Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Ken and Roberta Williams’ Colossal Cave is secretly a turn-based game

One of January’s most interesting upcoming games is Colossal Cave, a 3D version of the classic and highly influential text adventure game made in the Unity game engine by Sierra On-Line co-founders Ken and Roberta Williams. At first glance, their version of Colossal Cave looks like a typical real-time, first-person adventure game like Gone Home. But in an interview with Digital Trends, the Williamses revealed that their 3D, first-person adventure version of the game is secretly turn-based, just like the original text-based Colossal Cave Adventure.  

“The original game was turn-based, as you’d type in one- or two-word commands, and it would then tell you what’s happening,” Roberta Williams explained to Digital Trends. “Ken figured out how to emulate, programming-wise, a turn-based game [within Colossal Cave]. You don’t notice that if you’re playing it. You’re not going to get the sense that you’re playing a turn-based game, but it is.”

Gold puzzle in Colossal Cave.

Quit or complete a Colossal Cave run, and you’ll see that the game counts the number of turns you had during your playthrough. That’s because the game secretly tallies up specific actions, including looking at something new, entering a new room, and clicking an inventory item on something. Ken Williams admits that this secret turn-based structure has been a major subject of debate within the development team, as Cygnus Entertainment is currently discussing whether obtaining room descriptions should count for a turn. Still, it’s a surprising aspect of Colossal Cave that helps it stick out from other games in the genre.

Regardless, Ken Williams also has a tip for players trying to min-max the number of turns taken and the score they receive: avoid reading instructions in-game on repeated playthroughs. “The game gives more moves if you take instructions than if you don’t,” Ken says. “The best strategy for playing the game is to ask for instructions while you are learning to play, and then play again, without instructions, when you are going for the maximum score. “

Stay tuned for our full interview with Ken and Roberta on Monday, January 16. Colossal Cave will be released for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and Meta Quest 2 on January 19. 

Editors' Recommendations

Tomas Franzese
Gaming Staff Writer
Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
How to upgrade potions in Diablo 4
Diablo 4 Rogue

Potions are the quintessential health item in every Diablo game. These mystical elixirs can save you from the brink of death in a single swig if you're quick enough. Rather than allowing you to fill up your inventory with them like some other RPGs, Diablo 4 keeps your potions capped, but does allow you to make them more potent. This will be important as you level up and the enemies you come up against begin taking off greater and greater chunks of health with every hit. If you want to keep up with the damage scaling in Diablo 4, you will need to know how to upgrade your potions.

Read more
This sci-fi game predicted our current AI landscape four years ago
Evelyn sits on a bench in Eliza.

Like many others, I’m currently fascinated -- and a little terrified -- by rapid advancements in AI. While the tech seems like it could be used for good, several applications of it leave me worried. Websites have replaced human writers with error-prone robots, Hollywood refuses to protect its creative talent from the tech, and AI-generated games like Sumner have raised red flags about bot plagiarism. Though what’s concerned me most in the last few months is the existence of AI therapy.

There are currently a handful of services available that automate therapy in some way. Woebot is an “automated conversational agent” that’s being positioned as a personal mental health tool. Users can check in with it every day to have brief conversations with a chatbot who will send over wellness tips and videos. Wysa, on the other hand, pairs users with an AI coach, but Premium users can add in 1:1 human support. Considering how much traditional therapy relies on connection with a real person, the idea of automating it seems like a recipe for disaster.

Read more
Cities: Skylines 2: release date window, trailers, gameplay, and more
A screenshot from Cities: Skylines 2's cinematic reveal trailer.

After the Sim City franchise faded away, gamers were left with few options when it came to city-building simulations. That changed when Cities: Skylines came out. The first game was a smash hit, filling the void left by the pioneer of the genre, and in many ways even surpassing it. However, that game came out in 2015, and even the numerous updates and DLC packs added to the game could only extend its life so long. Now, Cities: Skylines 2 has been officially revealed and fans have already built up their hopes as high as skyscrapers. Have the developers designed the perfect system for this sequel to thrive and grow? Let's take a bird's eye view and see what groundwork has been laid for Cities: Skylines 2.
Release date

As of the time of this writing, Cities: Skylines 2 doesn't have a specific release date and is only slated to come sometime in 2023.
Platforms

Read more