Line #7 VideoGame/CavernOfDreams


1	[[quoteright:460:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cavernofdreams1.jpg]]
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3	''Cavern of Dreams'' is a collect-a-thon 3D platformer game developed by Bynine Studio and published by Super Rare Originals. It was released on Platform/{{Steam}} on October 19, 2023. A Platform/NintendoSwitch version was released on February 29, 2024.
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5	The game stars Fynn, a young dragon who goes into a magical cave to search for his missing siblings. Fynn must travel through the variety of mysterious worlds in the cave to find the eggs his siblings are in. He can also collect mushrooms to feed his siblings, as well as cards that give more information about the characters. Along the way, he is helped by a mysterious sorcerer named Sage who teaches him new abilities, and antagonized by an anthropomorphic bat named Luna.
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7	The game is heavily inspired by Platform/Nintendo64 games such as ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'' and ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie''. In addition to being a collect-a-thon 3D platformer, it also has N64-style graphics.
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9	You can find it on Steam [[https://store.steampowered.com/app/2059660/Cavern_of_Dreams/ here]].
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11	!!This game includes examples of:
12	* AllLovingHero: Fynn is a very kind dragon. He is willing to [[GoodIsNotSoft throw down]] if needed, but much of the game is Fynn helping the residents of the Cavern of Dreams while trying to rescue his lost siblings. [[spoiler:He even forgives [[BigBad Luna]] for all the trouble she's given him throughout the game, to her complete shock.]]
13	* AllThereInTheManual: The collectible cards that add encyclopedia entries add a lot more to the game's backstory, the last page of them especially combined with details in the environmental storytelling can piece together a pretty clear picture of [[spoiler: Luna's father starting a war of conquest, forsaking their goddess Lady Opal when she refused to war on their behalf, building Mr. Kerrington and then abandoning him when he turned out gentle, and then obtaining a cursed box and promptly freezing himself and his entire kingdom in ice when he opened it expecting it to grant him power, leaving Luna orphaned and alone where Sage found her.]]
14	* BatOutOfHell: The main antagonist is an anthropomorphic bat named Luna.
15	* BigBoosHaunt: There are a few lategame areas that can be called this, but none moreso than Wastes of Eternity. It's a windswept desert ruin filled with massive grave markers and the infinitely-respawning, one-hit-kill [[NightOfTheLivingMooks Eternals]] that restlessly chase Fynn around. After finding the world's only egg, [[spoiler:the sandstorm clears up and all the Eternals stare wistfully at the shining moon overhead.]]
16	* BigBrotherInstinct: Fynn's whole reason for entering the Cavern of Dreams is to save his siblings after they've been kidnapped.
17	* BreathWeapon: One of Fynn's later abilities, as one might expect. [[spoiler: Less expected is that it's ''water'' breath instead of fire.]]
18	* ControlFreak: A much less malicious example than usual. [[spoiler: As the guardian of the Cavern and the one who has control over reality in it, Sage was completely unprepared to raise a child from the outside world when they adopted Luna. The second that Luna began acting in ways that Sage didn't know how to handle because it was TrueArtIsAngsty NightmareFuelColoringBook stuff instead of the usual childish innocence and kindness Sage knew, they freaked out so badly they decided to lock her away in the deepest part of the cavern instead of seeing beauty in her work, or trying to talk it out with her if it was at risk of becoming a genuinely dangerous issue. In the present Sage has learned their lesson and clearly feels ''awful'' about how they reacted and what they turned Luna into, and part of the reason they're raising Fynn and his family is to try to do it right this time.]]
19	* CollisionDamage: Uniquely for a [=3D=] Platformer, there is no health system. If Fynn gets hit by an enemy, he instead [[BlownAcrossTheRoom gets sent flying in the opposite direction]]. So much of the danger the enemies present is knocking the player into {{Bottomless Pit}}s.
20	* DefeatMeansFriendship: [[spoiler:After defeating her, Luna moans about how Fynn's such a lovable hero but nobody loves her. Fynn then hugs her, to her surprise, so she undoes the mess she made to the Cavern of Dreams and helps open the way back to the real world.]]
21	* DelightfulDragon: The protagonist is Fynn, an adorable young dragon. There are many other baby dragons to rescue throughout the game, and they're all very cute and lovable.
22	* EasterEgg: [[spoiler:Upon gaining the ability to fly from saving all of Fynn's siblings, many of the worlds have completely separate areas that can be only accessed this way; usually with a sign containing a message from the dev. These range from humorous to poems to haiku.]]
23	* EternalEngine: The game's second world takes place in and around a living ship named Mr. Kerrington. Given that it takes place both around and inside of him, though, it blends this trope with WombLevel more often than not, and Fynn will have to deal with spinning razor turbines just as often as stomach acid.
24	* ExactWords: The cursed box was alleged to grant "eternal life" to whoever opened it. [[spoiler: Luna's father did so, and it literally froze him and his surroundings in time, technically doing just that.]]
25	* ForestOfPerpetualAutumn: Lostleaf Lake, the first world, is an autumnal forest that is partially submerged in a lake.
26	* HubWorld: The titular Cavern of Dreams is where the player starts out, and it has the portals to each of the game's worlds. It also has its own collectibles as well.
27	* {{Kappa}}: Shelnert is a friendly kappa living in Lostleaf Lake. Although he is always seen with a fishing pole, he still considers the fish his pets, and he takes good care of them
28	* LevelInBossClothing: [[spoiler:The final fight with Luna consists of a series of platform challenges while she's constantly sending missiles your way.]]
