The free demo version of Colossal Cave is available on GOG.COM. You can download it here
This product contains both the WIN/MAC and VR versions of Colossal Cave
Embark on a timeless journey through a sprawling cave system packed with treasures, creatures, mazes, and wits-defying puzzles. The g...
Windows 10, Intel Core2 Duo E8400, 3.0GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+, 3.0GHz or higher, 4 GB RAM, Gef...
Description
The free demo version of Colossal Cave is available on GOG.COM. You can download it here
This product contains both the WIN/MAC and VR versions of Colossal Cave
Embark on a timeless journey through a sprawling cave system packed with treasures, creatures, mazes, and wits-defying puzzles. The great grandpappy of adventure games will test you and tickle your problem-solving skills as you unearth its plot and secrets. Through cunning trial-and-error you will crawl through tight squeezes, encounter impressive caverns, collect inventory, locate treasure, thwart dwarf attacks, all while keeping your eye on the score before your lamp goes out.
Dust off your vintage Colossal Cave maps from the 70s or 80s, they'll still work like a charm. This is a faithful, unchanged tribute to the original game design. Need a little nudge? Stuck on the dragon? Call our classic hint line at 1-206-207-9017 for a helping hand. Can't seem to make progress? Search online for hints and tips that have been shared for decades. Any tips or tricks regarding the original game play will still work here. Or, join our Discord for even more support!
Developed in the mid-1970’s by amateur cave spelunker, this classic text-adventure was originally crafted as a way for a father to entertain his two young daughters. Will Crowther based his design on detailed cave maps he’d made with his wife, Patricia, of the Bedquilt section of Kentucky’s Mammoth cave. Family cave exploration is at the heart of this game.
Shortly thereafter, the code-prankster, Don Woods, discovered the game on the ARPANET and expanded the cave. He layered in more fun, fantasy, puzzles, and a vexing 350-point system.
Years later, Don’s expansion became the most accessible and the definitive version of Colossal Cave Adventure.
Enter Roberta Williams. She first played the game in 1979 and was instantly hooked. She spent weeks playing the game, taking notes and mapping out the cave, as it was revealed through the textual descriptions in game. Her mind was filled with imaginary neon mushrooms, misty underground lakes, a snappy bivalve mollusk, and a noticeably absent giant. After finishing the game, and all 350 points achieved, she was ready for another adventure – a dilemma in 1979. If it was another adventure she wanted, she’d have to make her own!
And, indeed she did. In 1980 she designed and developed the world’s first graphic computer game, Mystery House.
This groundbreaking game is considered one of the most influential in history, establishing conventions that have become standard in the adventure game genre. It has been ported to just about every computer and console, played by millions, and inspired many other games, books, movies, and TV series.
Relive the golden age of adventure gaming. Immerse yourself in a timeless exploration through a sprawling cave system filled with treasures, creatures, and brain-teasing puzzles. Transport back to a more innocent time and experience the retro-cool of point-and-click mechanics, accompanied by an art style that harkens back to the golden age of adventure games. This lovingly and respectfully assembled tribute is brought to you by boutique studio, Cygnus Entertainment. Ken and Roberta Williams are committed to sharing and preserving the spirit of classic adventure games.
With its challenging and mind-bending puzzles, this explorative game will keep you enthralled. Explore 14 distinct regions filled with magic, hidden secrets, breathtaking views, and cave-dwelling creatures of all types. Each area offers a unique and enchanting experience. And with over 20 individual achievements to find and accomplish, you'll be hooked for hours.
Simple, intuitive, point-&-click controls
Captivating, colorful, and immersive regions
Challenging, logic-driven puzzles
A perfect blend of challenge and reward
Scenic subterranean vistas with hidden secrets
Over 20 individual achievements to accomplish
A game that is incredibly fun and engaging
A game experience unlike any other
And, as much as this game is steeped in gaming history and lore, there’s also a reason it’s stood the test of time and become so richly intertwined with gaming culture. It’s fun! It is also thought provoking and challenging. It is both simple and complex. It's creative - and, as Roberta says, it’s a fantastic design.
Venture down into Colossal Cave and explore its depths. Don’t forget your lamp!
This game is a remake of the original adventure game - the only that started it all, Colossal Cave Adventure (or ADVENT) - this is the game that inspired Roberta Williams to make her own games and now she has used her team to make it hopefully explorable 3-D adventure. It is faithful to the original game (to a fault some might say) but all the old locations and items have been preserved just as if you had been playing it on a teletype in the late 70s. Definitely worth your time & obviously lovingly done.
