$14.99The Cave A talking cave with bad intentions
Lead three oddballs through a sardonic puzzle adventure where every character digs up a secret of their own.
Is The Cave worth it?
The Cave is worth it if…
- you like adventure games with sharp, dark writing and a narrator who judges everyone
- you enjoy puzzles that ask for a sideways thought rather than fast reflexes
- you want a relaxed couch co-op game for two or three people
- you like short, story-driven games you can replay with a different cast
Screenshots
Three explorers, one couch
Local co-op puts up to three players on the same team, each steering one character. The puzzles are built for it: one explorer holds a switch while another crosses the gap it opens, and someone has to be the one who says "wait, go back, I forgot the key". There is no online mode, so this is a game for people in the same room, passing the controller and arguing about whose fault the last fall was. It works just as well solo, where you juggle all three yourself, but a friend or two makes the slow parts feel like part of the joke.
Seven characters with secrets
Each has a special talent that shapes how you solve puzzles, like the Monk lifting objects from a distance, and each carries a dark, secret reason for descending. Every character gets their own themed section of the cave built around their story, so who you pick decides what you see. The Cave itself narrates, and its sarcastic commentary on everyone's worst impulses is a highlight.
A cave that breaks its own rules
Forget dark rocky caverns. This seamless underground world, shown in cross-section, holds a subterranean amusement park, a medieval castle and a fully armed, ready-to-launch nuclear missile, sometimes all within reach of each other. You switch between your three explorers, combine their abilities and work through physical and adventure puzzles that often need a step sideways in your thinking. The mood is eerie in places and the soundtrack fits each stage's setting, so the strange places land with the right shiver.
Questions before you descend?
Can you play it solo?
Yes, and most people do. You still pick three characters and switch between them to solve puzzles, so solo play means moving all three around the level yourself. That juggling, plus some backtracking, can feel slow at times, which is the game's main trade-off. A second or third player on the couch spreads the work and the jokes around.
Is there a reason to replay it?
Each of the seven characters has their own story, puzzles and area, and one run only shows you three of them. Coming back with a new lineup gives you a different experience, plus collectibles to find along the way. Be aware that repeat runs reuse some familiar ground, so the second descent feels more like revisiting than exploring.
How long is the game?
A single run is on the shorter side, roughly an evening or two, and the puzzles are rarely brutal. The length comes from what you do with it: different character combinations, each character's own storyline and the collectibles scattered through the cave give it more life than one playthrough suggests.
Should you use a controller?
It is worth it. The game supports controllers, and the platforming sections, including some physics puzzles where you carry items around, feel much more comfortable on one than on a keyboard.