29	* MadArtist: Luna, in addition to capturing the eggs of Fynn's siblings in order to paint on them, believes that TrueArtIsAngsty and runs her own monster-infested Gallery of Nightmares.
30	* MagicalClown: Invoked. The Jester Boots are a pair of sentient, talking jester shoes. When Fynn wears them, they give him the ability to walk on air. They also teleport back to their starting location if Fynn leaves the area.
31	* MagicalStarSymbols: Sage has stars and constellations on the bottom of their hat, and under their dress/robe. This is fitting for a celestial-themed sorcerer.
32	* MassiveNumberedSiblings: There are 40 collectable younger siblings in the game.
33	* NaturalElements: Every character in the game is classified under one of these: Earth, Water, Fire, or Wind, [[AllThereInTheManual according to the Encyclopedia]]. It's even the basis of a puzzle in Airborne Armada. [[spoiler: The sole exception is the [[ArtifactOfDoom Boxed Nightmare]], which is instead classified with a unique, ethereal symbol.]]
34	* NostalgicMusicBox:
35	** Gentle music box music plays over Fynn, the game's young protagonist, sleeping on the title screen, setting an innocent, childlike tone for the game.
36	** The treehouse in Lostleaf Woods contains a [[MouseWorld giant version]] of a child's bedroom. Music box music is heard inside.
37	* OneHitKO: A few enemies can instantly knock Fynn out if he touches them, sending him back to the last check point.
38	* ParentalNeglect: [[spoiler:A diary in the Gallery of Nightmares and dialogue after defeating Luna show that this is the source of the game's conflict. When she was younger and her father passed away, Luna was taken in by Sage, and amazed at Sage's powers of creation. But when Luna tried to impress them with her own TrueArtIsAngsty creations, Sage was so terrified that they tried to seal Luna away, leaving Luna heartbroken and envious when Sage then started caring for Fynn's family. Even after Luna's defeated and befriended, Luna states it's a good thing Sage took care of Fynn better than they did her, and a conversation with Sage has them state that they now knows you can't force someone to follow your rules just because you're not happy with who they want to be, and hopes that Fynn remembers that when he's raising his own siblings.]]
39	* PortalPicture: Fittingly, the Gallery of Nightmares has a few of these, each leading to a unique sub-world for another egg.
40	* PrimaryColorChampion: Fynn, the protagonist, has a red body with blue horns, wings, shoes, and a bandanna, as well as yellow spots on his face.
41	* {{Reconstruction}}: Fynn is one of the usual platforming protagonist. Instead of being mocked as being outdated by the game, being a BadButt SnarkKnight, or secretly being a BrokenBird with a dark secret like most platforming games love doing these days, Fynn... Is simply a kindhearted dragon wanting to save his siblings. Fynn's kind nature is actively ''praised'' throughout the game by multiple characters, who have became so jaded [[spoiler:due to the GreatOffScreenWar]] that encountering someone with kindness in their heart is genuinely seen as refreshing. [[spoiler:Even Luna, the game's BigBad, ultimately becomes a better person due to Fynn forgiving her at the end of her boss fight and showing her there are still people who would care for her in this world.]]
42	* SkippableBoss: [[spoiler:If you rescue all of Fynn's siblings, it's possible to exit the Cavern of Dreams without fighting Luna, due to Fynn's wings being upgraded to allow for free flight.]]
43	* SlippySlideyIceWorld: Prismic Palace, the third world, is a collection of castles and towers in a snowy and icy land.
44	* SpaceZone: Airborne Armada, the second world, takes place on a series of ships flying through space.
45	* SpringySpores: Fynn can jump on big mushrooms to bounce up high.
46	* StarterVillain: The first antagonist in the game is The Mighty Wall, a living stone wall who blocks Finn's path during the tutorial. He is easily taken out by one use of Fynn's TailSlap move, and he exists primarily to teach players how to use said move.
47	* SuperNotDrowningSkills: For the most part, Fynn can stay underwater as long as he pleases without drowning. Possibly justified, as he's listed as a water element creature in the Encyclopedia [[spoiler: and gains a water-based BreathWeapon]], implying that he's a water dragon.
48	* SurprisinglyCreepyMoment: The game has a few spooky things if you peek around corners or out windows, but the standout example is probably [[spoiler:finding the room in Prismic Palace frozen in time. The figures within are only vaguely human- or animal-shaped, and the room's furniture is in a state of suspended chaos. Even Fynn doesn't seem to like it, as his model has tears in his eyes for as long as he's in the room.]]
49	* TailSlap: Fynn's primary attack has him spin in a circle to hit things with his tail.
50	* TimedMission: There are a few of these throughout the game, but the most notable is the Pits of Despair. Fynn is robbed of his SuperNotDrowningSkills and must complete a series of underwater challenges before his air runs out.
51	* TrueArtIsAngsty: Luna would rather create invincible monsters and stories about orphans than make the same things as Sage.
52	* VideoGameCrueltyPotential:
53	** You can [[BigBrotherBully hit your baby dragon siblings]] with your TailSlap in the hub world. Sage will yell at you for this, and the baby dragon that you hit will be upset until you leave the room, but there are no consequences other than that.
54	** You can also hit Sage, but they will just spin around without getting hurt or angry.
55	** You can hurt Mr. Kerrington's eye by using your horn's GroundPound on top of it. Mr. Kerrington will moan about how people "always" attack the eye, but that's it.
56	* VideoGameFlight: [[spoiler:The reward for collecting all of Fynn's siblings' eggs is Sage enlarging his wings and unlocking the ability to fly at any time.]]

Context VideoGame / CavernOfDreams