Caves of Qud

Item: Caves of Qud
Rating: 91
Author: VaporLens

Last updated: 2025-03-09

Summary

Immersive worldbuilding and unique lore.
Deep mechanics with a rewarding learning curve.
Emergent storytelling creates unique experiences.
Unparalleled freedom in character customization.
Unforgiving difficulty and steep learning curve.
Clunky UI and controls hinder gameplay.

Reviews (sample size): 2000
Helpful reviews: 67%
Unhelpful reviews: 32%
Protest reviews: 0%

91%
Helpful reviews with positive sentiment
9%
Helpful reviews with negative sentiment

Positive points: 3258
Negative points: 1362
Gameplay points: 650
Perf. points: 46
Rec. points: 1010
Misc points: 162

Point	Description	Importance
Immersive, unique worldbuilding and lore Description The game features a captivating and unique world with deep lore, stunning visuals, and excellent writing. Procedural generation ensures varied experiences, while a compelling main quest provides grounding. Character customization is extensive, and the world feels alive with diverse cultures and emergent stories. Importance 92%	The game features a captivating and unique world with deep lore, stunning visuals, and excellent writing. Procedural generation ensures varied experiences, while a compelling main quest provides grounding. Character customization is extensive, and the world feels alive with diverse cultures and emergent stories.	92%
Deep mechanics, rewarding learning curve Description The game features complex mechanics and systems that reward player investment. The UI, while initially overwhelming, becomes intuitive with practice, and controller support is well-implemented. The game gradually introduces complexity, making it accessible to newcomers while still offering depth for experienced players. Importance 71%	The game features complex mechanics and systems that reward player investment. The UI, while initially overwhelming, becomes intuitive with practice, and controller support is well-implemented. The game gradually introduces complexity, making it accessible to newcomers while still offering depth for experienced players.	71%
Emergent storytelling, unique experiences Description The game excels at emergent storytelling, creating unique and memorable experiences through its randomized elements and player actions. The game encourages experimentation and creative problem-solving, leading to absurd and hilarious situations. The world is weird and quirky, offering a refreshing departure from typical game narratives. Importance 45%	The game excels at emergent storytelling, creating unique and memorable experiences through its randomized elements and player actions. The game encourages experimentation and creative problem-solving, leading to absurd and hilarious situations. The world is weird and quirky, offering a refreshing departure from typical game narratives.	45%
Unparalleled character customization freedom Description The game offers unparalleled freedom in character customization, allowing players to create diverse and unconventional builds with mutations, cybernetics, and psychic powers. Players can become anything from a four-armed mutant with a flamethrower to a sentient door, leading to hilarious and unbalanced situations. Importance 22%	The game offers unparalleled freedom in character customization, allowing players to create diverse and unconventional builds with mutations, cybernetics, and psychic powers. Players can become anything from a four-armed mutant with a flamethrower to a sentient door, leading to hilarious and unbalanced situations.	22%
Addictive, engaging gameplay loop Description The game is addictive and has a strong "just one more turn" vibe. The game is worth the purchase price and is endlessly replayable. The game induces a wide range of emotions, including joy, excitement, panic, dread, victory, and defeat. Importance 20%	The game is addictive and has a strong "just one more turn" vibe. The game is worth the purchase price and is endlessly replayable. The game induces a wide range of emotions, including joy, excitement, panic, dread, victory, and defeat.	20%
Deep, expressive character building Description The game features a deep and exciting stats and abilities system, with character builds feeling infinite and ever-changing. Experimenting with different character builds is enjoyable, and the leveling system doesn't feel grindy. The game offers a good variety of character builds and customization options. Importance 16%	The game features a deep and exciting stats and abilities system, with character builds feeling infinite and ever-changing. Experimenting with different character builds is enjoyable, and the leveling system doesn't feel grindy. The game offers a good variety of character builds and customization options.	16%
Immersive soundtrack and sound design Description The game features a compelling soundtrack and sound design that enhances the atmosphere and immersion. The music is unique and fitting, creating an exotic and alien feel that perfectly complements the game's setting. The sound design elevates the experience, making actions feel weighty and creating memorable moments. Importance 16%	The game features a compelling soundtrack and sound design that enhances the atmosphere and immersion. The music is unique and fitting, creating an exotic and alien feel that perfectly complements the game's setting. The sound design elevates the experience, making actions feel weighty and creating memorable moments.	16%
Incredible achievement, genre pinnacle Description The game is described as an incredible achievement and a peak within the roguelike RPG genre. It is considered one of the best roguelikes available, with a fantastic atmosphere and undeniable depth. The game's music is excellent, and it provides an incredibly immersive experience. Importance 13%	The game is described as an incredible achievement and a peak within the roguelike RPG genre. It is considered one of the best roguelikes available, with a fantastic atmosphere and undeniable depth. The game's music is excellent, and it provides an incredibly immersive experience.	13%
Encourages system exploitation, creativity Description The game encourages players to break and exploit its systems, offering a ridiculous amount of tools and possibilities. The game is practically infinite in detail and replayability, with absurd hours of gameplay and nigh infinite build possibilities. The game almost expects you to break it to progress at a good rate. Importance 10%	The game encourages players to break and exploit its systems, offering a ridiculous amount of tools and possibilities. The game is practically infinite in detail and replayability, with absurd hours of gameplay and nigh infinite build possibilities. The game almost expects you to break it to progress at a good rate.	10%
Thriving modding community, customization Description The game has a thriving modding community that is embraced by the developers, offering a deep level of customization. The inclusion of a mod kit and Steam Workshop enhances customization options. The developers are dedicated to providing updates for the game for a decade or more. Importance 8%	The game has a thriving modding community that is embraced by the developers, offering a deep level of customization. The inclusion of a mod kit and Steam Workshop enhances customization options. The developers are dedicated to providing updates for the game for a decade or more.	8%