Demo leads the way to upcoming Cave Hikers

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Point-and-click comedy mockumentary unveiled by the creator of Viktor, a Steampunk Adventure

In 2017, Studio Spektar surprised and delighted players with their quirky point-and-click comedy Viktor, a Steampunk Adventure. Now the studio is back with a brand new cartoon adventure game to show off, co-produced this time with Porcupine Parkour in the form of Cave Hikers.

Cave Hikers follows the expedition of three unique characters through a "cavernous world, on a quest to find the mystical 'cave with an infinite ceiling.'" There's Aki, the four-tentacled quatropus, both a warrior and a diplomat whose communication skills can help overcome obstacles her sword cannot. A strong swimmer and early riser, Aki has a gung-ho attitude that helps propel the group forward, though she soon discovers her enthusiasm isn't quite as well-received if her companions don't get enough sleep. Vuvo the wildefloof is a "cute ball of love and anger" whose bravery in seeking glory is matched only by his mechanical engineering skills and his uncanny ability to "eat almost anything, argue with almost anyone, and fall madly in and out of love with everyone within a few seconds." Valeriano the armapillipogue may not be either athletic or charismatic, but as the team's academic he is able to read and craft wonderful alchemic concoctions at his science table, assuming he was the right ingredients and tools, that is. All three of their unique skills will be required if they're to overcome the many challenges in their travels. 

Beginning in the protagonists' subterranean "hometown" filled with fantastical creatures, crystals, rivers of lava and pools of water, Cave Hikers will take players on a highly linear quest through a variety of colourfully charming hand-drawn environments. The protagonists don't speak, able to communicate only through pictograms, but the game is presented as a comedic nature "mockumentary" with regular voice-overs by an omniscient narrator detailing their exploits and travails. Gameplay is pure point-and-click, blurring the line between traditional adventuring and casual hidden object collection. Some tasks involve gathering silhouetted items from the current screen, while others require interacting with unidentified hotspots in the correct sequence, not unlike a more cartoony Amanita adventure that encourages you to experiment for often amusing results. As you progress, you'll fill up your "book of caves" automatically with sketches of flora and fauna, as well as increasingly complex recipes for magic potions that can be crafted on Valeriano’s "foldable alchemical suitcase." You'll meet an "adorable cast of characters" along the way, and in a nice touch sure to bring a smile to even the most hardened gamer's face, anyone you hover the mouse over will wave at you. 

While there's no firm target release date just yet, the developers are hoping to complete Cave Hikers sometime later this year. In the meantime, you can get an early taste of this delightfully whimsical adventure through the playable demo available now on Steam for Windows PC. 

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