and that's exactly what you'll find in "The Cave". No more, no less.

    If you liked "Maniac Mansion" with all its flaws, then you'll also like Gilbert's new work. Just don't expect to play "Monkey Island in a different setting", because it's not that kind of game.    … Expand
  3. doozethe
    Nov 25, 2013
    9
    brilliant. it's been a long time since I've been so engrossed in a game. my 5 year old daughter has played through it now a total of 5 times and she's working on her 6th go.
  4. temite
    Jan 24, 2013
    9
    So far, I'm enjoying the hell out of this game! I'm a long-time adventure fan and huge fan of Double Fine's titles. I'm a few hours in and so far I am not disappointed. I really like the idea of several different characters with their own back story and the execution, presentation and puzzles overall is brilliant. Only minor quibble is the control precision, but that's easily overlooked. ISo far, I'm enjoying the hell out of this game! I'm a long-time adventure fan and huge fan of Double Fine's titles. I'm a few hours in and so far I am not disappointed. I really like the idea of several different characters with their own back story and the execution, presentation and puzzles overall is brilliant. Only minor quibble is the control precision, but that's easily overlooked. I just wish they could make more frequent and larger scale games of this type. All in all, cool and very funny adventure game! Recommended.… Expand
  5. Skoggra
    Jan 25, 2013
    9
    First of all it is important to approach this game for what it is. Don't expect a Monkey Island because its from Gilbert, and keep in mind this is a $15 game.

    With that being said the game is pretty bold in its mix of traditional point and click adventure aspects and jump and run mechanics. You choose 3 out 7 characters, who all come with their unique abilities, background story and    First of all it is important to approach this game for what it is. Don't expect a Monkey Island because its from Gilbert, and keep in mind this is a $15 game.

    With that being said the game is pretty bold in its mix of traditional point and click adventure aspects and jump and run mechanics. You choose 3 out 7 characters, who all come with their unique abilities, background story and areas. You move around by climbing ladders and ropes. There are common areas where you need all three characters to solver puzzles, and specific character areas that need the respective character's ability to be solved. The puzzles are never too easy or hard, but need some critical thinking. The game is not very linear, which will catch many modern gamers by surprise, who are used to heavy handed scripted playing. The humor is dark and entertaining, so are the individual stories behind the characters. The art and mood is amazing in this game. There are also countless references to old Lucasarts Adventure games, such as the Grog machine and Chuck the plant. The annoying part of this game is that you often times have to walk back and forth to solve a puzzle, which is compounded by the fact that you sometimes need to move three characters to a specific location. A character summon function would have been neat here. But that doesn't ruin a excellent gaming experience for a low price. Kudos to Gilbert for trying something money, I hope younger gamers will appreciate it despite lacking the heavy scripting from newer games.    … Expand
  6. iancurtis
    Feb 1, 2013
    10
    This game is misunderstood by the press hard to imagine why. I'm grew up with maniac mansion, monkey island and all the great lucasarts stuff. The Cave is different according to these old games, but its quite as funny as they were. The most puzzles are well done, they could've been a bit harder to solve, but it was okay. For some people maybe its harder if they dont have much experienceThis game is misunderstood by the press hard to imagine why. I'm grew up with maniac mansion, monkey island and all the great lucasarts stuff. The Cave is different according to these old games, but its quite as funny as they were. The most puzzles are well done, they could've been a bit harder to solve, but it was okay. For some people maybe its harder if they dont have much experience in doing adventure games. Backtracking is one of the things, the press most argues about. I really don't know why. Backtracking was quite normal in the good old days. How long i ran through the forest in Monkey Island 1. I love that, Maybe u see something u missed before or some details the graphics art style is awesome... not as detailed as some other games like "trine 2", but too many details would kill the cave's atmosphere anyway. There are problems with gamepad controls for me. I think there is a little bit of input lag. But its ok as well.

