Buy Spelunky

Over 240 hours, 1500+ runs, I've completed this game a measely 12 times. This is one of the most difficult games I've ever played. The seconds are minutes and minutes are hours when you're playing this game. I've been to Hell once and I only just recently finished it under 8 minutes. This game hasn't gotten stale yet but it will make you feel every emotion ten fold.

When the arrow trap triggers from offscreen and ricochets off a wall
only to bounce off the ground and hit you in the face, you realize something profound.
Some things are just beyond your control.

Life isn't out to get you it's just randomly generating extremely unfair situations.
Kind of like Spelunky. Oh, and I hate this game.

10/10

More death than Dark Souls, more damsels than Mario, more torture than The Binding of Isaac and more fun than all of them put together!

At it's core, Spelunky is a precise 2D platformer, with a very simple yet elegant scoring mechanic. Each level through which you descend is littered with treasure, and your objective is to get to the end of the game, beat the boss, and escape with as much gold as you can carry with you. This would get a bit boring if the levels were the same every time, so instead the layout of the platforms, items and enemies changes every time you retry, although the four themed areas (plus one special, secret one) always appear in the same order. Interestingly, in this version, there is a daily challenge: a seed is generated and every one who attempts the daily challenge will play the same seed, and the scores are ranked at the end. Best I've achieved is twelfth in the world. Mind you, the disparity between my score and that of the person in pole position was enormous.

It probably took me a good twenty hours of practice before I could reliably make it to the second set of levels.
You can buy and find a variety of different items to help you proceed but you always start with just four bombs and ropes. Spelunky is a tough game, for sure, and you'll need to put the effort in if you want to see all that it has to offer. Although it is possible for RNG to generously hand you a seed with a few more items and a few less traps, the randomisation isn't so extreme that luck alone is enough to make or break a run. A skilled player will always succeed, no matter what, whilst someone who hasn't quite grasped the mechanics can have all the advantages and still squander them. Death in Spelunky often comes quite quickly, and cautious play is advised. As you practice, you'll learn how to be cautious and plan ahead, whilst still being very speedy and efficient with bombs and ropes. This is important, as levels in Spelunky are timed; when the clock hits 2:30, a ghost will emerge from the nearest wall and if it touches you, your run is over.

It really put me off at first, the idea that I couldn't take my time and explore all the nooks and crannies, hoovering up every tiny speck of gold as I went. But, the ghost is essential in encouraging you to get better, to find the fastest and most efficient ways down through the level, and skilled players can even exploit its appearance for fiscal gain. Like so many aspects of Spelunky, what seems like a hardship at feels gradually reveals itself to be a boon. The angry shopkeepers, a real nuisance, but when you learn how to handle them, their shops become a little treasure trove for you to plunder. Could save you a few pennies in the black market, for sure.

They say the devil is in the details, and Spelunky is full of little flourishes which really vitalise the whole experience and imbue everything with character. Take the red frogs, for example. They explode on death (a problem, or a boon?) but if they go into water, even in their death throes, they'll transform into a blue frog. It's really neat discovering stuff like that for yourself, so, sorry for spoiling that one :P

There are loads of secrets too! Most levels have just one way out, but what happens if you try to get the crown from the skeleton in the haunted jungle level, and just what is the deal with that weird, tumorous growth sprouting from the backdrop? Does it have a use? That's up to you to find out, and you'll feel great when you do. Spelunky has produced more moments of elation and awe for me than any other game I've ever played, and I finished Dark Souls.

Listen, you owe it to yourself to play Spelunky. It might be the best game ever made.

I've heard researchers say there is no link between video games and violence. These people have clearly never played Spelunky. Never has a game filled me with such rage, with such hatred, with such contempt as Spelunky. The designer of Spelunky, Derek Yu, rarely leaves his home without a
bodyguard. Identifying himself as "the guy who made Spelunky" usually ends with him being unceremoniously punched in the nose.

Is it a great game? It most certainly is. It may be the greatest game ever conceived. It's challenging, it's unpredictable, it's full of depth and secrets. It looks and sounds great and it controls well. It is impeccably well-designed. Even after a thousand attempts, you won't have mastered it. Each time you play, you may learn a new detail to improve your play.

And yet, suffer you will.

Eventually, you'll take to the internet for help. You'll read wikis. You'll read strategy guides. You'll watch jerks on Twitch TV making the game look easy. You'll watch videos on YouTube of people beating the game in less than five minutes.

And yet, your nearly every attempt at the game will end in tears. You'll be left wishing you had just one more bomb, just one more rope. You'll be wishing you had robbed that shopkeeper when he had a jetpack. You'll be wishing you never entered that cursed black market. You'll swear that getting through the giant spider level in the dark was impossible. You'll play the Daily Challenge religiously, every day, always to be beaten by at least a hundred other players. You'll finally, finally, make it to the super-secret level, and then be killed instantly.

