Caves of Qud
News, coverage and analysis tracking Caves of Qud across the outlets.
'Consume Me' Wins Grand Prize, Nuovo Award at the 2025 IGF AwardsThe indie game 'Consume Me' by Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, and Ken "coda" Snyder won the Seumas McNally Grand Prize and the Nuovo Award at the 2025 Independent Games Festival. The festival, held at the Game Developers Conference, also awarded prizes for Excellence in Visual Art, Audio, Design, Narrative, Best Student Game, Audience Award, and the alt.ctrl.gdc Award to various other independent titles.
Are these the 100 most influential games of all time?Kitfox Games CEO Tanya Short discusses a list of the 100 most influential video games of all time, compiled by professional game designers. The list, assembled through the Polaris game design retreat, aims to serve as a tool for designers to improve their craft and create influential games.
10 Best RPGs on Steam to play in 2026This article lists and describes ten of the best role-playing games available on Steam, suitable for playing in 2026. It highlights titles such as Baldur's Gate 3, Disco Elysium, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Fallout: New Vegas, detailing their unique features, gameplay mechanics, and suitability for platforms like the Steam Deck.
As Enter the Gungeon celebrates its 10th anniversary, its creators have some choice words for the modern roguelike: 'We’re seeing it mutate to the version of itself that popularity obfuscates'As Enter the Gungeon celebrates its 10th anniversary, developers Dave Crooks and Adam Kidd Drucker express concerns about the modern roguelike genre, particularly its increasing reliance on gambling-like mechanics and progression systems. They feel this trend, exemplified by games like Vampire Survivors and Balatro, deviates from the core experience of traditional roguelikes and can feel "cash-grabby." The developers are currently working on Enter the Gungeon 2, aiming to stay true to the original's blend of roguelike and bullet-hell elements.- Caves of Qud ReviewCaves of Qud offers a vast array of intricate systems and emergent narratives, providing players with a deep and complex role-playing experience. Despite its depth, the game can be overwhelming for newcomers due to its intricate mechanics and lore.
'I'm not sure it was a rational decision': Caves of Qud devs ported the roguelike to Nintendo Switch because they're 'interested in solving impossible problems'Freehold Games co-creator Brian Bucklew discusses the decision to port the roguelike RPG Caves of Qud to the Nintendo Switch, driven by a desire to solve complex technical challenges and prove the market for deep, systemic games on the platform. The team is now exploring a mobile port, building on optimizations made for the Switch version.
The Big Debate: What role should AI have in video game narrative?Journalist Daniel Griliopoulos and Meaning Machine co-founder Thomas Keane debated the role of AI in video game narrative, discussing ethical concerns like power, plagiarism, and job losses. While Griliopoulos expressed skepticism about current AI tools and their ethical implementation, Keane highlighted Meaning Machine's approach to using AI as a runtime technology to enable new forms of player expression and storytelling, emphasizing the continued importance of human authorship.
'We're playing game designs from 2005 still': Caves of Qud's co-creator wants to build new kinds of sicko gameplay systems that'll use all the processing potential being left untappedCaves of Qud co-creator Brian Bucklew believes current game development, particularly in the AAA space, is not fully utilizing the processing and networking capabilities of modern hardware. He suggests future games could explore more complex systems and simulations by leveraging untapped CPU potential, potentially leading to experiences that are initially demanding but will become more accessible over time, similar to Caves of Qud's own development trajectory.
The co-creators of Caves of Qud, our favorite roguelike fever dream, worked as narrative consultants on Marathon—which mostly meant they 'got to sit there in the room and throw completely absurd ideas at the wall'Caves of Qud co-creators Brian Bucklew and Jason Grinblat served as narrative consultants for Bungie's Marathon. They described their role as contributing absurd ideas during preproduction, helping to refine the game's tonal palette and worldbuilding. While not claiming direct credit for specific in-game elements, they felt their influence contributed to the rich semiotics and atmosphere that define Bungie's games.- Marathon's secret sauce has a special ingredient: the team behind masterful indie roguelike Caves of QudBrian Bucklew and Jason Grinblat, the creators of the indie roguelike Caves of Qud, have revealed their involvement in assisting the narrative team for the upcoming game Marathon. The Freehold Games developers contributed to Marathon's narrative for several years.
PC games revenue will outgrow consoles by 2028, analyst predictsMarket research firm Newzoo predicts that PC games revenue will surpass console software sales by 2028. The firm forecasts a 6.6% annual growth rate for PC revenue from 2025 to 2028, compared to 4.4% for consoles, driven partly by a growing player base in China. This trend is expected to reshape the gaming industry landscape.
Banquet For Fools is a CRPG like no other and the most interesting thing I've played this year, and between it and Esoteric Ebb, roleplaying fans are eating great right nowBanquet For Fools is a unique CRPG that draws comparisons to Morrowind for its unconventional art style and world-building. The game features party-based combat with real-time elements and a physics-heavy system, offering a challenging and chaotic experience. Developed by Hannah and Joseph Games, it aims to explore themes distinct from traditional fantasy.
CEO of Kitfox Games reckons hundreds of hours playing Civilization could be the secret to the Dwarf Fortress publisher's success: 'Maybe Kitfox wouldn't be as successful if I didn't know how to alternate between science trees and army defences'Tanya X. Short, CEO of Kitfox Games, discusses her gaming habits and how playing games like Civilization has influenced her leadership style. She highlights the importance of 'plate spinning' in managing projects and her fondness for database games and her studio's first title, Moon Hunters.
Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (7th March)Several Nintendo Life staff members share their weekend gaming plans, with many focusing on the newly released Pokémon Pokopia. Other titles mentioned include Resident Evil Requiem, Planet of Lana II, Blue Prince, and Esoteric Ebb across Nintendo Switch and PC platforms.
Feature: Nintendo Life eShop Selects (February 2026)Nintendo Life's eShop Selects for February 2026 highlights the best digital-only Nintendo Switch releases. Caves of Qud took first place, praised for its depth and rewarding roguelike experience. The Disney Afternoon Collection and Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition secured second and third place, respectively, celebrating classic titles.
Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (28th February)This weekend discussion features Nintendo Life staff sharing their gaming plans, including Resident Evil Requiem, Star Trek: Voyager - Across The Unknown, and various arcade titles. The team also reflects on recent reviews for games like Resident Evil Village Gold Edition and The Disney Afternoon Collection, alongside news about Balatro and Pokémon Day Presents.
Best Nintendo Switch 1 & 2 Roguelikes, Roguelites & Run-Based GamesThis article provides a comprehensive list of the best roguelike and roguelite games available on the Nintendo Switch, including recent additions like Blue Prince and Caves of Qud. It explains the core differences between roguelikes and roguelites and highlights various titles with their unique mechanics and gameplay loops.