    To make it short: I love the game, its humor, the voice of the cave... and all the funny things u are going through with the lovely characters. Thanks Ron Double Fine. Hope to see more things coming     … Expand
  7. Uberwolfe
    Jan 25, 2013
    9
    With clever, compelling puzzle design and thoughtful attention to detail, The Cave will not disappoint fans of the genre. Each character's backstory is lovingly crafted and though sometimes lacking in morals - they are never lacking in charm. Some clunky controls and a few graphical hiccups will not detract from the experience. Well deserving of a place in your game collection.
  8. serial2k
    Jan 31, 2013
    10
    I really had a blast. It's no Monkey Island for sure, but it is a nice Mix between Last Vikings and Maniac Mansion, with a nice soundtrack and top notch voice work. Every of the seven character has it's own part of The Cave. As you can choose three at a time, this means that you will encounter new stuff in the first three playthroughs, which gives The Cave some nice replay value.
  9. scoobyff666
    Apr 26, 2013
    9
    It's a wonderful game. I think of it as a mix of an adventure game with "The Lost Vikings" gameplay (or maybe Trine, if you're younger). The possibility of selecting 3 from 7 characters with distinct abilities is the main positive thing about the game, because it gives you a lot of possibilities. I just think the "Cave" humour could be a little less forced.
  10. PlaySphereDE
    Feb 21, 2013
    8
    The Cave is made with love and is one hot candidate for the best Jump'n'Run of this year. The funny story of „The Cave“ is nicely packaged and the tough brain twisters will make you desperate. For just a small price „The Cave“ really is a Must Have!
  11. brenavich
    May 7, 2013
    8
    On a basis of value you really can't ask for more out of this game. Yes, it's less than what we expect from Ron Gilbert. And yes, it's not on the level of Monkey Island. But given the ambitious concept and overall great execution for a small budget game, you can't ask for more. Especially at $15.
  12. BSim500
    Nov 22, 2014
    8
    This is actually a neat little cross adventure/platform/puzzle game. GFX & art-style are pretty good for what it is. You basically take 3 out of 7 characters down into the cave (in any combination). Some levels are common, others are character specific. Each character has its own unique feature (the Adventurer has a hook on a rope, the Hillbilly can breathe underwater, the Knight's isThis is actually a neat little cross adventure/platform/puzzle game. GFX & art-style are pretty good for what it is. You basically take 3 out of 7 characters down into the cave (in any combination). Some levels are common, others are character specific. Each character has its own unique feature (the Adventurer has a hook on a rope, the Hillbilly can breathe underwater, the Knight's is invincibility whilst standing still, the Monk's is Telekinesis, the Scientist can hack computers, the Time traveller can teleport through some obstacles, and the Twins can clone themselves). Puzzles are of moderate difficulty but mostly logical. No inventory management (each char can carry only one object at a time) and some back-tracking (not too bad though). Obviously there's some replayability as it takes at least 3 play-throughs to experience all 7 characters unique levels. The "voice of the cave" adds some humor. Playable via keyboard or controller. I don't usually like platform games very much, but this was better than I thought it would be.… Expand
  13. sergiokas
    Feb 3, 2013
    9
    Great game, killer art, good sense humor (a little naive, sometimes), simple mechanics. It's definitely not your typical soldier game, that's for sure. It may get a little repetitive after a few play-throughs, but it has a little something pushing you to complete all character's stories. Puzzles are not hard at all once you figure the basic rules, don't expect a Maniac Mansion-likeGreat game, killer art, good sense humor (a little naive, sometimes), simple mechanics. It's definitely not your typical soldier game, that's for sure. It may get a little repetitive after a few play-throughs, but it has a little something pushing you to complete all character's stories. Puzzles are not hard at all once you figure the basic rules, don't expect a Maniac Mansion-like challenge. In fact, comparing this to Monkey Island or Maniac Mansion makes no sense, this is much more linear and action-based. More importantly, while it doesn't invent anything, this is kind of an unique game with its own unique style, something that you'll only get from a craftsman like Mr. Gilbert.… Expand
  14. grim1234
    Feb 15, 2013
    8
    What the HELL. People who give this game low scores give them only because it's not an ADVENTURE GAME. It never meant to be!

    It HAS adventure elements, like items you can pick up and use with other items in the world. Thanks to this, it has the feeling of a adventure game, but it's NOT an adventure game. It's a puzzle game. People say it has no story (it has), no dialogs (it has!) and    What the HELL. People who give this game low scores give them only because it's not an ADVENTURE GAME. It never meant to be!

