Welcome Time Wasters!
This week I spent my time with a mobile game that is simply called Caves. Caves is a rogue-like game that has players exploring a series of caves to get better loot, levels and more.
The main goal of Caves is to make the main character stronger after a series of adventures underground. This is done with Emeralds, which is one form of currency in the game. Emeralds allow players to permanently enhance the armor of their character. This means that even if the player has to restart after death, the armor will keep the same upgrades. However, players must use coins, the other form of currency in the game, to activate the upgrades with each life. If that sounds confusing, it’s because it is. Luckily, it becomes easier to understand after playing the game some. There also also different armors to unlock.
Creating a character in Caves lets the player choose which of three stats to put points into. There is Strength, Agility and Luck. Strength increase Melee damage, Agility increase Ranged damage and Luck increases the chance to block enemy attacks and get critical hits on opponents.
The caves that players will explore are filled with enemies. Defeating these enemies nets the player experience. After so much experience is accumulated, the character levels up. At this point, the player can choose to increase the character’s Melee, Ranged or Block ability.
There are multiple different areas to go through in Caves and each of them is randomly generated. This adds a good bit of replayability to the game and keeps it from getting stale. The big challenge is trying to get through an area without dying. There are also portals that the player can use to return to their home base, but they are few and far between.
Exploring the caves is also fun. It’s not just a simple layout that players can explore, but large cave systems that may not be connected to each other. The solution to this is the player’s trusty pickax. It can destroy walls and create entirely new paths. There are some blocks it can’t break through, though.
Among the loot that players can find during their underground journeys are weapons, armor, potions, scrolls and more. Weapons and armor are great finds that will definitely help the player survive longer. The potions and scrolls are also helpful for taking out enemies, and can also give buffs to the players.
The graphics in Caves are pixel art and they look great. It has a very classic feel to it that makes it seem familiar. It also has enough variation to make enemies and items stand out from their surroundings. I particularly enjoyed how areas far away from the player were dark due to the underground setting and low light. It’s a small detail, but I appreciate it.
The audio in Caves also isn’t bad. There’s basically just one song that plays throughout the game. This song is a bit gloomy feeling and matches well with the idea that the player is exploring a series of caves all on their own. The sound effects also resonate well with the rest of the game.
Being that Caves is a mobile game, that means there are ads. Luckily, these are just banner ads, which aren’t too bad. There is also the option to pay a one-time fee to get rid of these ads.
Overall, Caves is a great way to waste some time. The rogue-like elements help it continue to be interesting longer than most other mobile games. It’s also got a solid concept and it executes what it is trying to do well. I’d advise the game to anyone looking to kill some time with their smartphone.
Caves earns 4 GiN Gems out of 5!