Colossal Cave

About this game

Latest news

• Announcements·13 Jul 2026Official

  40% off, all week long!

  Fifty years ago, a single lantern and a few lines of text lured a whole generation underground — and gave birth to the entire adventure genre. Now that legend is yours to walk through in full 3D, reimagined by Roberta Williams, creator of King's Quest. For one week only, Colossal Cave 3D is 40% off. Shoulder your pack, trim your lamp, and descend into a vast, glittering labyrinth where every passage hides treasure, every shadow might hide a dwarf's dagger, and a bad-tempered troll guards the one bridge you need to cross. Fifteen treasures wait in the dark. A grinning pirate would love to lighten your load. And there's no clock, no pressure, no hand leading you by the nose — just you, your wits, and a cave that rewards the curious. This is cozy adventuring the old way: slow, magical, and entirely your own. 🔦 40% off — July 13 to July 20 only 🎮 PC · Mac · Steam Deck · PC VR ✨ The greatest Adventure ever told — answer the call before the lamp goes dark.
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• Announcements·9 Jul 2024Official

  Colossal Cave updates with new "Explorer" mode!

  We’ve just released a fun new option, with a new approach to Colossal Cave. We’ve added an “Easy” mode, for those simply looking to wander the halls without random, pesky attacks from the wandering droves of War Dwarves. From the desk of Ken Williams … “Colossal Cave is a game that is not easy. Even with lots of clues, making it to the end is a challenge. My suspicion is that some, perhaps many, buyers who purchased the game have never explored the full cave. To counter this we just released a new version of the game that has 'Challenging' or 'Explorer' mode. It is an option when you start a new game. If selected, you still have full access to the cavern, but the menacing dwarves are gone, the thieving pirate is gone, and you start the game with a full set of maps. You won't be able to attain the full 350 points, and most of the puzzles are still there, but you'll find it a much more relaxing experience. It's like a training mission before you take on the full challenge, or just a way to explore the wonder of the cave if you are just out for a little spelunking. Enjoy!” - Ken Williams ~ Cygnus Entertainment. Update and it’s yours!
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• Announcements·14 Nov 2023Official

  Colossal Cave 2.0: The Enchanted Edition

  From the Desk of Roberta Williams … I am very proud to announce our updated Colossal Cave 2.0, our new ‘enchanted cave’ version! I have always admired this historic text adventure, referring to it as deeply engaging and captivating -- and arguably the spark that ignited the onset of computer gaming – and have desired for many years to bring it to life with beautiful graphics, atmospheric sounds, and characters of charm…or roguery. This has always been an enchanted cave which – beware! -- is also your adversary, and it was important that we capture that imagery and spirit. I am now so excited by our considerable efforts that I urge everyone to check out our latest release, Colossal Cave 2.0. My team and I have been hard at work the last eight months since our January release of Colossal Cave perfecting playability while also enhancing the mysterious, metaphysical, and immersive nature of Colossal Cave. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43213921/be1aa9f4518871c8399b03627222408163d61ba9.gif Ahead of this undertaking, I reviewed the many reactions to our initial release – both positive and negative. I adapted or corrected the unfavorable responses while at the same time maintaining or improving the complimentary ones – though always keeping in mind the essence of the original gameplay which, to me, is sacrosanct. As a game designer myself, I recognize a great design. It is my humble opinion that the original Colossal Cave has stood the test of time due to the innovative and imaginative minds of Will Crowther and Don Woods, the original creators of this classic text adventure game. When Ken and I decided to reimagine Colossal Cave, I swore not to change the gameplay and strategy of these two ingenious men. Although, to be fair, there are those who would argue that by adding 3D graphics, character animations, sound effects, or music – and even a point-and-click interface – that would be changing it. Well, yes – I do agree with that. But still, my assertion is that, as with any script of...
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• Announcements·20 May 2023Official

  SteamVR now available!

  Today marks a momentous occasion, a confluence of technological innovation and a nostalgic nod to the origins of digital gaming. After months of relentless labor, an avalanche of creative thinking, a steady stream of community feedback, and an excitingly engaging approach to user interaction, we are thrilled to announce the re-release of the iconic text-adventure game, "Colossal Cave Adventure" on SteamVR! Journey back in time to the golden age of text-based games, now crafted into a vibrant, sensory-rich VR environment that surpasses anything you could've imagined. We've gone above and beyond, bringing this classic to life in a highly detailed, fully immersive three-dimensional experience, while preserving the core elements that made the original so captivating. Welcome back to the mystifying, magical caves— only this time, you won't just be reading about them, you'll be living them. You asked, we listened. After receiving reports of some players experiencing seasickness within the cavernous depths of the game, we've introduced a brand-new teleportation-style locomotion system. This ensures a more comfortable experience, as you traverse the colossal chambers and labyrinthine mazes, without compromising on the thrilling aura of the game. We've managed to blend comfort, mystery, and excitement in one potent mix— a recipe we hope you will savor. https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/43213921/c1af1917cb86c56816a7b10f9aa69d92207b701d.gif The reimagined Colossal Cave is a sprawling, vast entity, boasting mammoth caverns and seemingly endless mazes. Harnessing the raw power of Steam VR, we're now able to render the game's scale and depth with unprecedented detail and realism. The enhanced visual and auditory VR experience elevates the classic game into an entirely new plane, transforming the mystical underground universe into a tangible, touchable reality. Most untethered headsets can only dream of delivering this level of detailed immersio...
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• Patch Notes·5 Apr 2023Official

  Historic Update - Retro TV, Tips, & Documentary Added

  Howdy, Colossal Cavers! Over 300,000,000 years ago, water started tricking through some limestone, eventually carving what is currently known to be the longest known, connected cave system on the planet: Mammoth Cave, in Kentucky, USA. Did you know that the woman who made this discovery was a tiny programming caver, named Patricia Crowther? This tiny, but colossal discovery is known as being the speleological equivalent of summiting Mount Everest, for the first time. Did you know that her husband, Will Crowther, also a programming caver, had an integral role in programming the packet switching between the first 4 connected “routers” (Interface Message Processors) making up the ARPANET (the precursor to today’s internet)? Will played a pivotal role in the invention of the Internet. Yes, that internet. Did you know that Will Crowther built the first text-adventure game around muddy little maps he’d made with his wife? Inspired by 60’s style AI (known as ELIZA) and made as a bonding exercise with his young daughters, ADVENT (as it was known at the time) would be one of the first viral games, as it spread across the ARPANET, shutting down entire departments for weeks at a time, as people were so entranced with the depth, light whimsy, and whisps of Dungeons & Dragons style fantasy. There is so much more to this story. And you can learn all about it, in today’s update! https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/43213921/70ef14e81d2a0e912c3f49b413cfe1e9baffb8d9.gif Behind the scenes, fanciful little elves are endlessly hard at work polishing the experience of playing and navigating Colossal Cave. The most recent addition is that of a dilapidated, fuzzy, old television set. We’ve added some fun and informative goodies to this TV, like a look back at the history of ADVENT and Colossal Cave. We’ve included a fully realized documentary to the game, narrated by Roberta Williams. We’ve set it up for more programs in the future. Grab a TV dinner and st...
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