Buggy… but ingenous.

Im not going to pretend this game doesnt have problems. It does, and youll learn of many of them from reading other reviews. That said, if you have the patience to deal with the games bugginess and lack of polish, you will find your patience rewarded. Playing it feels a bit like taking a tour of Mr. Wonkas chocolate factory; its the feeling of descending through a massive place, in which each floor feels like a world unto itself, strange and wonderful, wildly different from the others. A feeling of heading into the great unknown.
Also as in Wonkas factory, the tour features a group of tourists, each deeply flawed in their own unique way, who are in turn put to the test by the obstacles they encounter.
The puzzles are a strongpoint in the game. So far theres only been one puzzle I havent liked, involving lotus blossoms; its very clever, but difficult to complete with the keyboard and mouse. I myself have tried designing puzzles for an adventure game, so I can attest to how difficult it is; designing a puzzle which makes sense in the context of a story is one of the hardest things Ive ever tried to do, and the puzzles in The Cave demonstrate great mastery of the art. Im particularly fond of the Time Travelers level - great stuff.
I personally found the game worth the $14 I spent on it. Though it could be far more polished, there are few other adventure games on the App Store which have the scope of The Cave.

Spencer Hargiss about The Cave