Do you remember the landmark text adventure game Colossal Cave Adventure? Probably not, unless you were playing computer games in the 70s and / or care about the history of adventure games. It was a seminal text adventure game and one of the forerunners of the entire genre. Thanks to legendary adventure game designers Ken and Roberta Williams, however, Colossal Cave Adventure is soon getting a remake.
Originally developed by Will Crowther and released in 1976, the game directly inspired other influential adventure titles like Rogue, Mystery House, and Zork. This remake, formerly known as The Secret, is spearheaded by the Williams couple as their big return to the gaming industry.
Ken and Roberta Williams are familiar names to anyone who grew up playing Sierra On-Line games in the 90s. The couple, who co-founded the studio in 1979, helped bring games like Leisure Suit Larry, Space Quest, and the King’s Quest series to life. This latest project, titled Colossal Cave 3D Adventure, will finally bring the game to VR and modern PCs.
What we know about the Colossal Cave Adventure remake
This is a full-on remake of the text adventure game, rendered in 3D via the Unity Engine. Cygnus Entertainment, the new studio formed by the Williams family, is handling production. The Williams are designing it with VR in mind, but the game will also be available on standalone PCs.
According to Ken Williams, he and Roberta were spurred to get back into video games thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Says Williams:
I was looking for something interesting to code when Roberta suggested Colossal Cave. Roberta started to work adapting it to 3D, and I assembled a team. As we dug deeper and deeper into the game we discovered layers of complexity that explain why the game became such an industry phenomena. It has action elements, humor, a scoring system, adventure elements, interesting characters, a huge world to explore and more. This is truly a game that will delight a new generation, and 100% different than anything I’ve seen in the market today.
Ken Williams, Cygnus Entertainment
Are you looking forward to the Colossal Cave Adventure remake? Have you played the original? Let us know!
Via IGN.
