Ron Gilbert, being responsible for classic LucasArts titles like Maniac Mansion and The Secret of Monkey Island, is a legend in adventure game circles. His latest adventure, The Cave, feels a bit like a return to those roots but winds up being something altogether different. Unlike his other games, The Cave is not a singular tale. Instead, Gilbert and the team at Double Fine have composed seven darkly comic vignettes and enveloped them within a huge, singular stage that feels like a cross between a cheap, roadside attraction and The Twilight Zone.

The Cave is a sentient, talking cave and within its depths lay everyone's greatest desire, whether it be wealth, fame or glory. At the beginning of the game, players are introduced to The Cave and seven characters (technically eight; a pair of twins count as one character) who each seek something from it. In a brief introduction, the player can switch characters freely and become accustomed to the game's basic, 2D platform mechanics, but will be able to take only three of them along for the journey.