Video games have had many diverse settings in the industry’s long and expansive history. Forests, deserts, small towns, and great shining cities have all been exploited in the name of exploration. When the land has been exhausted, they’ve instead turned to the watery depths. Then, when even the oceans have run dry of content, video game developers have turned their gaze underground.
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Caves, mines, and never-ending chasms have been unearthed within video games since the industry’s inception. Made famous by the iconic theme inSuper Mariogames, underground realms have held a spooky spotlight when it comes to delving into the darker side of gaming. These subterranean worlds offer a stark contrast to the bright lights above, and many strange creatures can be found lurking in the shadows.
12Torchlight
Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Xbox 360,Torchlightis an action RPG with plenty of dungeon-crawling action. Players control their lone hero and guide them through a series of randomized subterranean dungeons in the caves outside the town of Torchlight.
As players progress inTorchlight, they will head deeper and deeper into this underground world in search of loot to sell back in the town above. However, the mysterious Ember, a kind of ore that runs through these caves, has a more dangerous tale to tell. More than just mines, players will discover that these caverns hide ruined civilizations in their depths.
11Spelunky
Spelunky, available on Windows, ChromeOS, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, is an indie platformer that sees its players head into caves to collect treasure, save damsels in distress, and fight off countless enemies.
Named after the caving hobby,Spelunkyfeatures procedurally generated caves, making every experience unique. Players will face off against foes such as spiders, bats, yetis, and even ghosts. While plenty of gold and jewels can be found in the depths, other items such as weapons,Climbing Gear, and archeological artifacts can also be unearthed.
10Fallen London
As a browser-based narrative, many players may be more familiar withFallen London’splatform-based spinoffsSunless SeaandSunless Skies. The three inhabit the same gothic subterranean world in whichan alternate versionof Victorian London has sunk into the Neath.
This strange new world brings with it elements of the supernatural and blurs the line between life and death. Players must accumulate attributes to succeed in certain actions and explore all thatFallen Londonhas to offer. Though the game cannot be won, it can be lost in spectacularly dark ways.
9Cave Story
Cave Storyis a Metroidvania-style game available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and the Nintendo Wii, DSi, 3DS, and Switch. In addition to being an incredibly popular 2D indie platformer,Cave Storyhas a wide cast of compelling characters and is considered one of the most influential indie games out there.
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The game takes place inside the depths of a floating island that is inhabited by rabbit-like creatures called Mimiga. Players take control of the protagonist who has woken inside the island’s caves with no memory of how he got there. Through exploration of these cavernous levels, players must unravel the many mysteries of the island.
8Lord Of The Rings Online
As theLord of the Ringsfranchise’s entry into the world of MMORPGs,Lord of the Rings Onlinehas been around since the heyday of these kinds of games. Available on Windows and macOS, the game allows its players to create their own avatars and live within Tolkien’s narratively rich world of Middle-earth.
There are twoLord of the Rings Onlineexpansions that add vast new underground realms.Fate of Gundabad, released in 2021, takes players through vast vertical caverns and crystal-encrusted caves.Mines of Moria, released in 2008 and widely considered to bethe game’s best expansion, brings players to the famous Dwarven city of Moria as one continuous dungeon zone.
7Terraria
Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox,Terrariais another 2D-style game that tackles an expansive underground world.Terrariais primarily an action-adventure sandbox game that revolves around players exploring, crafting, building, mining, and surviving tough enemies.
Though there are many layers toTerraria’sworld, its system of caves is where many key resources can be found.Players will need tomine these resources while guarding themselves against enemies or attacking bosses to progress further.
6Hollow Knight
Another indie underground gamein the Metroidvania genreisHollow Knight, which is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.Hollow Knighttakes its players to the subterranean and insectoid world of Hollownest.
Controlling the silent protagonist, Knight, players are tasked with navigating the network of tunnels and caves that make up this strangely beautiful world. The art style of the game is particularly striking, as its dimly lit and hand-drawn aesthetic is breathtakingly unique.
5Minecraft
Of course, nearly any game with the word mine in the title is fair game. But, it would be especially remiss to forget the king of mining games itself.Minecraftis still an incredibly popular sandbox game over a decade after its release and is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Though there are many other locales in the world ofMinecraftto explore,cave systemsare a resource-rich environment that can be found across the procedurally generated terrain. Many ore types can be found within the murky depths of these caverns, but so, too, can hostile mobs of enemies.
4Stardew Valley
Many gamers knowStardew Valleyas being a front-runner in the farming simulator genre, but it also features an expansive underground realm in the form of the Mines. Available primarily on Windows but with plenty of ports to other platforms,Stardew Valleyis another of the most influential indie games of all time.
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In both the Mines and the unlockable Skull Cavern levels, players can venture underground in search of treasure in the form of gold or rare items. But monsters also lurk in the deep, and players will need to fight them off to avoid being defeated. Keeping well-fed is essential to finding success inStardew Valley’sMines.
3Super Metroid
The long-runningMetroidfranchise has also been incredibly influential in the gaming industry, with many of its earliest games reaching critical acclaim.Super Metroid, published on the SNES in 1994, is perhaps one of thebest stories in this series, even with its mostly wordless narrative.
The setting ofSuper Metroidtakes players to the planet Zebes, where they must explore alien structures which are mostly underground. Controlling Samus on her mission to hunt down the last Metroid that has been stolen by Space Pirates, players will traverse this underground alien landscape and collect several power-ups and abilities along the way.
