At the start of the game you select three of the seven following characters:
- The Monk
- The Adventurer
- The Hillbilly
- The Scientist
- The night
- The Twins
- The Time Traveler
Once you've selected three characters you're stuck with them for the rest of the game and cannot change characters without completely restarting, as the game autosaves to one save slot and you can not choose to create a new one.
The player controls the three characters and uses them to explore the titular cave, collecting objects, interacting with the environment and completing puzzles, much like in a traditional adventure title.
The game belongs to the 'Metroidvania' genre, in that more of the cave becomes accessible as you, the player, collect objects which are necessary to progress.
Each of the seven different characters has their own unique ability which can aid the player in his/her journey. There are also character-specific areas of the cave (i.e. some areas can only be accessed by one specific character class. So, for example, only the Scientist can discover a hidden laboratory).
Switching Characters
The game requires you to use three characters to make your way through the cave. Characters can only hold one item each, but they can still perform actions while holding an item, such as pulling a lever or pushing a box. To switch between characters, use the D-Pad. Be aware of where each character is on the D-Pad, because some puzzles will require you to switch quickly.
Death
Your characters can, and probably will die frequently, but The Cave features a convenient respawn system which encourages experimentation. Note that characters do take fall damage and will die if you do not use the available ropes and ladders to descend from high places.
Co-operative Play
Although primarily a single player game, The Cave can be played by up to three players cooperatively on the same computer or console, with each person controlling one of the three selected characters.
