Ron Gilbert came to Double Fine to build The Cave. No more, no less. The idea for a stonily-narrated spelunking expedition into the dark heart of three archetypes had been bouncing around his head for 20 years, and was eventually bounced off the skull of sometime partner in design Tim Schafer in a late night conversation. Now The Cave is done, and Gilbert deems it a fitting time to move on.
“So many games left to design,” said Gilbert on his blog:
“I want to thank all the amazing people at Double Fine for all their hard work on The Cave. It was a true pleasure to work with every one of them over the past two years. So much fun. I will miss them all. And of course to Tim for creating the opportunity to come there and make The Cave.”
Next up for Gilbert is something called Scurvy Scallywags in The Voyage to Discover the Ultimate Sea Shanty: A Musical Match-3 Pirate RPG. It’s an iOS game, but bears the most seaworthy title since Aardman’s The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!, and therefore must be made. Where he’ll end up once he’s finished up with that in a few months’ time is anybody’s guess, though Gilbert’s guess would presumably be more educated than yours or mine.
What he won’t be doing is working on Double Fine Adventure, of course. I do wonder whether Gilbert perhaps featured a tad too heavily in the sell for that project, in which he’s had little input since.
The Cave released to middling reviews, but I’d reservedly recommend it to anybody with a taste for fluff-free, rock-solid puzzling and a couple of bosom buddies in touching distance. And it’s hard to imagine he’ll find a better home than with the idiosyncratic LucasArts refugees in ‘Frisco. Where would you like to see him wind up?
Thanks, Gamedot.