It wasn't until a year or two ago that I learned who crafted my childhood memories. Roberta Heuer, even if countless artists and creators aided her way. This oil painting depicting my profile most likely exists only because my Mother, an artist, and Roberta Heuer. Which is hilarious to say in a review. As soon as I delved into this game the same magic was there. I always prefer the pixel graphics of old, but somehow, for perhaps the first time, I see some magic in this 3d world. This is not a review. This is respect to a great creator who helped forge the digital world we know. All is eventually forgotten, but for as long as I can, I shall remember.
As a dad who loves gaming I am always excited about ways to bond with my kids (3, 10 and 11 year olds) around gaming. There are so many games that are just too filled with guts and gore - it's actually very few games that are not.
The wonderful things about Colossal Cave is that it's clean, deep and magical. It's probably the best investment I have ever made in family entertainment from a pure return on investment point of view.
Also - with a bit of tweaking you can get it working on an older machine as well. The kids have a 2012 iMac which is too old for most games but I got decent performance by changing a few easy settings.
I cannot recommend this game high enough!
Having never played the text adventure this is based on, while also having some familiarity with text adventures, I wasn't sure what to expect. I am happy to say the game was fun for me, and I am grateful the Williams brought it to us in this form.
It's a bit silly and goofy at times (partly because of the low budget, but mostly because of the game itself with its humour). At the same time, unless you are aiming for full points, it's also fairly accessible, and the age of its original version doesn't bring excessive baggage with it. The conversion to 3D works well (I would recommend that anyone who's fine with WASD controls uses the keyboard to move, however, as the mouse-only controls aren't great).
The presentation is fine, if low budget. The visuals probably suffer the most. Some texturing and modeling aren't up to the task, and some animations as well, although those aren't very common in general. My personal highlight is the narrator (I could imagine him getting annoying if you don't appreciate that kind of stuff).
Edit: It's worth noting, that the game did get a visual upgrade after I originally wrote this review. While it's not going to stun any modern gamer with its visuals, it's a bit nicer to look at now.
The game doesn't have a lot of dialogues or interactions, and this works in the game's favour, reducing the number of possible red herrings (which, given how labyrinthine the cave is, it's probably a good thing). The puzzles that are there are mostly clever and intuitive, and I am sure most people will be able to see the ending with a bit of effort. The auto-map is GREATLY appreciated, although the two mazes in the game are still a bit painful, especially if you are like me and you want to check all the exits, just in case (spoilers: it's not worth it at all, you should only ever go through the mazes if you HAVE to).
The only thing I dislike besides the mazes, is that the game is "kind of" timed, and I feel it's the only design decision I disapprove of (be it here or in the original text adventure).
If the presentation doesn't bother you, a charming underground adventure with clever puzzles and humour (and only some jank) awaits for you here.
I was so excited when I heard that Ken and Roberta Williams would be making a new game, especially a remake or retelling of one of the classic adventure games from the past. Ken and Roberta are two of the most iconic game developers from my childhood (and they seem like really awesome people), so I bought this game just to support them. I heard a number of reviews that complained about the visuals, but I can safely say that those complaints were completely meaningless once you started playing the game. While the graphics aren't quite to the spec of modern PC titles, they are still very well done, and the visual style is actually quite charming. It actually makes sense to remake Colossal Cave using graphics from the PS3 era of gaming because it gives it a really charming look and feel.
That being said, I have to admit that I am not usually a fan of first person perspective in gaming, but the controls were one of the best that I've ever played in this perspective. Normally I would get nauseous from playing these kinds of games within the first 30 minutes, but I played this for well over and hour and felt fine. I will say that this game plays much more like an FPP, rather than a point and click adventure, but I guess you could say that it is a mixture of both. The atmosphere is really well done, and I think Ken and Roberta were very careful to make sure that the game stayed true to the original text adventure. Naturally that would mean that there are a lot of unusual puzzles and mazes to navigate, but it's still a lot of fun to play through. Well worth picking up!
* On a side note, I really hope Ken and Roberta will continue making more games in the future, because it would be amazing to see what they come up with in regards to bringing classic stories to life with new technology. Ken and Roberta will always have my deepest respect.
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