Cave Crawler 2

About

Cave Crawler 2 is a single player casual platformer game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Evan Youssef and was released on October 9, 2024. It received very positive reviews from players.

Cave Crawler 2 is a retro-inspired 2D side-scroller. Escape a series of winding caves full of strange creatures and treacherous platforming challenges.

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93%Audience ScoreBased on 83 reviews

gameplay5 positive mentions

music1 negative mentions

Significant improvement over the first game with better level design, more enemies, and increased difficulty, providing a more engaging and fun experience.
Includes a built-in level editor, adding replay value and allowing players to create their own content.
Smooth and tight controls, nostalgic retro platforming vibes reminiscent of classic games with fast-paced gameplay and varied environments.

Some difficulty spikes and platforming sections feel unfair or frustrating due to design choices and enemy placements.
Boss fights are often considered too easy or poorly balanced, with some bosses being cheeseable and others causing steep difficulty spikes.
The art style and background clutter can make it hard to see what is happening, occasionally impacting gameplay clarity.

gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
11%
33%
The gameplay introduces new enemies, mechanics, and levels that enhance the platforming experience, though some boss encounters may feel overly difficult for casual players. While the core mechanics are engaging and well-explained, certain elements like the gun feel out of place and add little to the overall gameplay. Despite some balance issues at launch, the gameplay is generally enjoyable and promising.
- “New enemies and mechanics, I liked it!”
- “Interesting mechanics and has a good way of showing the player how certain mechanics can interact with each other.”
- “A bit harder than the first one, with many more levels, some new mechanics and cool bosses.”
- “The mechanics of the 2nd and 3rd boss encounter seem a little too difficult for someone that is just trying to enjoy a 2D side-scroller.”
- “The gun, however, feels tacked on and out of place for the genre, adding little to the gameplay.”
- “Some of the mechanics could be re-worked better depending on what the creator wants but for what it is I find it enjoyable.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The graphics receive mixed feedback, with some users appreciating the cool, modern visuals, while others criticize the cluttered backgrounds and pixel art style as detracting from gameplay clarity. Comparisons to simpler or retro aesthetics highlight a preference for less busy visuals, though some acknowledge that gameplay can outweigh graphical shortcomings. Overall, the graphics are seen as adequate but occasionally overwhelming or unpolished.
- “Overall art style and clutter: I preferred the simplistic look of the first game, but this is subjective. Sometimes I had trouble seeing what was actually going on due to clutter, especially the background movement in the first world, which threw me off at times.”
- “Fast game with modern-day graphics and easy controls that moves smoothly from location A to B to C and so on.”
- “Cool graphics.”
- “This failed 2D retro pixel platformer has slightly worse graphics than all the other ones and features mostly just precision platforming.”
- “This features really godawful pixelcrap 'art' instead of real graphics.”
- “It's hard to say if this was because the developer didn't have the skill to do the job of creating 3D visuals, or couldn't afford to hire someone who does, but it also doesn't matter.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game’s built-in level editor significantly enhances its replayability by allowing players to create and share custom levels, ensuring ongoing engagement beyond the base content.
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the music unpleasant and irritating, with soundtracks that are generally annoying and detract from the experience.
- “From extremely irritating enemies to annoying soundtracks.”