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Caves of Lore

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2023

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Quick resume

I created Caves of Lore because of my deep love for RPGs. This project took me 6 years to make and I learned a lot about coding, art, and storytelling. If you reach the end then be sure to let me know! Caves has deep combat, classic-styled pixel art, and (of course) LORE! 📖

Global score

93/100

Genres

Indie, Role-playing (RPG), Strategy, Turn-based strategy (TBS)

Similar games

    Pros

    • Deep exploration and secrets
    • Rich character customization and progression
    • Engaging tactical turn-based combat
    • Immersive fantasy lore and story
    • Active and responsive solo developer

    Cons

    • Ui can be clunky and unintuitive
    • Some combat encounters feel repetitive
    • Lack of multiplayer or social features
    • Some mechanics under-explained or obscure
    • Occasional bugs and technical rough edges

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Leadership, Survival, Violence, Strategy. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Exploration, Fantasy. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Competition.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      4

      "Players have freedom to customize characters, choose party members, and explore the world non-linearly with minimal hand-holding."

    • Competence
      4

      "Combat and skill systems provide meaningful challenges and progression; players improve skills through use and face tactical turn-based battles."

    • Competition
      -4

      "Focus is on solo play and personal progress without competitive or ranked multiplayer elements."

    • Continuation
      4

      "Players report long playtimes (30-60+ hours), deep exploration, and habitual engagement with secrets and character builds."

    • Cooperation
      -3

      "Party-based gameplay is single-player focused with no multiplayer cooperation; interactions are with NPCs and companions."

    • Creativity
      4

      "High customization in character builds, spells, and equipment; players experiment with abilities and party composition."

    • Domination
      -4

      "No evidence of player dominance over others; interactions are balanced and respectful within single-player context."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players enjoy immersive exploration, lore, and fantasy world to escape real life; nostalgic and absorbing experience."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Engagement driven by intrinsic interest and passion for classic CRPGs, not obligation or external pressure."

    • Experimenting
      4

      "Players try various character builds, spells, and strategies; exploration and puzzle solving encourage experimentation."

    • Exploration
      5

      "Game heavily emphasizes discovering secrets, hidden areas, and lore; exploration is a core motivation."

    • Expression
      3

      "Character customization and party composition allow for self-expression, though graphical customization is limited."

    • Fantasy
      5

      "Strong fantasy setting with magic, mythical creatures, and imaginative lore."

    • Fellowship
      -3

      "Social interaction limited to NPCs and companions; no multiplayer or community integration."

    • Growth
      5

      "Skill and spell progression through use, character development, and learning new abilities provide strong growth motivation."

    • Health
      -4

      "Typical sedentary gameplay with no physical activity elements."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention during combat and exploration; not designed for background or idle play."

    • Intimacy
      -4

      "Limited to surface-level interactions with NPCs and companions; no deep social or emotional connections."

    • Leadership
      3

      "Players manage and lead a party of characters, making strategic decisions and directing actions."

    • Progression
      5

      "Strong emphasis on leveling up, acquiring items, and unlocking new spells and abilities."

    • Relaxation
      2

      "Some players find exploration and lore relaxing, though combat can be challenging and occasionally tedious."

    • Sensation
      2

      "Enjoyable pixel art, music, and sound design provide sensory pleasure, though graphics are retro and understated."

    • Status
      -4

      "No social status or recognition systems; achievements and progress are personal and offline."

    • Story
      4

      "Engaging narrative with lore, character interactions, and unfolding plot; story is a key motivation."

    • Strategy
      4

      "Tactical turn-based combat and puzzle solving require planning and problem solving."

    • Thrill
      2

      "Some suspense and challenge in combat and exploration, but overall controlled and measured gameplay."

    • Value
      5

      "Players report excellent value for price with many hours of content and active developer support."

    • Violence
      3

      "Combat involves tactical fighting and defeating enemies, but not gratuitous or chaotic violence."

    • Survival
      2

      "Combat and resource management present moderate survival challenges, though not extreme or constant threat."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026