    It HAS adventure elements, like items you can pick up and use with other items in the world. Thanks to this, it has the feeling of a adventure game, but it's NOT an adventure game. It's a puzzle game. People say it has no story (it has), no dialogs (it has!) and no adventuring (IT HAS!!!). I don't understand, they were expecting a point n click classic adventure game? This is NOT the Double Fine Adventure!

    Now, about the story: while it doesn't have a one long story that you unveil, it has many short ones, with funny and absurd characters (I loved the ridiculous miner, who in his anger constantly throws dynamites at you while a the same time demands you bring him his mining carts back), Double Fine style all the way. But personally I think that there is one, continuous story in this game. It's the exploring of the Cave itself. The Cave is a really interesting place, with many various locations and simple, but fun puzzles, and going deeper and deeper makes you feel like you're in a real, authentic old cave.

    The characters you meet remind me of puppets. I think that was the goal, and it works brilliantly. Sometimes it feels like you're participating in a puppet theater, a very witty and funny one. They look very cartoony and small, their animations are stiff and unnatural, like someone is really pulling the strings. Even their jaws move only up and down (mostly, I think).

    As for the Cave, it just talks trash, tries to amuse you or make you laugh, but it tries too hard in my opinion, thus failing in doing so. But at least it isn't annoying and talks very rarely. Overall, it's good that it talks, it gives the game more charm, even if what it says isn't really funny.

    The puzzle and adventure parts are brilliant too. The fact that you can pick up and use items adds so much more possibilities, and combined with your three folks working together, the puzzles are very interesting and fun to solve, and often not that obvious.

    After reading a few reviews and seeing rather mediocre scores, I wasn't expecting this game to be good at all, decent at best. But the hell, is it GOOD. It's brilliant. I give it only 8/10, because of it's size, but if it would be a full, 49$ product, I would give it a 10/10, just like Psychonauts.    … Expand
  15. matteda
    Jan 2, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. this cave is deep,hours of fun
    good return for 15$
    although only 1 GB
    so many levels
    you choose 3/7 characters each with specific special ability
    and you will come across corresponding levels
    I chose randomly 3 hilbert,adventurer& twins
    the interesting thing is the cave talks ;he is funny humour is unique to this game and everyone will love it;he's ;got very good voice unlike bit:trip runner which I personally dont like
    lots of levels;took me 2-3 sessions to complete
    You control 3 characters ,you have to think of their spl ability & act accordingly
    Make al 3 work in order to solve puzzles
    I m gonna try with other set of characters
    Overall is a good,unique experience
    and conclusion there is a message

