Caves of Plague

Caves of Plague is a 2D side-scrolling action game set in a dark fantasy world ravaged by a mysterious plague. Players assume the role of a cold-blooded plague doctor who must venture into monster-infested caves and conquered human dwellings to stop the madness. The game features dozens of dangerous enemies, both dead and alive, challenging traps and puzzles, equipment upgrades, useful potions, and various weapons as you fight to exterminate evil spirits and prevent the plague from swallowing the world.

Caves of Plague: A Cautionary Tale of Ambition and Repetition in the Indie Underworld

In the vast, shadowy catacombs of the Steam marketplace, where thousands of indie titles vie for attention, some games become forgotten echoes, while others are remembered as cautionary tales. Caves of Plague, a 2018 action RPG from the obscure Fury Games Production, sits uncomfortably between these two fates. It is a game of intriguing concept and profound mechanical failure, a title that serves as a stark microcosm of the challenges facing small developers in the digital age. This review will excavate its every layer, from its promising premise to its grinding reality, to determine its true place in gaming history.

Development History & Context

The Obscure Forge: Fury Games Production

To understand Caves of Plague, one must first acknowledge the near-total obscurity of its creator. Fury Games Production left a digital footprint so faint it is practically archaeological. Beyond their name on the title, no public interviews, developer diaries, or corporate history exist. They are a phantom entity, a studio known only for this single game, developed using the ubiquitous Unity engine and released onto Steam with minimal fanfare in August 2018.

This was an era saturated with indie games. The low barrier to entry provided by engines like Unity and distribution platforms like Steam had created a gold rush, but one where only a few struck it rich. Thousands of titles, many from solo developers or tiny teams, were launched into the void each year. Caves of Plague was one such soldier in this massive army, conceived and released into a market where visibility was the greatest enemy. Its development was likely a story of constrained resources, limited manpower, and the immense challenge of polishing a complex genre like an action RPG to a acceptable standard with such limitations. The technological constraints weren’t those of vintage hardware, but of budget and time—a relentless pressure to ship a product.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

A Poetic Premise Marred by Execution

On its surface, Caves of Plague possesses a narrative premise ripe with grimdark potential. The world has been consumed by a virulent plague. The dead have risen from their graves, “mysterious monsters” have emerged from their caves, and “evil spirits” shroud the land in despair. Into this apocalypse steps a lone, “cold-blooded plague doctor,” a figure historically associated with both hope and harbingering death. The official description promises a quest of “refractory soul reaping,” a fight against “black magic itself,” and a descent into a world where “evil doesn’t slumber: its name is legion!”

This is powerful imagery. It evokes a somber, Gothic tone, suggesting a narrative exploration of duty, mortality, and madness in the face of an overwhelming, Lovecraftian catastrophe. The plague doctor, with his beaked mask, is an icon loaded with meaning—a symbol of a scientific, albeit misguided, approach to a supernatural crisis.

However, this deep thematic potential is almost certainly where the narrative begins and ends. With no evidence of critical analysis or player reviews discussing story beats, character arcs, or meaningful dialogue, it is safe to conclude that the promising setup is merely a backdrop. The story exists as flavor text to justify the gameplay loop, a framework upon which to hang the action rather than a driving force in itself. The “fascinating missions” described likely boil down to simple objectives, and the “madness” is a aesthetic rather than a explored theme. The narrative is a beautiful, ornate mask—but one that hides a hollow core.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

The Grind That Devours All Promise

Here lies the rotten heart of Caves of Plague, and the source of its most damning criticism. The game presents itself as an action-adventure RPG with core pillars: exploration, combat, character progression, and loot.

• Core Loop & Combat: The gameplay is described as a 2D side-scrolling action experience. Players would presumably traverse various biomes, from caves to plagued countryside, engaging in real-time combat with a variety of enemies including the living dead and evil spirits. The inclusion of “Quick Time Events (QTEs)” in its MobyGames metadata suggests a possible mechanic for finishing moves or interactive events, though how seamlessly these are integrated is unknown.

