Ron Gilbert emerges from The Cave with new puzzle-adventure

Written by Jack Allin — May 24, 2012 at 17:17

Look, over there! A talking cave! 

If that sounds as odd as a three-headed monkey, that's because Ron Gilbert has just announced his latest adventure, The Cave, a project that has been "bouncing around in (his) head for many, many years".

Produced in cooperation with Double Fine Productions (not to be confused with Tim Schafer's Kickstarter-backed Double Fine Adventure) and published by Sega, The Cave sends players into a living cave filled with dangers and obstacles.  Similar to Gilbert's own Maniac Mansion, players will control three protagonists chosen from a diverse range of possibilities, including a knight, a hillbilly, a monk, and a scientist.  Each character has unique abilities, and you'll need to strategically switch between them in order to overcome the various trials that await.

As the first trailer suggests, there will be some light side-scrolling platforming action involved (what self-respecting spelunker would expect anything less?), but the focus will largely be on puzzle-solving and exploration through a bizarre subterranean realm complete with an "amusement park and a medieval castle, not to mention a fully armed and ready-to-launch nuclear-tipped ICBM. 

The Cave is currently in production for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, and is scheduled for downloadable release on each platform early in 2013.