This Is No Cave

This Is No Cave is a minimalist, fast-paced 2D platformer. The player is stranded on an uncharted planet after a crash landing and must travel through an underground labyrinth to return to their ship. Giant worms, described as the planet’s apex predators, occasionally descend on the player and turn each escape into a race. The game is playable with just a mouse, and controller support is also included.

Movement relies on the suit’s thrusters and a grapple hook, which the player uses to propel and swing through a range of levels. The alien fauna and flora in the environment can be used to help with traversal. Respawns are quick, which supports repeated attempts at a level, and a leaderboard records best completion times. Levels use hand-drawn landscapes, ranging from subterranean caves to a lush jungle, and both settings contain alien life.

Accessibility options let players adjust the number of lives, the number of burst charges and the game speed. An endless mode is also included, in which the player is chased by the worms for as long as possible while collecting bonuses. Each time the player gains a bonus, the worm also becomes stronger.