• The Fatal Flaw: Grinding: The most explicit piece of gameplay criticism comes from a single user review on Steam, which states: “Game is severely repetitive but the major flaw is lack of ressource required to upgrade weapon. Because of that, i must grind grind grind and grind as hell. After more than 10 runs, i have yet my weapon from begining.“

This testimony is devastating. It reveals a fundamental failure in game balance and reward structure. An action RPG’s progression system is its lifeblood; the constant drip-feed of power and new tools is what motivates players forward. In Caves of Plague, this system appears broken. The resources needed for basic upgrades are so scarce that they necessitate hours of repetitive, unfruitful “runs” through the same content. This transforms the “memorable gameplay” promised into a tedious slog, erasing any sense of advancement or heroism. The player, meant to feel like a powerful “guardian of retribution,” is instead made to feel weak and stuck.

• Progression & Systems: The game features stat upgrades, equipment enhancement, potions, and weapons. Yet, if the core economy to engage with these systems is crippled, they become meaningless trophies locked behind a glass wall. The “strange puzzles” and “traps” mentioned likely offer little diversion from the oppressive grind. The five Steam Achievements suggest a very short and limited scope of play, further hinting at a shallow experience.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Aesthetic Promise on a Budget

Built in Unity, Caves of Plague likely employs a 2D art style, though whether it’s pixel art, hand-drawn, or uses pre-made assets is unclear. The goal was clearly to create a dark fantasy atmosphere. The concept art and descriptions promise “stunning locations,” from foreboding caves to conquered human dwellings shrouded in plague mist.

The sound design would have been crucial in selling this atmosphere. The wails of the dead, the ominous ambient sounds of a plagued world, and the crunch of combat needed to carry significant weight to compensate for other shortcomings. The plague doctor aesthetic itself is a strong, visually distinctive choice that could have elevated the game’s identity had the gameplay supported it. However, without significant visual documentation, its artistic achievement remains an unknown quantity, likely functional but unremarkable amidst the sea of other indie titles.

Reception & Legacy

The Echo of Silence

Caves of Plague was met with what can only be described as a resonant silence. It failed to garner a single professional critic review on major aggregator sites like Metacritic or MobyGames. Its presence on the gaming press is virtually non-existent, with even Kotaku’s page for the game containing no original content, merely auto-populated metadata.

Its commercial performance is equally obscure. With only seven user reviews ever left on Steam, it clearly failed to find an audience. The Steambase score of 86/100 is misleading; it is an average derived from just those seven reviews (six positive, one negative) and represents a tiny, statistically insignificant sample size. The most detailed review available is the negative one, which paints a picture of a broken grind.

The legacy of Caves of Plague is not one of influence or innovation. It did not inspire clones or create a new subgenre. Instead, its legacy is symbolic. It serves as a stark example of the “indiepocalypse” — the concept that the digital marketplace is so flooded that worthy titles can be drowned out by the sheer volume, while games with fundamental flaws can slip through virtually unnoticed. It is a case study in the importance of balancing core progression systems and the dangers of prioritizing concept over execution. It stands as a cautionary tale for developers: a great premise can attract attention, but only solid, rewarding gameplay can retain it.

Conclusion

A Hollow Mask

Caves of Plague is a game of profound dichotomy. It boasts a compelling and evocative premise centered on one of gaming’s most intriguing character archetypes, the plague doctor. Its world is painted with broad, grim strokes that promise a dark and engaging fantasy adventure.

Yet, this promise is utterly shattered by its flawed mechanical execution. A broken economy that necessitates endless, unrewarding grinding corrupts the entire experience, transforming potential action-RPG excitement into a tedious chore. It is the video game equivalent of a beautifully illustrated book with blank pages inside.

Its place in video game history is not as a forgotten gem, but as a footnote—a representative of the countless anonymous, ambitious-but-flawed titles that disappear into the Steam ether every year. It is a fascinating artifact for those who study the industry’s undercurrents, but for the average player seeking a fulfilling experience, Caves of Plague is less a game and more a lesson in how not to design one. The verdict is clear: the cure it offers is far worse than the disease.