Cavern Kings

About

Cavern Kings is an infinite action platformer with unique characters, randomized terrain and monster generation, and a variety of weapons. The game features increasing difficulty, explosive special effects, and numerous powerups to help you dig deeper. Although no longer in development, it offers a mostly playable experience with a dozen characters, big boss monsters, and beautiful pixel art .

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Co-Op Team up with friends to complete levels or missions together
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 177 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

stability5 negative mentions

The game is fun and addictive, providing a good amount of entertainment for the price.
It has a unique blend of mechanics reminiscent of popular roguelikes like Risk of Rain and Nuclear Throne.
Despite being abandoned, the game still offers enjoyable gameplay and replayability for those who already own it.

The game has been abandoned and is no longer in development, leaving it in an unfinished state.
There is a significant lack of content and updates, leading to a repetitive experience over time.
The developer's handling of the early access status has been criticized as misleading, with promises of features like multiplayer that have not been delivered.

gameplay
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
48%
14%
The gameplay is generally praised for its smoothness, fun mechanics, and engaging pacing, with many players appreciating the variety and potential for unique experiences in each run. However, some critiques highlight a lack of impactful item diversity and the feeling of similarity among certain weapons, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game is noted for its polished design, active developer support, and a challenging yet enjoyable roguelike experience.
- “It's already a really fun game, with lots of potential in its mechanics to be a roguelike that is truly great.”
- “Heaps of content to keep you busy, incredible gameplay mechanics and of course amazingly fun!”
- “The game has fun and varied gameplay, so two runs don't always feel the same.”
- “A rogue-like should have more impressive or effective items that change the experience, and while the items help, they don't impact the gameplay enough for you to feel that each run has varied much.”
- “Three weapons with the same general mechanic do not 'play and feel unique'.”
- “The gameplay of this game has also changed because it is much easier to die, which makes this a very unforgiving rogue-like, but that's what these kinds of games are for.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The music in the game is generally praised for being catchy and enjoyable, contributing to an addicting gameplay experience. However, some players have noted issues with volume levels and repetitiveness, calling for more variety in the soundtrack. Overall, while the music enhances the game's appeal, there are requests for improvements and additional tracks.
- “Honestly wasn't too sure what to think when I bought it... but now that I have played it, I can say it is by far one of my favorite indie games. The catchy soundtrack, cool weapons, and awesome bosses make it a standout experience.”
- “A great soundtrack with fun characters and unique graphics.”
- “Addicting, fun, and visually and musically appealing.”
- “Listen closely to this, devs: fix your music - it is horribly loud and terrible sounding at this point.”
- “Allow options to manage music and sound volume separately, and stop looping that single track.”
- “The music is kind of repetitive, but the pixels are great!”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Overall, the graphics are well-received, featuring a unique and appealing art style that enhances the gameplay experience. While some users noted a need for minor polish in the menus, the visuals are generally praised for their creativity and quality, contributing to the game's charm.
- “Awesome concept, nice graphics, great controls, and a huge boss every couple of levels.”
- “A great soundtrack with fun characters and unique graphics.”
- “I saw the art style and was like this looks awesome.”
- “Needs a tiny bit of graphical polish in the menus, but besides that, it's a great game.”
- “It's basically the same concept with a different art style and the ability to dig deeper or have just one arena/survival mode.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The reviews on replayability are mixed; while some players praise the game for its high replay value and enjoyable co-op experience, others criticize it for a lack of built-in replayability and insufficient updates. Overall, the game's replayability seems to depend on individual experiences, with some finding it engaging and others feeling it falls short.
- “Amazing game, tons of replayability, great co-op fun for up to 4 people.”
- “The replay value on this is really good.”
- “But nonetheless, there is really nothing I can say bad about this game; it is replayable, fun, and cheap!”
- “The gripes I have with the game are the lack of replayability built into the game and the now more recent lack of updates.”
- “Stupidly easy, no replay value, no explanation on how to unlock characters.”
- “I would recommend the game if it were playable, but it's not... so yeah...”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game is currently a mixed bag, with many users reporting significant glitches and crashes, particularly during gameplay and character selection. While some players find it enjoyable despite these issues, others express frustration over the game's bugs and unbalanced mechanics. Overall, stability remains a concern that detracts from the overall experience.
- “Lots of glitches at the moment; I can't even get my game to start up.”
- “I loved the pre-Steam demo of this game, but the Steam version has absolutely awful controller configuration and freezes on the character select screen when I attempt to use the mouse.”
- “It is still buggy and unbalanced, but it's still a really fun game to kill time.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has been criticized for underestimating performance requirements, particularly in arena mode, leading to significant lag even on high-end gaming rigs. Players have noted that performance issues become more pronounced in later levels due to the high number of on-screen mobs, indicating a need for further optimization.
- “The performance requirements are quite underestimated, especially in the arena mode.”
- “Performance does start to chug in later levels, but that's not unexpected with the amount of mobs on the screen.”
- “Needs further optimization; I cannot play in fullscreen without it lagging terribly, and I am playing on a gaming rig.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate a strong emotional response, with some users expressing a definitive decision to abandon the project due to negative experiences, suggesting a sense of frustration and disappointment. The mention of "instant death" implies that engaging with the game is perceived as overwhelmingly negative, further reinforcing the emotional disconnect.