    +ve:good visuals
    cleverly designed game levels make you thinking

    -ve: control movement bugs
    you have to play 3 characters together back & forth which makes the game lengthy    … Expand
  16. Strmy
    Jul 16, 2013
    9
    I think after long time, really good adventure from "old times" with good portion of humor. I like the idea of playing the game multiple times with another characters. I already finished playing with all the chars and i enyoed the whole time in the game. Someone can say that game lacks of story or it is not "real" adventure game. I think you canot expect really AAA game for 15$ or less.I think after long time, really good adventure from "old times" with good portion of humor. I like the idea of playing the game multiple times with another characters. I already finished playing with all the chars and i enyoed the whole time in the game. Someone can say that game lacks of story or it is not "real" adventure game. I think you canot expect really AAA game for 15$ or less. The game is best ratio of fun for your money.… Expand
  17. Frast2013X
    Aug 2, 2013
    8
    Double Fine zawsze zaskakuje nas pomysłami, tak było i teraz. Takiej gry coopowo, logiczno, przygodówkowej na pewno jeszcze nie widzieliście i pewnie nie zobaczycie. Świetna fabuła, nigdy tak bardzo nie wczułem się w fabułę w jakiejś grze coopowej 2D. Występuje tutaj znakomity klimat. Do tego, gra w której każda postać ma swój chapter, twórcy pokazali, jak powinny wyglądać dzisiejszeDouble Fine zawsze zaskakuje nas pomysłami, tak było i teraz. Takiej gry coopowo, logiczno, przygodówkowej na pewno jeszcze nie widzieliście i pewnie nie zobaczycie. Świetna fabuła, nigdy tak bardzo nie wczułem się w fabułę w jakiejś grze coopowej 2D. Występuje tutaj znakomity klimat. Do tego, gra w której każda postać ma swój chapter, twórcy pokazali, jak powinny wyglądać dzisiejsze arcade'owki. Szkoda że Double Fine przekombinowało sterowanie. W grze wymagana jest zmiana postaci, przez co coop jest trochę uciążliwy, kiedy jedna postać musi oddalić się od pozostałych.… Expand
  18. amirreza1
    Sep 5, 2022
    9
    the developer is last standing studio who makes arts. The last creative studio. They believe in being creative. I understand people who says its 2d. The computers got powerful and the games should use it . but there is no other game with high graphic and this kind of creativity. in recent years most publishers focus in selling the game not creating the game. They just make goodthe developer is last standing studio who makes arts. The last creative studio. They believe in being creative. I understand people who says its 2d. The computers got powerful and the games should use it . but there is no other game with high graphic and this kind of creativity. in recent years most publishers focus in selling the game not creating the game. They just make good advertisement and pay medias to boost their poor games. But Independent studios are soul of video game industry. And the cave is saviour of video game art in 2013… Expand
  19. vgebrev
    Jan 12, 2015
    8
    I've really enjoyed playing this game co-op with my wife. It definitely has the unmistakable and lovable Ron Gilbert vibe. Stunning graphics, amusing narration, fun puzzles. With unique puzzles for each character, it provides a good few hours of entertainment.
    The only thing I found slightly annoying was that there's no way to call one characters to another's location at will. The game    I've really enjoyed playing this game co-op with my wife. It definitely has the unmistakable and lovable Ron Gilbert vibe. Stunning graphics, amusing narration, fun puzzles. With unique puzzles for each character, it provides a good few hours of entertainment.
    The only thing I found slightly annoying was that there's no way to call one characters to another's location at will. The game does it automatically if you get too far separated, but it's a bit unreliable and doesn't always happen when you want it to. It's a small niggle, but it would have been a nice feature to have.    … Expand
  20. 99dolar
    Dec 11, 2016
    8
    Oyun tek kelimeyle nefes kesici. Hikayenin anlatımı ve içerdiği mizah beni çok eğlendirdi. Grafikler ve mekan tasarımları cok harika. Ama bunların ötesinde övmek istediğim şey oyundaki bulmacalar. Özellikle Time Machine adlı bir bölüm var ki resmen beynim yandı.

    Oyunda bir çok karakter arasından üçünü seçerek oynuyorsunuz. Ben hillbily mecaracı kız ve tekno kız ile oynadım:) Diğer    Oyun tek kelimeyle nefes kesici. Hikayenin anlatımı ve içerdiği mizah beni çok eğlendirdi. Grafikler ve mekan tasarımları cok harika. Ama bunların ötesinde övmek istediğim şey oyundaki bulmacalar. Özellikle Time Machine adlı bir bölüm var ki resmen beynim yandı.

    Oyunda bir çok karakter arasından üçünü seçerek oynuyorsunuz. Ben hillbily mecaracı kız ve tekno kız ile oynadım:) Diğer karakterleri de merak ettiğimden oyunu tekrar oynayak istiyorum ve bir oyun bittikten sonra tekrar oynamak gibi bir şey düşünüyorsanız o oyun candır.    … Expand
  21. MindlessMe
    May 8, 2016
    8
    At first glance The Cave is just a simple side scrolling adventure that you would only play if nothing else peaked your interest. Of course looking at it this way will cause you to pass up a fun little adventure game that is well worth your time. You will not find anything groundbreaking or extremely innovative with The Cave but you will have some fun while playing it and get a good laughAt first glance The Cave is just a simple side scrolling adventure that you would only play if nothing else peaked your interest. Of course looking at it this way will cause you to pass up a fun little adventure game that is well worth your time. You will not find anything groundbreaking or extremely innovative with The Cave but you will have some fun while playing it and get a good laugh as well.

