Caves of Qud

2024 video game

2024 video game

Caves of Qud

Developer(s)| Freehold Games
Designer(s)|

* Brian Bucklew
* Jason Grinblat[2]
* Caelyn Sandel[3]
* Nick DeCapua[3]

Artist(s)|

* Samuel Wilson
* Cyril van der Haegen[2]

Composer(s)|

* Craigory Hamilton
* Brandon Tanner[2]

Engine| Unity[4]
Platform(s)| Windows, macOS, Linux[1]
Release| 5 December 2024[1]
Genre(s)| Roguelike, role-playing
Mode(s)| Single-player

Caves of Qud is a roguelike role-playing video game developed by American[5] studio Freehold Games set in an open world that is partially pre-made and partially randomly generated.[6][7][8][9] The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic science fantasy setting and is inspired by the pen-and-paper role-playing games Gamma World and Dungeons & Dragons.[10]

## Development

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Freehold Games began development on Caves of Qud in 2007, with the first public beta released in 2010. Caves of Qud was released on Steam in 2015, under their early access model.[11] Content was gradually added through weekly updates.

In July 2023, Kitfox Games, the publisher of the Steam version of Dwarf Fortress, announced that they would be publishing the 1.0 version of Caves of Qud the following year.[12] The game was fully released on December 5, 2024.[13]

## Gameplay

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A player has their reputation with various factions change due to their decisions and relationships.

Unlike other traditional roguelikes such as NetHack, Caves of Qud has a quest system as a core mechanic. Some quests are scripted, while others are procedurally generated.[8][14] Players can choose to follow the main quest line, but can also choose to ignore it and play the game without following the pre-written plot. When creating a character, the player can choose between playing as a True Kin or a mutant. True Kin, being unmutated humans, have higher base stats and access to cybernetic augmentations, while mutants can possess physical and mental mutations offering a wide range of utility. By default, the player character will start in the unique village of Joppa, but it is also possible to choose to spawn in a procedurally generated town.[7]

Caves of Qud has "deeply simulated physical and political systems" which are randomly generated and different each session.[1] At the start of each run, the game generates a set of historical events and group relationships centered around a set of five randomly generated ancient rulers, dubbed Sultans. It takes inspiration from the history systems of the games Dwarf Fortress and Epitaph. The procedural history system is based on historical accounts such as word of mouth and ancient texts, allowing for bias and conflicting perspectives.[10]

## Reception

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Reception

Aggregate scoresAggregator| Score

|

Metacritic| 91/100[15]
OpenCritic| 100% recommend[16]
Review scoresPublication| Score

|

Edge| 8/10[17]
Eurogamer| 5/5[18]
PC Gamer (US)| 94%[19]

### Early Access

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While most reviewers during the game's early access period rated the game highly for being more accessible than other roguelikes, some found the game's interface confusing.[8][20][21]

### Full Release

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The version 1.0 release of Caves of Qud received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[15]

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Caves of Qud for "Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year" at the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.[22]

Caves of Qud won the Excellence In Narrative Award at the 2025 Independent Games Festival.[23]

## References

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1. ^ a b c "Caves of Qud on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Archived from the original on 31 March 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
2. ^ a b c "Freehold Games". freeholdgames.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
3. ^ a b "Press Kit – Caves of Qud". Freehold Games.
4. ^ Saver, Michael (2024-12-30). "Games made with Unity: 2024 in review". Unity Technologies. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
5. ^ "Press". freeholdgames.com. Archived from the original on 24 May 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
6. ^ "It's best to play this roguelike the same way you'd read The Grapes of Wrath". Kill Screen. 7 August 2015. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
7. ^ a b "Roguelike Lets You Kill Your Evil Twin With Mind Bullets". Kotaku. 12 April 2017. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
8. ^ a b c "Caves of Qud Gameplay Overview". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2020-09-05. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
9. ^ Tarason, Dominic (3 October 2017). "These 3 roguelikes are pushing the genre's boundaries while remaining true to its roots". Pc Gamer. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019. "The spirit of Rogue lives on in this trio of indie roguelike trailblazers."
10. ^ a b "Procedurally Generating History in Caves of Qud". Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019 – via YouTube.
11. ^ Lewis, Catherine (July 28, 2023). "Legendary roguelike RPG's 9 years in Steam Early Access was possible as devs wanted a "positive lifestyle and great game, rather than maximum profit"". GamesRadar+. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
12. ^ Brown, Fraser (July 28, 2023). "Dwarf Fortress's publisher is now helping the best early access roguelike across the finish line after 8 years on Steam". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on July 28, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
13. ^ "Save 15% on Caves of Qud on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
14. ^ Bolding, Jonathan (18 July 2020). "Caves of Qud introduces a sprawling new dungeon: The Tomb of the Eaters". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2020-07-23. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
15. ^ a b "Caves of Qud for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
16. ^ "Caves of Qud". OpenCritic. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
17. ^ "Caves of Qud". Edge. No. 407\. 24 January 2025. p. 104.
18. ^ Donlan, Christopher (10 December 2024). "Caves of Qud review - come in and get lost". Eurogamer. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
19. ^ Bolding, Jonathan (5 December 2024). "Caves of Qud review: An epic science-fantasy RPG and a new great in the genre". PC Gamer. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
20. ^ Smith, Adam (9 June 2017). "Have You Played… Caves Of Qud?". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
21. ^ Davies, Marsh (20 July 2015). "Premature Evaluation: Caves of Qud". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
22. ^ Welsh, Oli (January 10, 2025). "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a GOTY front-runner at the DICE Awards". Polygon. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
23. ^ Elderkin, Beth (19 March 2025). "'Consume Me' Wins Grand Prize, Nuovo Award at the 2025 IGF Awards". Retrieved 27 March 2025.

## External links

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* Official website