And yet, continue you will. For Spelunky is more than a game. It is a self-fullfilling insanity loop. It is a labyrinth of aggravation, addiction and delayed gratification in which your retribution and rewards are always within reach, yet inexplicably never attainable.

Soon the only thing you'll hate more than Spelunky will be yourself. Every missed jump, every wasted bomb, every poor decision, every careless death will tear another tiny piece from your heart. Finally, reduced to a soulless husk, clutching a battered gamepad, you will still find the energy to tap X to try again. Just one more time. And instantly regret it.

Do I love Spelunky? I certainly do. Do I recommend you drown in the same river, born of my tears, that I've swum in? No, I do not.

What could be said about Spelunky that hasn't been said yet? Yes, it's very hard. But yes, it's one of the most enjoyable games I've ever played. Thanks to its randomly generated levels, the replayability is almost infinite. What's absolutely delightful about Spelunky is that it's one of those "perfect" games. That means that you'll always know why you lost a game, and how you could improve. There are hundreds of tiny tips and tricks to know and discover, and the "secret" levels are always a joy to go through.

Spelunky can please the most hardcore players, but it also allows a more casual gameplay. People will either want to complete the game as fast as possible, or with the biggest amount of gold, or simply try and beat the final boss. In the end, what's the most amazing thing about this game is that you won't necessarily play it for its entended purpose (beat the game, deliver damsels, get treasures..), but rather for the journey you'll embark whenever you press Start.

Absolutely amazing game, I couldn't recommend it enough.

Let's see.

* Great platforming.
* Fluid controls.
* Very well-made sprites.
* Charming scenarios.
* Good replay value.
* Hard as hell, unforgiving, unfair and rough... And I love it.

I couldn't ask for more.

A modern masterpiece in 2d platforming. Loveable character/creature designs as well.

I am eagerly awaiting the novelization.

It's pretty good.

i hate this game so much but i cant stoP PLAYING IT I DONT KNOW WHATS HAPPENING HELP

Warning: Need Controller

For me this game was all about the daily challenge. When it takes a price drop there is no excuse not to pick it up. I would even say full price is a steal for the many hours of fun it can offer. This is a 5 out of 5 Matt faces & seal of approval!

I've somehow played well over 100 hours of Spelunky - and that's just on Steam. I've played it elsewhere, too. The game seems shallow at first, and almost pointless. Give it some time, though, and start to learn how to survive for longer than a couple of levels, and you'll see why it's so great. The controls are fantastic, which, once you get the feel for them, make getting to some of the secret areas easier. But death is always one stupid mistake away, and then you have to start all over. And death is funnier than it is frustrating, which is part of why I like it so much.

Y'know, I've sank so much of my life into this game. And for what? I've accumulated a veritable encyclopedia of knowledge on this game just from playing it over and over and over again. I've beaten Hell twice in the time I've played. This game is very unforgiving, and a huge time-suck. But the satisfaction from completing this game still gets me every time.

HOW do I have 400 hours in this game? HOW!!!!

Still a great bloody game though and highly replayable obviously with a great and still challenging learning curve! An Epic indie title that is one of the defining new wave of indie games

Spelunky is a very hard game. The graphics are well made, the handling is great, the levels are randomly generated.

The objectives in this game are simple: progress and survive until the end. But that's not as easy as it sounds. At the beginning you have 4HP and almost every mistake will cost you one or more health. There are a few possibilities to gain HP back, but that's not always that easy. And as almost every other game, this game gets harder, the more you progress.

If you have no stamina, you will end up rage quitting the game. But if you try over and over again, you will succeed more and more. The first milestone will be finishing the game, the next will be finishing the game in one run. And there's more: plenty of secrets, hidden stages, neat interacting game mechanics and upgrades you can find or purchase in the shops.

But beware of the shopkeepers...!

For those who enjoy beginning from scratch. Building a skill set slowly through failure after grueling failure. Getting further than you ever have before and feeling the pressure of continuing on in the a malicious cave (or cavelike) area unknown to you fraught with myriad murderous villians the least of which will have you pulling your hair out continuously; or at least until you adapt. Because that is what this game is about. Adapting to each element put there to make you feel like you are very bad at video games indeed. It is about the triumphs. The moments you die and find yourself belting laughter. The surprise that such a seemingly simple game can offer so much. Play it. It is worth the non-sale price.

Shopkeepers need to calm the ♥♥♥♥ down, i only stole a pair of grubby boots FFS
9/10.

I killed a bat by throwing a woman at it.
I later used said woman as a decoy for an arrow trap.

10/10 - Best mysoginy simulator I have played in years.

over 400h and more! absolutely recommend!