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Games like Cave Crawler

Evan Youssef · 2022 · Windows

Steam: 95 % positive of 3,124 reviews, as of Oct 28

Cave Crawler is a short, 2D side-scrolling action platformer. Explore caves filled with interesting enemies and fun platforming challenges.

24 games that play like Cave Crawler and 24 that look like it. Closest by gameplay: Cave Crawler 2, Hollow Knight and Dungeon Escape.

Player tags

  • Side Scroller
  • 2D Platformer
  • Precision Platformer
  • Platformer
  • Action-Adventure
  • 2D
  • Controller
  • Linear
Map region: Platformer Peaks
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Steam reviews

What players say

Short, free and mostly fun retro platformer; players praise its simplicity and achievements, but many find the slippery movement frustrating and the content very brief.

Most reviewers recommend Cave Crawler, mainly as a free, quick platformer that takes around 15 to 30 minutes to finish. Many players enjoy the retro look, the simple shooting and the way levels introduce new mechanics step by step, and several mention the achievements as a reason to play. The main complaint is the character's slippery movement: many players say it makes stopping on a platform and landing jumps frustrating, especially near the end. Some find the difficulty uneven, with the late levels and the boss feeling harder than the rest, while others find the whole game too simple and short. Recent reviews are more negative and focus more on the controls and lag than the older helpful reviews, which praise the game as a quick, fair time filler.

Praised

  • Simple, retro fun

    Players enjoy the minimalist retro style, pixel graphics and straightforward shooting-and-jumping gameplay.

    Many players
  • Short and free

    Players appreciate that the game costs nothing and can be finished in roughly 15 to 30 minutes.

    Many players
  • Achievements and speedrunning

    Players value the achievements and find the short length suited to speedruns and quick replays.

    Some players
  • Levels introduce mechanics

    Players note that new mechanics are taught gently level by level before they are made harder.

    Some players

Criticised

  • Slippery movement

    Players find the character slides after landing or stopping, which makes precise jumps and platforms frustrating.

    Many players
  • Too short and simple

    Players say the game is very brief and lacks depth, with little to unlock or spend points on.

    Some players
  • Uneven difficulty

    Players find the late levels and the boss much harder than the rest, while others find the whole game easy.

    Some players
  • Lag and technical issues

    A few recent players report lag spikes that cause damage, and a few mention missing controller support.

    A few players
Who it suits
Suits players who want a free, very short retro platformer to fill a spare half hour, or who enjoy collecting achievements.
Who should skip it
Should skip it if you want a longer game with depth, or if you are bothered by slippery character movement and tricky jumps.

Short vs. long playtime: Players who finished it quickly mostly call it a fun, free filler, while the few who spent many hours mainly complain about the slippery movement and difficulty spikes.

Summarised by AI from 52 Steam reviews (English, helpful and recent), as of Oct 28, 2026.

Best matches

Plays and looks like Cave Crawler

Close to it by gameplay and by look, so it appears in both lists below.

By gameplay

Plays like Cave Crawler

Matched from Steam descriptions and player tags. The tags under each game are the ones both games share.

More matches

  1. Froggo's Adventure: Verdant Venture96 % positive of 290Shared: Side Scroller · 2D Platformer · Platformer
  2. Spelunky91 % positive of 14,696Shared: Side Scroller · Platformer · Controller
  3. ANIMAL WELL94 % positive of 23,014Shared: Platformer · Controller · Pixel Graphics
  4. SteamWorld Dig 295 % positive of 5,746Shared: 2D Platformer · Platformer · Controller
  5. ElecHead96 % positive of 1,432Shared: 2D Platformer · Platformer · Controller
  6. qomp97 % positive of 440Shared: 2D Platformer · Precision Platformer · Platformer
  7. Webbed97 % positive of 13,883Shared: 2D Platformer · Platformer · Pixel Graphics
  8. Öoo98 % positive of 6,776Shared: 2D Platformer · Platformer · Controller
  9. Kalinur95 % positive of 473Shared: 2D Platformer · Platformer · Controller
  10. You Have to Win the Game92 % positive of 5,731Shared: Side Scroller · Precision Platformer · Platformer
  11. Slash/Jump98 % positive of 678Shared: Side Scroller · 2D Platformer · Precision Platformer
  12. Caveblazers85 % positive of 3,436Shared: 2D Platformer · Platformer · Pixel Graphics

By look

Looks like Cave Crawler

Matched from screenshots. Each card shows the screenshot closest to the look of this game.

More matches

  1. Electronic Super Joy88 % positive of 2,470
  2. I wanna be the Creator93 % positive of 2,860
  3. Magicube99 % positive of 204
  4. MotionRec99 % positive of 442
  5. Time Thief96 % positive of 219
  6. Baba Is You96 % positive of 21,133
  7. Will You Snail?97 % positive of 2,514
  8. Blaite80 % positive of 321
  9. Derelict Star93 % positive of 166
  10. Loot Loop92 % positive of 1,814
  11. !AnyWay!69 % positive of 508
  12. Gun Devil96 % positive of 1,611

At a glance

What games like Cave Crawler have in common

  • The tags they share most often with Cave Crawler: Platformer (20 of 24), 2D Platformer (14) and Side Scroller (12).
  • They came out between 2011 and 2025, 6 of them after Cave Crawler (2022).
  • Best rated by Steam players: Öoo (98 % positive of 6,776).

How these matches work

Matches come from embeddings of Steam descriptions, player tags and screenshots, computed offline. “Plays like” compares what the games are about and how players tag them; “Looks like” compares their screenshots. The share of positive reviews is based on Steam user reviews.

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