Cavern of Time

About

Cavern of Time is a first-person puzzle-adventure game set in a mysterious, ancient cavern. Players must navigate through a series of complex puzzles and challenges to uncover the secrets of the cavern and its enigmatic creator. With a unique time-manipulation mechanic and stunning visuals, Cavern of Time offers a fresh and engaging gaming experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

61%

Audience ScoreBased on 79 reviews

story14 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features original graphics and a consistent art style, which is a notable achievement for an RPG Maker title.
The storyline, while simple, has moments that are engaging and nostalgic for fans of classic RPGs.
The game offers a variety of skills and spells, making combat somewhat enjoyable despite its flaws.

The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including bugs that prevent proper saving and crashing during play.
Gameplay is marred by poor design choices, such as the need to stand on top of NPCs to interact and a lack of immersive world-building.
Combat is frustrating due to high miss rates and unbalanced enemy encounters, leading to a lack of satisfaction in progression.

story
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
67%
7%
The story in "Cavern of Time" is described as linear and somewhat rushed, with many players expressing a desire for more depth and character development. While some appreciate the atmospheric storytelling and find the plot interesting, others criticize it for being short and underdeveloped, often feeling that side quests, though labeled optional, are necessary to progress. Overall, the narrative has potential but suffers from pacing issues and a lack of exploration into its world and characters.
- “It was a pretty solid story and would be pretty neat with more details, character development, and more.”
- “I like the way it was done graphically and with a nice story behind it.”
- “I will not say anything about the story to avoid spoiling people, but it's pretty damn good and the storytelling is atmospheric.”
- “Cavern of Time seems buggy and amateurish with odd design choices and an incoherent story.”
- “My biggest criticism is that it is criminally short (I had the game beat in just shy of 2 hours, no grinding necessary) and found myself wanting for more story at the end, which there was ample space for as the game explores virtually nothing about the world or any secondary characters.”
- “Short, unbalanced, with a bare bones storyline.”
graphics
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
38%
13%
The graphics of the game are a mixed bag; while some users appreciate the consistent art style and find it reminiscent of classic titles, others criticize the limitations of the RPG Maker engine, particularly its lack of full HD support and customization options. Overall, the visuals are described as decent for a 2D game, with a unique approach that adds charm, but they may not meet the expectations of dedicated modern gamers.
- “Graphics are splendid, the plot interesting, and the combat amusing.”
- “Tl;dr: a solid RPG with nice graphics that will have you hooked with its story and dialog.”
- “I like the way it was done graphically and with a nice story behind it.”
- “As with all RPG Maker games, the poor quality engine displays badly in fullscreen and doesn't have full HD support or any graphics tweaking options, making this unacceptable for any dedicated modern PC gamer.”
- “The game is really rough; created with RPG Maker but with a graphic style you usually don't see in those kinds of games.”
- “This is not one of those; I believe this is a custom RPG engine with a surprisingly consistent art style, despite this art style being... not great.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
64%
21%
The gameplay of the game is criticized for its low quality, with many noting it suffers from basic RPG Maker mistakes, poor mapping, and balancing issues, such as potions being overly powerful. Despite these flaws, some players find the mechanics enjoyable and the game entertaining, largely due to its story. Overall, while the gameplay has potential, it lacks the polish and attention needed to elevate the experience.
- “Mechanically, the game is fun but suffers from some balancing issues; potions don't cost an action to apply and stackable effects are very abusable, so I found myself killing the end boss in two hits.”
- “Let me say first, I am very knowledgeable when it comes to RPG Maker - I worked with it for many years when I was younger and I know the mechanics inside out.”
- “Like most RPG Maker shovelware and asset flips, the game features extremely low quality copy-pasted 2D retro pixel art, looks awful, and has even worse gameplay.”
- “This game is in a weird category of games that have countless visual errors as well as gameplay inconsistencies but manage to be entertaining despite that for some odd reason.”
- “This could be really good if as much attention was paid to the gameplay as was to the graphics.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
14%
The music in the game has received positive feedback, with many users appreciating its quality and the nostalgic "Ultima" feel it evokes. The soundtrack effectively contrasts soothing ambient sounds with tense moments, creating a unique atmosphere, although some find the storyline lacking. Overall, the music enhances the gaming experience, providing both relaxation and tension.
- “Had this Ultima feel to it with the music and style.”
- “The soundtrack is pretty good though.”
- “Sound of encountering enemy contrasting with soothing ambient music = nightmare fuel”
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly when navigating the main map areas, which can detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the nostalgic feel reminiscent of 90s RPGs, many criticize the game for being too short, with minimal grinding required to complete it, leaving them wanting more depth in the story and character exploration.
- “I think my biggest beef is how tedious it can be sometimes to move over the main map areas.”
- “I'd even venture to say it's worth the full price if you like old 90s style RPGs and don't mind some kind of boring grinding.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
Character development in the game primarily revolves around the protagonist, Bria, who experiences growth through a limited number of monologues. While the story is solid, many players feel that it would benefit from more depth and additional character development moments.
- “It was a pretty solid story and would be even better with more details and character development.”
- “Your character, Bria, receives character development through two or three monologues she has in the entire game.”
- “It was a pretty solid story and would be pretty neat with more details, character development, and more.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
Players appreciate the game's replayability, noting its value and atmospheric qualities, and express a willingness to pay more for an extended experience. Overall, the game is seen as offering significant replay potential, enhancing its appeal.
- “I would be very comfortable paying more for a longer experience with some replayability too.”
- “Devs, if you happen to read this; I would be very comfortable paying more for a longer experience (with some replayability too), and given the reception of other games you've developed, I'd say that this is the series you should pump more budget and time into.”
- “Nice price for an atmospheric RPG with a lot of replayability value.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with reviewers highlighting its immersive storytelling and overall ambiance. Many appreciate the game's atmospheric qualities, particularly in the context of its engaging RPG elements and replayability.
- “I will not say anything about the story to avoid spoiling people, but it's pretty damn good and the storytelling is atmospheric.”
- “Nice price for an atmospheric RPG with a lot of replayability value.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of "Cavern of Time" has been criticized for being buggy and poorly designed, leading to an overall impression of amateurish execution and a lack of coherence in its storytelling.
- “Cavern of Time seems buggy and amateurish with odd design choices and an incoherent story.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by amusing dialogue that can elicit laughs, particularly in a social setting with friends. However, it is not regarded as a serious comedic experience, suggesting a lighthearted tone rather than a focus on deep humor.
- “I got a few laughs with friends while playing it because the dialogue is pretty funny at some points.”