Spelunky is a 2008 platform video game made by independent developer Derek Yu. It was first released as free software for Microsoft Windows. In 2012, the game was recreated for the Xbox 360, and later versions were released for other platforms, including Microsoft Windows again. Players control a spelunker who explores caves, collects treasure, saves characters, fights enemies, and avoids traps. The caves are randomly created each time, making every game experience different.

The first public release was on December 21, 2008. The source code for the Windows version was made available on December 25, 2009. An improved version for Xbox Live Arcade came out on July 4, 2012. This version was later released for Windows and PlayStation 3 in August 2013, and for PlayStation 4 in October 2014. The remake was also available on Xbox One through backward compatibility in December 2015. A fan-made version of the original game for ChromeOS, called Spelunky HTML5, was also created. A version for Nintendo Switch was released on August 26, 2021. A sequel, Spelunky 2, was released in September 2020.

Spelunky was among the first games to use ideas from roguelike games and mix them with real-time side-scrolling platformer gameplay. Its popularity influenced many later "roguelite" games. Critics praised the game for its gameplay, atmosphere, and design, though some had mixed opinions about the controls and multiplayer features. Many critics and publications considered it one of the greatest video games of all time.

Gameplay

In the game, the player begins by playing as Yang, who leaves behind a journal. This journal is later found by the next Spelunker, who is later identified in the second game as Guy Spelunky. The goal of the game is to explore tunnels, collect as much treasure as possible, and avoid traps and enemies. The spelunker can defeat enemies by using a whip or jumping on them. They can also pick up items that can be thrown to attack enemies or trigger traps. Bombs and ropes are available in limited amounts to help navigate the caves. Levels are randomly created and grouped into four areas that become progressively harder. Each area has unique items, enemies, terrain, and special features. Later areas contain more valuable treasures, hidden spots, and special items. If the player loses all their hearts or touches an instant-kill trap, they must restart from the beginning.

Enemies include animals like bats, snakes, and spiders of different sizes, other characters, and monsters such as yetis, man-eating plants, and ghosts. The player can collect items like gold and jewels, which increase their score, as well as useful objects such as bombs, guns, climbing gear, and archaeological artifacts. Some of these artifacts have supernatural abilities, including kapalas, hedjets, crystal skulls, and golden ankhs. However, many of these special items can only be obtained through secret methods, such as combining other items. Some items can be bought or stolen from shops in the caves, but shopkeepers become powerful enemies if the player steals from them.

The player may also encounter damsels in distress trapped in the caves. These characters can be picked up and carried to an exit, which restores the player’s health. Damsels can later be unlocked as playable characters, with gameplay identical to the main character, except the player must rescue spelunkers instead. Another unlockable character is the "Tunnel Man," who uses a mattock instead of a whip.

The Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network versions of the game support local multiplayer for up to four players, including co-op and deathmatch modes. There are nine different characters available to play as.

The original Spelunky includes a level editor, allowing players to create custom, non-random levels to share with others.

Development

Spelunky was created by Derek Yu and released as freeware for Microsoft Windows on December 21, 2008. The source code for the Windows version was shared under a software license that allowed non-commercial use and changes on December 25, 2009. Using this source code, the game community created a patch that added support for Mac OS X. After the source code became available, players made many modified versions of the game, called "mods." These mods were often shared on forums on the website for Derek Yu's company, Mossmouth, which kept a list of completed mods. When the Mossmouth forums closed, the community created a website called "Spelunky.fyi" to continue sharing information about community-made content.

The first version of Spelunky was released as freeware on a private forum called TIGSource. Players who saw the game there gave Derek Yu feedback, which helped him improve the game. Later, Derek released a public version that reached more players. Jonathan Blow, the creator of the game Braid, contacted Derek about releasing the game on console platforms. This was helpful for indie developers at the time, as other games like Castle Crashers and World of Goo had also been successful. Derek worked with a programmer named Andy Hull, a longtime friend, to help with the project.

An improved version of Spelunky was released for Xbox Live Arcade on July 4, 2012. This version was also released for PC and PlayStation 3 in August 2013.

Spelunky's design was influenced by games such as La-Mulana, Rick Dangerous, and Spelunker. It is a type of game called a "dungeon crawl," where players explore levels filled with challenges. It also includes features from the "roguelike" genre, such as randomly generated levels, no save points, frequent deaths, and mechanics that encourage exploration. The game also uses elements from 2D platformers, which involve real-time interactions with enemies. Derek Yu said the Super Mario series inspired the game's "feel and physics." He was inspired by roguelike games' random level generation but disliked their turn-based dungeon crawling. Instead, he focused on ideas like permanent consequences and the challenge of losing progress. By combining these ideas with platformer mechanics, he created Spelunky using procedural generation. He also wanted the game to be interactive, like older roguelikes such as NetHack, but used a single button to interact with objects instead of long lists of keyboard commands.

Other games that influenced Spelunky include Aztec, Balding's Quest, Kagirinaki Tatakai, NetHack, Indiana Jones, and Cave Story.

Design

Spelunky is well-known for its challenging gameplay because many dangers and enemies can quickly defeat the player. Derek discovered that a difficult experience made players act in special ways, requiring them to carefully consider their choices and plan how to stay alive. Even Edmund McMillen, a famous game developer who created other tough games like Super Meat Boy, suggested that the starting area's arrow traps should deal less damage. However, Derek believed that the high difficulty was important to teach players who were not familiar with roguelike games that death and failure are normal parts of the experience.

The ability to destroy terrain was an important part of Spelunky's level design, inspired by the pickaxe's abilities in another roguelike game called NetHack. Derek found that this feature made the game easier for players because they could create their own paths instead of following the ones the level provided.

Derek designed enemies to behave like the ghosts in Pac-Man, with each ghost acting differently when interacting with the player. Together, these enemies created a varied and unified experience.

Reception

IGN gave the XBLA version a score of 9.0 and an Editor's Choice award, calling it "a very good 2D platformer that is as hard to dislike as it is to enjoy." GamesRadar gave the game 5/5, praising its gameplay and the feeling of excitement and discovery it provides. GameTrailers scored the game 8.3, complimenting its design but pointing out some issues with controls and the multiplayer mode. 1UP.com gave the game an A grade, stating it "offers the same quick, easy-to-start fun as Geometry Wars, but requires more skill than simple reflexes."

PC Gamer UK named the remake of Spelunky as its 2013 game of the year. Eurogamer placed Spelunky third on its Games of the Generation list. In 2015, Rock, Paper, Shotgun ranked the original Spelunky first on its list of The 50 Best Free Games On PC. A tough challenge called an "eggplant run" in Spelunky HD was reported by several video game news websites. In 2019, Spelunky was ranked 36th on The Guardian newspaper's list of The 50 Best Video Games of the 21st Century.

The spelunker, the main character of Spelunky, is one of several indie game characters that can be unlocked and played in Super Meat Boy. In Super Meat Boy, the character is called "Spelunky" and has the ability to jump using explosions (based on bombs he carries in the original game). This character is only available in the Xbox Live Arcade version and also appears as a DLC character in Runner2.

Spelunky was a commercial success, selling over one million copies by 2016. The Steam launch was very successful, with 61,408 units sold in the first week and 577,185 units sold throughout the game's lifetime, according to Derek Yu.

Adaptations

In August 2024, it was announced that the game would be part of Secret Level, a collection of video games on Amazon Prime Video.