Crystal Caves

About

Crystal Caves is a classic 2D game reminiscent of earlyShare on twittercomputer platformers. Players control a spacesuit-clad protagonist, Mylo, on a mission to mine valuable crystals while avoiding various hazards and enemies in underground caves. With 18 levels of increasing difficulty, the game requires sharp reflexes, strategy, and a knack for solving puzzles to collect treasures and advance.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 88 reviews

story5 positive mentions

grinding1 negative mentions

A nostalgic platformer that captures the essence of classic DOS games, providing a fun and engaging experience reminiscent of childhood.
The game features colorful pixel art and creative level design, making it enjoyable to explore and complete each episode.
The gameplay is straightforward and forgiving, allowing players to retry levels without a life limit, which enhances the overall experience.

The game suffers from poor graphics and sound quality by modern standards, which may deter new players unfamiliar with retro titles.
Some levels have frustrating design elements that can lead to getting stuck or unfairly punishing players for mistakes.
The controls can feel clumsy at times, and the lack of a soundtrack may make the experience feel incomplete for some players.

story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
38%
23%
The game's story is described as quirky and humorous, centering around the character Mylo's attempts to get rich, which adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay. While some reviews note the story's simplicity and poor quality, others appreciate its charm and the engaging experience it provides, especially for fans of old-school platformers. Overall, the narrative serves as a fun backdrop to the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience despite its limitations.
- “So, if you like to play a trial and error platformer that reveals a quirky little story or want to check out old school games, I recommend this one.”
- “Here's the story plot - you play the role of Mylo, who is trying to come up with ways to get rich.”
- “Not too hard, but not too easy and a good story as well.”
- “The story quality is poor.”
- “The story is silly and the action simplistic, but with Steam automatically setting up and configuring a DOSBox for it, this is an easy way to relive the old days.”
- “The simple story plot keeps you informed about what you're actually doing in space gathering crystals.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The game's graphics are characterized as outdated, featuring EGA 16-color visuals typical of the early '90s, which many players find poor compared to contemporary standards. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and recognize that the graphics were acceptable for their time, overall sentiment leans towards the graphics being a significant drawback in today's context. Despite this, the gameplay remains enjoyable for those willing to overlook the dated visuals and audio.
- “The graphics are pretty good for its time and the audio is okay if you know what to expect.”
- “With that being said, the game is well played even today if you can look past the PC speaker sounds, EGA color graphics, and other DOS era details.”
- “It's a 2D platformer with EGA 16 color graphics.”
- “The game has aged pretty badly; the graphics aren't even close to Commander Keen, and the gameplay isn't nearly as good either.”
- “A solid game from its time, but the graphics are extremely dated.”
- “Graphics quality - poor.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The gameplay is characterized by basic platform mechanics and a lack of significant innovation across episodes, leading to a sense of repetition. While some players find the fun and challenging elements compensate for the dated graphics and gameplay quality, others express disappointment in its simplicity and limited variety. Overall, the game offers a nostalgic experience, but it may not meet the expectations of modern gamers.
- “It's a bit disappointing, but the fun gameplay compensates for it.”
- “Gameplay consists of various enemies you can blast off with your rocket pistol and some traps and puzzles.”
- “Great gameplay and responsiveness.”
- “Gameplay quality - poor”
- “Gameplay doesn't change much through the episodes where the 1st episode shows more or less everything the game has to offer.”
- “The gameplay of crystal caves could not be more simple.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The music aspect of the game has received mixed reviews; while it includes a high-quality soundtrack with various audio formats, some players noted the game itself lacks in-game music, leading to a silent experience. Users suggest using external music players to enhance gameplay, as the absence of an integrated soundtrack has disappointed some.
- “Because there's a soundtrack included that contains MP3, FLAC, and WAV-24bit masters of the '3D Realms Anthology Re-Rockestrated Soundtrack'.”
- “If you are interested in the soundtrack, get this; otherwise, get the HD version :)”
- “I used Retro City Rampage's soundtrack for this game, and it fit perfectly!”
- “Another drawback can be that the game is silent, no soundtrack to be found.”
- “No music.”
- “Review: no music whatsoever.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The replayability of the game is primarily driven by a high score system, allowing players to compete against their own scores. However, since high scores are saved locally, the competitive aspect may feel limited, as players can easily achieve higher scores by repeatedly collecting randomly appearing fruits. Overall, it has been rated a 7/10 for replay value.
- “The game's replayability is based on a high score system, but simply staying in a level and picking up the randomly appearing fruits will allow you to achieve a higher score than anyone else.”
- “Replay value: 7/10”
- “Replay value lies in beating the high scores, but in the case of Crystal Caves, the high scores are only saved locally, so you may be only beating your own score.”
- “The game's replayability is based on a high score system, but simply staying in a level and picking up the randomly appearing fruits will allow you to get a higher score than anyone else.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a humorous storyline that adds charm, despite some clumsy controls. Players appreciate the lightheartedness and comedic elements woven into the narrative.
- “The controls are sometimes a little bit clumsy, but it is a nice game with a funny story.”
- “A small, funny story.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect enjoyable, as the levels are engaging and appropriately short, preventing the experience from feeling tedious.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users find the game's optimization satisfactory, noting that it runs smoothly for a title from 1991, which enhances the overall experience.
- “Pog steam, love the game... runs smoothly (as much as a '91 game can).”