Cavernus Is A Bite-Size Game For Less Than A Quid
Here is the missing 'o'
A quickie for a quickie - Cavernus [Steam page] is a sweet little roguelite platformer, a sort of stripped down Spelunky, that offers splendid double-jumping and tricky levels. And is but 95p on Steam.
This definitely isn't Spelunky, so don't go in expecting any of that depth or reward. But what it offers is something quicker, simpler, and bite-size brief fun. I really love the pixel art, chunky and bold, and most of all using the climbing pick to clamber about, avoiding the absolutely-everything-else that wants to kill me.
At the same time, it is very spare, and has a feeling of being rather incomplete. Falling is a big part of it, with various ways to stop yourself from going splat at the bottom, but I found these to be inconsistent, and the fall-meter on the screen - warning you of your height - really doesn't work. The shops offer the same few items on each of the earlier levels, which is disappointing too. And, perhaps most significantly, the levels are not randomly generated, although items and enemies within them are.
It feels like the beginning of something, a prototype that I've enjoyed mucking about with. For 95p, it's silly to complain, and while it's not something I'll play long-term, I've enjoyed my little bite.