Summary
The setting of a game has the potential to make or break it. Choose one that’s boring and players are less likely to get immersed in the world, and in turn, are more likely to drop it. Try to put too many in a single game and resources might be spread too thin, where a lot of things will be incorporated, but with less substance.
Games set in caves can solve a lot of these problems, capitalizing on their real-life darkand mysterious nature. It’s a known fact that the deepest parts of caves are often physically inaccessible to humans. This means that game developers get to creatively fill in the blanks of what secrets these natural wonders may hold.
Step into a wonderfully realized 8-bit metroidvania platformer that takes place entirely in the cave system ofan air-bound island. InCave Story, players must shoot and dodge their way through caverns, while jamming out to its absolutely infectious soundtrack.
These caves are big enough to house everything from smaller creepy critters to some massive, murderous machinery that must be combated if players want to see the light of day again. Thankfully, the adorable NPCs keep the journey through these dank corridors light-hearted until the end.
2Below
Metascore: 70
Belowis a game that lives by its all-enveloping, mysterious aura, as players must explore the innards of an ever-changing mountain. It’s a roguelike, so the mastery of the game’s combat is an absolute must.
Dark and eerie in equal measure,Belowcan seem overwhelming at times, especially as the camera is pulled far overhead to show just how vast the game’s caves are. But if the drive to survive is there,players will be rewardedwith some serene moments by the campfire to toil away at their crafting supplies while preparing for the next deep dive.
It’s a rough life for the dwarves ofDeep Rock Galactic, as they must probe the planets' depths at the behest oftheir corporate overlords. It’s up to the player, then, to verify they come back from a given operation.
4-player crews take on objective-based excursions, a laLeft 4 DeadorWarhammer: Vermintide, through the game’s elaborate and diverse caves. Whether the goal is to gather resources or old equipment, each run is given a well-needed shake-up by every dwarf’s unique skills that help with either combat or navigation.
One of the most naturally hilarious and frustrating games there is,Spelunkyasks players to learn every inch of its rule book to avoid the cavesbecoming their tomb. And then, regardless of how prepared or experienced they might be, they’ll still get impaled by ground spikes when least expected.
Or maybe it will be an arrow trap to do them in. Or maybe they’ll accidentally anger the shopkeeper and meet their fate at the end of his shotgun. No matter how a run ends, it’s hard to escape the call of the caves, since a new, procedurally generated map is just a hop, skip, and a whip-crack away.
5The Cave
The Caveis aptly named for several reasons. For one, the game takes place entirely in a cave where players must solve puzzles to get progress. The second reason is that the cave itself is a character. And not in a cliché way. It actually talks to players!
This is where Double Fine’s iconic humor kicks in. During single or multiplayer exploration, the cave will crack jokes and hilariously describe much of what the player encounters. The game is designed for multiple playthroughs, allowing for the selection of different time-displaced protagonistsevery time to seehow puzzles differ.
6Cave Crawler
Metascore: N/A
Much ofCave Crawleris played in relative silence, with only the sounds of the player-controlled rover rolling across the dirt floor, the movement of the camera, and echoing water droplets being heard. It goes without saying that the game packs a lot of atmosphere intoits half-hour runtime.
Slowly slinking through the cave, players work to uncover the fate of a team of lost miners. To pack even more of a horrific punch, the game is seen through an unsettling, lo-fi VHS playback filter, framing it as found footage after some sort of tragedy has occurred.
The objective couldn’t be any more clear than it is inSteamWorld Dig. That is, dig, dig, upgrade, and dig, some more, while a steady stream of upgrades is tossed in protagonist Rusty’s direction.
Tumbleton’s robo-citizens running its various shops anddealing a deluge of handy toolsto aid in the players' next plunge are at the heart of the operation. And it’s truly thanks to them that Rusty can continue his exploratory expeditions until the game’s conclusion.