    The storyline of The Cave is a simple one and in some ways is an aspect of the game that is truly lacking. Of course the game does explain the mysterious cave to the player and yes, it is a talking cave. Beyond this we are are only told enough so that the storyline makes sense. Even then it’s still a little crazy. It wouldn’t be an issue not to have a storyline for an inanimate object but the game gives the cave a voice and personality so there must be more behind it. The game does cover this up to a point by making the cave have a great sense of humor, so in that respect it’s okay. As for the characters storylines, well they are present to a degree and the game does give you glimpses into them via paintings on the cave walls. A game like this doesn’t require a massive, complicated storyline but it would be nice to know a little more about the characters. We do know that they are there for adventure and there are a bunch of them though.

    Now as for the actual characters the game does give you some variety. Starting out there are seven characters(eight if you include the twins as 2 instead of a unit) and the player has to choose three of them to play the game with. Of the seven we have the Knight, the Hillbilly, a Time Traveler, the Scientist, an Adventurer, the Twins, and the Monk. Each of these characters has their own storyline while playing and an ability that must be used to complete their part. The game sets the play-through around the three characters you choose at the beginning of the game so choose wisely. Certain combinations of characters can actually allow you access to certain areas that would otherwise be off limits on that particular play-through. For instance if you are playing as the Knight in his “stage” and have the Time Traveler with you then you can send her to an area early and get a funny little cut scene that you normally wouldn’t see. It’s small things like this that make the game fun for multiple runs.

    Beyond the small story there is actually a lot of fun to be had running around in the cave and solving puzzles. The entire premise of the game is based around each character having a “stage” and you must use their power to progress through puzzles in that area. The puzzles themselves were fun and sometimes clever but nothing too difficult. Some of them are as simple as throwing a stick of dynamite, while others required some time hopping between areas to achieve the solution. Either way they were fun to play around with and sometimes hilarious when something went wrong. The only problem is while playing around I did sometimes over think the puzzles causing myself a hard time. Every puzzle in the game can be solved without a lot of effort so be sure to not over think them. The only thing you need to solve them is time.

    Spending time in the game was not an issue for me however. The game simply looks and sounds great. The visuals while cartoonish in nature are very well done and bring the game to life with the theme the developers were looking for. All the visuals from the textures on the ground to the characters themselves were top notch for that style of game. The audio for the game was also well done to match the visual style and overall theme. There are a lot of small sounds that you won’t notice unless you pay close attention but they add a lot of depth to the gameplay. The music itself is very fitting for each of the characters in their respected levels as well. It makes it very fun to explore each character and see what else you can get yourself into.

    With The Cave being an arcade-ish title I have to say it was very enjoyable for the time I spent playing it. The game played well and I never really found anything that I didn’t like about it. Sure I wish there was a little more story to it but what can a person do. Overall I’d say that if you have the extra cash and want a arcade like title to play then pick this game up. It will give you more than a few laughs while playing it.    … Expand
  22. mno
    Sep 25, 2018
    9
    A wonderful jump&run puzzle adventure. With a party of three out of seven available characters you can replay the game for at least two times. Each character tells a different story. The talking Cave looks and sounds lovely. Whilst the puzzles are easy, they're fun. I wouldn't have minded more challenge though. The game controller support has some issues and there is no DRM free versionA wonderful jump&run puzzle adventure. With a party of three out of seven available characters you can replay the game for at least two times. Each character tells a different story. The talking Cave looks and sounds lovely. Whilst the puzzles are easy, they're fun. I wouldn't have minded more challenge though. The game controller support has some issues and there is no DRM free version available yet. Overall it's a gem.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

100
#100 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 21
  3. Negative: 1 out of 21
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Jun 10, 2013
    82
    A dialogue system and a fully functional inventory would not only vastly enhance the game, we could be talking about the birth of a new sub-genre. Even so, we enjoyed it. From now on, when someone asks, what the heck of a game is The Cave, we will answer “a really great game”… after all, that’s what really matters. [March 2013]
  2. Hooked Gamers
    Apr 14, 2013
    65
    The Cave is a game that showed lots of promise, given those pulling the strings, and when it’s great, it’s really great.
    Read full review
  3. Hyper Magazine
    Mar 12, 2013
    60
    Far from Ron Gilbert or Double Fine's best, but The Cave manages to deliver just enough satisfaction to avoid disaster. [Apr 2013, p.74]
See all critic reviews »