The Cave

Explore a newly discovered cave tile by tile, and pack the right gear in your backpack before you head down.

Designer: Adam Kałuża
Published by: Rebel Sp. z o.o.
Editions by: Pegasus Spiele, uplay.it edizioni

The Cave, from 2012 and by K2 author Adam Kałuża, makes you a speleologist on a team exploring a newly discovered cave. You leave base, uncover the cave tile by tile so that you build the board as you go, and face steep descents, underground lakes and tight squeezes, with hidden wonders like halls full of stalactites waiting to be photographed. Each turn you get five action points to move, discover, explore and pack your backpack when you return to base. The real puzzle is packing: ropes for descents, oxygen for diving, batteries and a camera. Take too little and you are stuck, take too much and you slow down. A nicely thoughtful exploration game with a tangible sense of place.

Build the cave as you exploreFive action points each turnPack ropes, oxygen and a camera before descending

Who it's for

You like exploration with a planning puzzle at its core, and the thought of a cave expedition with friends appeals.

Not for you if…

You want fast, flashy action or a game with lots of player conflict. The excitement here is in preparation and risk.

Vibe's take

Tense and tactile, like a real expedition. You calculate every rope and oxygen tank, then find out the cave has other ideas.