In my previous post about Cavern I mentioned I was having trouble with the movement controls. Well, that’s no longer a problem. My brain adjusted quite quickly and now I’m completely comfortable with the control scheme. (And there is an option for more standard relative movement controls, but I actually prefer the default control scheme now.)

Cavern

Squishing bugs for fun and XP.

Without the control problems I was able to dig into the game properly. It’s a fairly simple roguelike, but a solid and playable one. It reminds me of ZAngband in the way you often need to return to the surface for supplies, but magic scrolls that teleport you back are cheap and plentiful, so it feels more like a quick break than a tension-reducing slog.

It’s a harsh game, too – no matter how well you think you’ve been doing, you can die in seconds if you don’t keep your wits about you – but that’s not a bad thing at all.

I also like the variety of locations, with things like bridges and brick-walled, finely-carpeted rooms breaking up the brown and grey of the cavern. Well worth a look if you’re into roguelikes, I can’t see this being deleted off my iPhone any time soon.