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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

    Motivations

    • Autonomy

      Game with the same Autonomy vibe

      4

      "Players have freedom to explore, choose characters and story routes, and customize party and skills with minimal handholding."

      Capsule for SaGa Frontier Remastered SaGa Frontier Remastered

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

    • Competence

      Game with the same Competence vibe

      4

      "Combat and skill systems provide meaningful challenges and growth; players overcome complex mechanics and receive feedback on performance."

      Capsule for The Matchless Kungfu The Matchless Kungfu

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

    • Competition

      Game with the same Competition vibe

      -4

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

      Capsule for Planet Alcatraz 2 Planet Alcatraz 2

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

    • Continuation

      Game with the same Continuation vibe

      4

      "Players report long playtimes (50+ hours), deep engagement, and habitual play through multiple quests and exploration."

      Capsule for Avernum 2: Crystal Souls Avernum 2: Crystal Souls

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

    • Cooperation

      Game with the same Cooperation vibe

      -3

      "Gameplay is primarily single-player with party management; no multiplayer or cooperative play."

      Capsule for Planet Alcatraz Planet Alcatraz

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

    • Creativity

      Game with the same Creativity vibe

      4

      "High customization in character creation (race, class, player type), skill builds, gear crafting, and party composition encourages creative experimentation."

      Capsule for Knights of Pen and Paper 2 Knights of Pen and Paper 2

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

    • Domination

      Game with the same Domination vibe

      -4

      "No evidence of player dominance over others; interactions are solo and respectful."

      Capsule for Jesus Christ RPG Trilogy Jesus Christ RPG Trilogy

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

    • Escapism

      Game with the same Escapism vibe

      4

      "Players enjoy immersive exploration, survival, and fantasy elements that provide escape from real life."

      Capsule for Robin Hood - Sherwood Builders - Bandit's Trail Robin Hood - Sherwood Builders - Bandit's Trail

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

    • Expectation

      Game with the same Expectation vibe

      -4

      "Engagement driven by intrinsic interest in story and gameplay rather than obligation or external pressure."

      Capsule for Catherine Classic Catherine Classic

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

    • Experimenting

      Game with the same Experimenting vibe

      4

      "Players experiment with different character builds, skills, and quest approaches; exploration of game mechanics encouraged."

      Capsule for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

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

    • Exploration

      Game with the same Exploration vibe

      5

      "Strong emphasis on discovering new areas, secrets, and lore; exploration is a key motivator and gameplay element."

      Capsule for Rat Quest Rat Quest

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

    • Expression

      Game with the same Expression vibe

      3

      "Character creation and customization allow for some self-expression, though visual customization is limited."

      Capsule for Legend of Grimrock Legend of Grimrock

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

    • Fantasy

      Game with the same Fantasy vibe

      5

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

      Capsule for The Bloodline The Bloodline

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

    • Fellowship

      Game with the same Fellowship vibe

      -3

      "Social interaction limited to NPCs; no multiplayer or community features."

      Capsule for Epic Chef Epic Chef

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

    • Growth

      Game with the same Growth vibe

      5

      "Character progression through skill use and leveling provides strong learning and development motivation."

      Capsule for Silent Storm Gold Edition Silent Storm Gold Edition

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

    • Health

      Game with the same Health vibe

      -4

      "Typical sedentary gameplay with no physical activity elements."

      Capsule for VALKYRIE DRIVE -BHIKKHUNI- VALKYRIE DRIVE -BHIKKHUNI-

      "Typical sedentary gameplay with no physical activity elements."

    • Idle

      Game with the same Idle vibe

      -3

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

      Capsule for ONE PIECE World Seeker ONE PIECE World Seeker

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

    • Intimacy

      Game with the same Intimacy vibe

      -4

      "Limited emotional connection; interactions mostly surface-level with NPCs and companions."

      Capsule for One Way Heroics One Way Heroics

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

    • Leadership

      Game with the same Leadership vibe

      3

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

      Capsule for FINAL FANTASY VI FINAL FANTASY VI

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

    • Progression

      Game with the same Progression vibe

      5

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

      Capsule for FINAL FANTASY IX FINAL FANTASY IX

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

    • Relaxation

      Game with the same Relaxation vibe

      2

      "While combat can be challenging, many players find the story and exploration relaxing and immersive."

      Capsule for Jade Empire™: Special Edition Jade Empire™: Special Edition

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

    • Sensation

      Game with the same Sensation vibe

      2

      "Enjoyable pixel art and music provide sensory pleasure, though graphics are simple and retro."

      Capsule for Koala Kids Koala Kids

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

    • Status

      Game with the same Status vibe

      -4

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

      Capsule for Fate Seeker Fate Seeker

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

    • Story

      Game with the same Story vibe

      4

      "Engaging narrative with character development and lore; story is a key motivation for players."

      Capsule for TRON 2.0 TRON 2.0

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

    • Strategy

      Game with the same Strategy vibe

      4

      "Turn-based combat and puzzle solving require planning and tactical thinking."

      Capsule for Operencia: The Stolen Sun Operencia: The Stolen Sun

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

    • Thrill

      Game with the same Thrill vibe

      2

      "Some suspense and challenge in tactical battles and story decisions, but overall controlled and measured gameplay."

      Capsule for Sword of Convallaria Sword of Convallaria

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

    • Value

      Game with the same Value vibe

      5

      "Players report excellent value for price with many hours of engaging content and frequent updates."

      Capsule for ZomDay ZomDay

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

    • Violence

      Game with the same Violence vibe

      3

      "Combat involves tactical battles with enemies; violence is present but not gratuitous or chaotic."

      Capsule for Archaelund Archaelund

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

    • Survival

      Game with the same Survival vibe

      2

      "Combat and resource management require overcoming threats, though not extreme survival focus."

      Capsule for STAR WARS™ Knights of the Old Republic™ STAR WARS™ Knights of the Old Republic™

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

    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.

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 30/04/2026