Spelunky
XBLA Artwork
Developers:	• Derek Yu - Creator, Lead Artist • Andy Hull - Lead Programmer, Designer • Eirik Suhrke - Musician
Engine:	Game Maker (PC)
Version:	1.1 (PC)
Platforms:	PC / Xbox 360
Release Dates:	December 21st, 2008 (PC) July 4th, 2012 (XBLA)
Genre:	Roguelike / Platformer

"Legends speak of a Colossal Cave that extends deep underground, so twisted by time that its passages shift like the sand under which it lies... the Cave is said to be filled with fabulous treasures, but also incredible danger!"

Spelunky is a cave exploration / treasure hunting game where the goal is to grab as much treasure from the cave as possible. Every time you play the cave's layout will be different. Use your wits, your reflexes, and the items available to you to survive and go ever deeper! Perhaps at the end you may find what you're looking for...

Don't be afraid to die! But also don't be afraid to live! Happy Spelunky-ing!

GenreEdit

Spelunky is a unique game that's a hybrid between a roguelike and a platformer.
The levels are procedurally generated with innumerable combinations, producing unique caves on every playthrough, with varied terrain, enemies and items spawning in each one. The player must navigate these in real time, using skill and reflexes, as well as resource management and strategy to gather treasure and fight monsters. Death is permanent, rapid and frequent - everything is lost upon death and the player must start over from the beginning with only the stock equipment of bombs, rope and hitpoints.

Derek Yu is involved in the independent game development culture, and draws from some of their traditions, for example, including metagaming elements.

Critical ReceptionEdit

Spelunky has won multiple awards and accolades from many high-profile sources.

• Spelunky was nominated for three awards in the Independent Games Festival, and won the award for Excellence in Design.
• Listed as Destructoid's Console exclusive of the Year
• Listed in Wired.com's Top 10 games of 2012
• Listed in the Top 10 of The Edge awards of 2012
• It was the Winner of Gamespot's Platformer of the year and XBLA Game of the year
• Listed in the top 10 of Paste Magazine's top 30 Games of 2012.
• Listed as one of the Guardian's top 10 in the top 25 games of 2012
• Listed in Gamasutra's top 10 best of 2012.
  

Spelunky has also had numerous mentions in blogs, forums and social media, and many game developers cite Spelunky as an influence on their work.

Spelunky for PCEdit

The original game was created by Derek Yu using the Game Maker engine. The first public release was on the 21st of December 2008 for Windows.
The PC game is Freeware, being available for download on the official Spelunky site, Spelunky World.

Being written in Game Maker confers advantages and disadvantages common to other Game Maker games.

As of the latest release, V1.1, the full source code is now available, allowing modding to be done by anyone with a registered copy of GameMaker 8. As a result, there are now many Mods available for the PC version.

Spelunky for XBLAEdit

Spelunky was re-released for the Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) in 2012, four years after its initial PC launch.
The XBLA version is an updated release, more of a sequel than a port. It features modern HD graphics as well as a large amount of new content, including (but not limited to) new enemies, areas, terrain and items, as well as new 11 player characters, an updated player records system and online worldwide leaderboards and rankings.

It also features new multiplayer game modes, including four-player local co-op adventures and a frantic deathmatch mode.

Multi-Platform LaunchEdit

A recent announcement by Mossmouth has confirmed that the 'XBLA' version of Spelunky will be released on the Playstation Network to the PS3 and the PS Vita, and also on the PC, through Steam, GOG and the Humble Store.

The release is scheduled for this summer.

PC announcement
PSN announcement

Unofficial ReleasesEdit

Mac OS X portEdit

An unofficial Mac OS X port of Spelunky has been created by Leon Arnott. The port uses the 1.0 source code.

Another unofficial Mac OS X port of Spelunky was created by idyll with contributions from the Spelunky community. This port is based on TyrOvC's Spelunky 1.2r2 source code which is based on Spelunky 1.1.

HTML5 PortEdit

An HTML5 port of Spelunky that runs in a web browser has been created by Darius Kazemi.

FootnotesEdit

Spelunky by Derek Yu, Copyright (c) 2008, 2009 Mossmouth, LLC
http://www.spelunkyworld.com