Zardy's Cave

About

Zardy's Cave is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Full Trek Media and was released on November 20, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Zardy's Cave plunges you into a mysterious underground world filled with strange creatures and eerie scarecrows. Navigate dark mazes, solve puzzles, and overcome obstacles like climbing rocks and cutting vines while evading relentless hunters. Explore the haunting subterranean environment to uncover the secrets lying beneath the farm.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 72 reviews

story10 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game features a spooky atmosphere with fantastic voice acting and engaging gameplay mechanics, making it a thrilling experience.
Players appreciate the unique characters and the blend of horror and humor, along with the intriguing lore hidden throughout the game.
The challenges provide a good mix of difficulty, and many players are excited for future chapters, believing the game has a lot of potential.

The game's performance is poor, with significant frame drops and optimization issues, leading to a frustrating experience for many players.
Many reviewers feel the game is too short for its price, with Chapter 1 taking less than an hour to complete, leading to concerns about the value of future chapters.
Some players find the gameplay repetitive and the puzzles too easy, lacking the challenge that fans of the original game expected.

story
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
53%
11%
The story mode of Zardy's Maze has been well-received for its intriguing plot centered around unique characters like Zardy and Drought, offering a blend of atmospheric storytelling and gameplay challenges. Players appreciate the voice acting and the lore-driven experience, although some note that the game is relatively short and less replayable. Overall, the narrative successfully expands on the original game's themes while providing a more casual experience for those interested in the story.
- “The story mode shifted away from the straightforward challenge-oriented gameplay of Zardy's Maze, and instead offered a more atmospheric and lore-driven experience to players who wanted to learn more about the spooky scarecrow man.”
- “I love how the story progresses, and I love how it continues right from Zardy's Maze!”
- “It's really fun to see the characters from Zardy's Maze have their story told, and the voice acting is cool in my opinion.”
- “Both story and challenge mode are less than an hour each (excluding the dolls and 1-c), and the game isn't currently very replayable.”
- “I was worried about a chapter-based story game but tried to shrug it off, but many years and $8 later, we have a 1-hour tech demo with good gameplay but a lot of rough edges.”
- “Zardy's maze set up a really simple beginning of a game that had hidden secrets around the map or were hidden around challenges, and I was already afraid that a story-based sequel was gonna miss the mark, and I feel like it does.”
gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
50%
12%
The gameplay is a blend of challenging mechanics, platforming, and horror elements, offering a unique experience with engaging characters and moments of humor. While some players found the navigation and puzzles to be simplistic and the gameplay occasionally repetitive, others appreciated the smooth integration of familiar and new mechanics, as well as the atmospheric storytelling. Overall, the game shows potential but has some rough edges, with a mix of enjoyable and frustrating elements that may not justify its price for all players.
- “The gameplay was super smooth and engaging, commonly mixing familiar mechanics from the previous entry with new ones that make the exploration a lot more unique.”
- “This has lots of cool gameplay mechanics - climbing, platforming, and parkour puzzles, alongside the horror elements.”
- “Gameplay was challenging without being frustrating, and overall the passion for this project shined through!”
- “The gameplay is fairly repetitive; chases range from barely intense to slow and boring, the map is hard to navigate, and the 'puzzles' could be solved in a minute by someone half my age.”
- “At times I was frustrated with the puzzles, and there were some glaring non-gameplay-affecting bugs, but it did give me shivers down my spine at points.”
- “One final spoiler note: the lack of the flashlight in chapter 1 felt bad. I understand there may be many reasons for this, but that is a very integral part of the gameplay loop for me.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Overall, the graphics have received a mixed response, with some players praising the upgrade and visual style, while others miss the nostalgic PS1 aesthetic. Many appreciate the game's smooth performance and character design, but some feel that the graphics alone do not justify the price, suggesting that gameplay improvements are needed. Despite the positive remarks, there is a sentiment that the visuals, while impressive, do not significantly enhance the overall experience.
- “The graphics feel nice, the gameplay is great, I also love the platforming that this game has, surprised me the first time.”
- “I love the upgrade in graphics, which I did think would make it feel different, but it does not, as it plays just as great!”
- “This was definitely worth the wait, amazing graphics, amazing voice acting (astralspiff is in the game) and extremely good chase sequences that actually require a brain and each one is unique.”
- “The visual style is fine (I'm a huge fan of Zardy's Maze, so I am a bit sad the PS1 graphic look had to go), but it's still not worth my $8.”
- “I love the upgrade in graphics, which I thought would make it feel different, but it does not; it plays just as great!”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively blends humor with horror, featuring cool characters and mechanics that create both funny and spooky moments. Players appreciate the balance of humor and tension, noting that the experience remains engaging and non-repetitive throughout. Overall, the humor adds a unique charm to the game's chilling atmosphere.
- “A great challenge and horror game in one, with some cool characters, mechanics, and some just plain funny moments, along with lore to be found in a few secret areas.”
- “Not repetitive at all, a good mix of everything, and actually scary and funny at times too.”
- “I thought the game was brilliant, funny, and a little scary throughout the entire game.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting poor performance and a lack of quality-of-life improvements. Suggestions for enhancement include better performance optimization, clearer objectives, and improved challenge checkpoints. Overall, the game's current state is deemed unsatisfactory in terms of optimization.
- “Optimize the game (performance), quality of life changes (an objective reminder at the top of the screen that tells you what to do), and improve the challenges (checkpoints).”
- “The game is not well optimized.”
- “Well, for starters, the game's performance is dreadful.”
- “Optimize the game (performance), quality of life changes (an objective reminder at the top of the screen that tells you what to do), and make the challenges a little better (checkpoints).”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is highly praised for its quality and fitting atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience. While players appreciate the engaging soundtrack and sound effects, some feel the absence of chase music could be improved. Overall, the combination of music and voice acting contributes positively to the game's immersion.
- “The sounds are good, and the music fits pretty well. The only thing missing is a form of chase music, but hearing footsteps behind you is good enough for now.”
- “The voice acting and music were done really well.”
- “Banger music too.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The game currently offers limited replayability, with both story and challenge modes lasting under an hour and lacking the randomization that enhanced replay value in previous titles like Zardy's Maze. Players note that the absence of varied challenges in chapter 1 further diminishes the incentive to replay.
- “Though currently, chapter 1 lacks the randomization aspect of the game that made Zardy's Maze so replayable, specifically regarding challenges.”
- “After completing the game once, there isn't much incentive to go back and play again, as the story remains the same and choices have minimal impact.”
- “The lack of diverse endings and repetitive gameplay mechanics make it hard to find reasons to replay the game.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Many users find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, suggesting that it can become monotonous and detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- “A lot of it just gets tedious.”
- “The grinding feels endless and repetitive.”
- “I find myself doing the same tasks over and over without any real reward.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is characterized as spooky, enhanced by fantastic voice acting, and the story mode shifts focus from challenge-oriented gameplay to a more immersive, lore-driven experience centered around the enigmatic scarecrow man.
- “The atmosphere is spooky, and the voice acting is fantastic.”
- “The story mode shifted away from the straightforward challenge-oriented gameplay of Zardy's Maze, and instead offered a more atmospheric and lore-driven experience for players who wanted to learn more about the spooky scarecrow man.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy for the game has drawn criticism, as it is being released in chapters, leading some users to perceive it as a cash grab rather than a complete experience.
- “I love Zardy's Maze, but I cannot recommend this one because it's going to be released in chapters and feels like another cash grab attempt.”