Imagine releasing a game in 2004, watching it help reshape an entire genre, and then having Switch players enjoy features that PC owners simply never got. That's been the reality for Cave Story+ fans on Steam for the better part of a decade. The Nintendo Switch version launched nine years ago with local co-op and a stack of improvements, while the PC version sat untouched. That changes now.
Publisher Nicalis has rolled out a major update to Cave Story+ on Steam, bringing the PC version in line with the Switch release. The patch notes, which the developer describes as very long, are live on the game's Steam page. For a 22-year-old indie platformer to receive a substantial update in 2026 is the kind of thing that deserves a moment.
What's actually in the update
The headline addition is two-player local co-op. Precision platformers and co-op aren't always a natural pairing, but community feedback on the Cave Story forums suggests players who've tried it on Switch genuinely enjoy the chaos. Now PC players can find out for themselves.
Visual upgrades are spread across the whole game. Animated dialogue portraits, improved water effects, and widescreen support all make the jump from the Switch version. The Sand Pit Challenge level is in too, giving returning players something new to chew on.
Soundtrack options expand to four distinct versions, which is a bigger deal than it sounds. The original Cave Story soundtrack has a devoted fanbase that debates the merits of each arrangement with the kind of energy usually reserved for far more contentious topics.
Mod support has also arrived, though you'll want to set expectations correctly here. The key here is that it covers cosmetic modifications rather than full user-made levels. Graphics packs, custom fonts, screen filters, and sound replacements are all supported. It's a meaningful addition for a game with an active community, even if it stops short of a full level editor.
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The difficulty of certain notoriously hard sections has reportedly been adjusted in this update. If you bounced off Cave Story's tougher moments in the past, this patch may be worth revisiting.
Why Cave Story matters enough to still be talking about it
This game's history is worth understanding. Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya built Cave Story alone over five years, releasing it as freeware in 2004. It landed at a moment when the idea of a single developer producing something that could compete with commercial releases felt like a novelty. It wasn't just a good game; it was proof of concept for an entire era of indie development.
The influence on Celeste and VVVVVV is direct and well-documented. But Cave Story's deeper legacy is the template it created: one person, no publisher, word of mouth, massive impact. Before Castlevania: Symphony of the Night helped define what a metroidvania could be on a technical and structural level, Cave Story demonstrated what the genre could mean in the hands of a solo creator working from passion alone.
What this means if you haven't played it yet
Cave Story+ is available on Steam right now. The game isn't going to feel as fluid as something like Hollow Knight or Ori, and there are sections that will test your patience regardless of any difficulty adjustments. But the writing holds up, the world is genuinely strange and memorable, and playing it in 2026 still carries the weight of understanding where so much of modern indie gaming came from.
Amaya's follow-up, Kero Blaster, released on Steam in 2015 and remains worth exploring if Cave Story clicks for you. For everything else in the genre, browse our gaming news to stay across what's arriving in the metroidvania space this year. The latest reviews are a solid starting point if you're looking for what to play next after you've finished the campaign.
