Not to be confused with Spelunker, a 1983 video game and influence for Spelunky.
2008 video game
Spelunky
Title screen of the original Windows game
Developer(s)
Mossmouth, LLC
Publisher(s)
Mossmouth, LLC
Microsoft Studios (X360)
Designer(s)
Derek Yu
Programmer(s)
Andy Hull
Composer(s)
Buzinkai
Jonathan Perry
Eirik Suhrke
Engine
GameMaker Studio
Platform(s)
Windows
Xbox 360
PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
PlayStation Vita
ChromeOS
Switch
Release
Windows
WW: December 21, 2008
WW: August 8, 2013 (remake)
Xbox 360
NA: July 4, 2012
EU: July 5, 2012
PS3, PS Vita
NA: August 27, 2013
EU: August 28, 2013
PlayStation 4
NA: October 7, 2014
EU: October 8, 2014
Switch August 26, 2021
Genre(s)
Platform, roguelike
Mode(s)
Single-player, multiplayer (remake)
Spelunky is a 2008 source-available 2D platform game created by independent developer Derek Yu and released as freeware for Microsoft Windows. It was remade for the Xbox 360 in 2012, with ports of the new version following for various platforms, including back to Microsoft Windows. The player controls a spelunker who explores a series of caves while collecting treasure, saving damsels, fighting enemies, and dodging traps. The caves are procedurally generated, making each run-through of the game unique.
The first public release was on December 21, 2008.[1] The source code of the Windows version was released on December 25, 2009. An enhanced version for Xbox Live Arcade was released on July 4, 2012. The enhanced version was later released for Windows and PlayStation 3 in August 2013, and for PlayStation 4 in October 2014.[2] The remake was also made available on Xbox One via backward compatibility in December 2015.[3] A fanmade, ChromeOS version of the original game was made as well, titled Spelunky HTML5.[4] A port for Nintendo Switch was released on August 26, 2021.[5] A sequel, Spelunky 2, was released in September 2020.[6][7]
Spelunky was one of the first games to borrow concepts from roguelikes and combine them with real-time side-scrolling platformer elements. Due to its popularity, it was the influence for many later roguelike games.[8]Spelunky received critical acclaim for its gameplay, atmosphere and design, though some controls and multiplayer elements polarized critics. Many critics and publications regarded it as one of the greatest video games of all time.
^Yu, Derek (21 December 2008). "Spelunky v1.1 (and Source)!". TIGForums. TIGSource. Archived from the original on 7 August 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
^"Major Nelson Xbox Live Marketplace Release Schedule". 26 June 2012. Archived from the original on 2018-11-21. Retrieved 2012-06-26.
^Langley, Hugh (December 17, 2015). "16 more games just got added to Xbox One's backwards compatibility list". TechRadar. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
^"Spelunky HTML5 – Chrome Web Store". Archived from the original on 2018-01-03. Retrieved 2015-10-20.
^"Spelunky and Spelunky 2 for Switch launch August 26". Gematsu. 2021-08-12. Archived from the original on 2021-08-12. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
^Dayus, Oscar (October 31, 2017). "Spelunky 2 Announced For PS4 And PC, Watch First Trailer Here". GameSpot. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
^"Spelunky 2 launches September 15 for PS4, "shortly after" for PC". Gematsu. 2020-08-06. Archived from the original on 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
^PC Gamer staff (January 1, 2016). "The 50 most important PC games of all time". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
Spelunky is a 2008 source-available 2D platform game created by independent developer Derek Yu and released as freeware for Microsoft Windows. It was remade...
Spelunky 2 is a 2020 platform video game developed by Mossmouth and BlitWorks. It is the sequel to Spelunky (2008) and was released for PlayStation 4...
has designed and co-designed several award-winning games, most famously Spelunky, Aquaria, and Eternal Daughter. He is also notable as a blogger and custodian...
"Spelunky 2 and Hades use chaos to spark conversation, making them the perfect lockdown games". GamesRadar+. Retrieved December 7, 2022. Spelunky had...
thematic elements, and graphical styles; common examples of these include Spelunky, FTL: Faster Than Light, The Binding of Isaac, Slay the Spire, Hades and...
Retrieved 2013-10-10. Caoili, Eric (2011-07-14). "Dungeons of Dredmor, Spelunky Mac Released". Game Set Watch. Retrieved 2011-07-16. Sliva, Marty (2013-05-01)...
as to create new environments for the player to explore. The levels in Spelunky are procedurally generated by rearranging premade tiles of geometry into...
Speedrunning is the act of playing a video game, or section of a video game, with the goal of completing it as fast as possible. Speedrunning often involves...
a challenge playthrough of the 2012 roguelike-like platform video game Spelunky HD. Such a playthrough centers on carrying an eggplant item to the final...
complexity or the longevity to compete with other 2D platforming games such as Spelunky or Super Meat Boy. Daria Paterek of Impact cited Fireboy and Watergirl...
increased consumer attention on the console, keeping the device afloat. Fez, Spelunky, Hotline Miami, and OlliOlli all found success with releases on Vita. Ahmad...
the Sunshot Campaign. Hou Yi's bow appears as an item in the video game Spelunky 2. Hou Yi appears as a character in the S. L. Huang novella Burning Roses...
several games such as Fez, Sonic CD, Jet Set Radio, Super Meat Boy, Bastion, Spelunky and Don't Starve to a wide range of platforms such as PlayStation 5, PS4...
Grand Theft Auto IV: Left 4 Dead: LittleBigPlanet: Persona 4: Rock Band 2: Spelunky: Street Fighter IV: Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Valkyria Chronicles: Angry...
roguelike features and comparing it favorably to the 2008 platform game Spelunky. Destructoid praised the game for its controls, "excitingly difficult"...
one of the game's earliest inspirations, and drew further influence from Spelunky and Dig Dug. Shovel Knight Dig was launched for Nintendo Switch, Windows...
are not the main driver but significantly impact the industry, such as Spelunky, Fez, Don't Starve, Castle Crashers, and Minecraft, with millions of dollars...
insufficiently positive. Sterling's views on art games have been criticized by Spelunky creator Derek Yu. In 2014, Yu compared Sterling's view to that of art critic...
(Kerbal Space Program, Civilization II, Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Minecraft, Spelunky and Quake II). In the US edition, no game has yet received a rating higher...
to June 29, 2017. The game has been described as a "shooter" version of Spelunky. A sequel was announced during the Guerrilla Collective livestream event...
Retrieved January 6, 2018. Macgregor, Jody (April 11, 2018). "The creators of Spelunky and Getting Over It talk about Sexy Hiking and 'B-games'". PC Gamer. Future...
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