Miasma Caves lets gamers explore unique, randomized cave systems

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I love exploring. As a gamer that spends many warm weekends hiking and exploring the Appalachian Mountains, a game that focuses on exploration and discovery is a welcome offering.

Miasma Caves is just that. You play an explorer in a small town that spends her days in caves and tunnels hunting for buried treasure, gems, and other items of interest. Each time you enter the cave system it will be different, as the studio, Windy Caves, made the entire process procedurally generated. There are also some pre-build caves and places to explore, but these are rare and really give players something to find while digging and clawing their way through the rocks.

You will encounter a variety of creatures in the cave systems, but in a unique twist, they are actually not a danger to you, they are simply annoying. The real danger comes in the form of the environment, as bottomless pits and cave-ins become real issues the deeper and farther you explore.

So, what do you do with these riches you find during your adventures? You can sell these treasures to the town beside the caves and use the proceeds to buy new, more efficient gear to make exploring easier. You can also use the proceeds to upgrade and improve the town, which adds an interesting twist to the title.

The graphics and style are solid for an indie game, if not a little uninspired. It doesn’t make the game unplayable by any means, but I wish the game artwork was a little more representative of the actual game footage. Lighting could still use some work, as well, especially considering how much of your time is spent in darkness. Controls are solid and never felt burdensome.

Miasma Caves is not yet available but will be making its way to Steam Early Access in the near future.

Josiah Motley

Former KnowTechie editor.