{"rewrite":{"id":"r_4023cdded94107fcb3e59aff","clusterId":"c_1a225894d2341b3cf673e551","slug":"moonmilk-games-announces-cave-expedition-a-realistic-co-op-cave-crawler","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Moonmilk Games Announces Cave Expedition, a Realistic Co-Op Cave Crawler","summary":"Sweden-based studio Moonmilk Games announced Cave Expedition, a cave exploration simulator for up to four players, on August 31. The game casts players as cave explorers pushing into unexplored caves, with locations that include flooded passages, narrow gaps, and huge cavities. The studio records environmental sounds and textures in real caves around the world, and its staff operate as an actual cave exploration team. Gameplay covers horizontal crawling, vertical descents with ropes and anchors, and underwater diving with scuba gear. Players customize equipment before heading out, choosing headlamps, climbing gloves, and SRT gear, and deeper runs demand more tools. A shop lets players buy and upgrade equipment, and the game tracks hunger, fatigue, and body temperature. The studio plans a 2027 release on PC (Steam), with Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S versions planned. An official Discord channel is open for feature requests.","whyItMatters":"Moonmilk Games has been posting development videos of its cave voxel system and SRT simulation since 2024, so this announcement formalizes a project the studio has been showing publicly for roughly two years.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe announcement trailer shows players drilling into rock faces, setting anchors, and rigging climbing ropes, and the game includes a shovel for digging and clearing obstacles. The studio splits the caves into dry caves and wet caves, with flooded sections requiring diving equipment. Deeper runs demand more gear, and a shop lets players buy and upgrade equipment, with rewards tied to completing cave maps.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe game also tracks hunger, fatigue, and body temperature, and deeper areas can reveal suddenly opening cavities and faintly glowing organisms or plants in the dark. Moonmilk Games has been posting development videos of its cave voxel system and SRT simulation since 2024, and the Steam page states the team is developing with the goal of delivering the cave exploration experience without compromising realism. As of the article date, the game does not support Japanese. The studio has opened an official Discord channel and is soliciting feature requests and opinions.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Moonmilk Games is staffed by actual cave explorers, and they recorded Cave Expedition's sounds and textures in real caves around the world. The co-op cave sim is due in 2027.","twitterPost":"Cave Expedition wants you to prep like a real caver: drill anchors, rig SRT ropes, and suit up for flooded passages while tracking hunger, fatigue, and body temp. Up to 4-player co-op, 2027.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Sweden's Moonmilk Games, a studio whose staff are practicing cave explorers, announced Cave Expedition, a co-op cave exploration sim for up to four players. The game records its audio and textures in real caves and tracks hunger, fatigue, and body temperature. It is planned for 2027 on PC and consoles.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Denfaminicogamer\",\"url\":\"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/260901r\",\"title\":\"Ultra-realistic 'cave exploration' game 'Cave Expedition' for up to 4 players looks interesting. Courageously advance through flooded passages and narrow gaps.\"},{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260901-464322/\",\"title\":\"Multiplayer real cave exploration game 'Cave Expedition' announced. Real cave explorers are involved, with sounds and rock textures recorded in caves.\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/09/01/171575.html\",\"title\":\"A cave exploration sim made by a real explorer team is seriously hardcore! 'Cave Expedition' for up to 4 players is very realistic.\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":7443,"outputTokens":5347,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1788287263,"createdAt":"2026-09-01T18:21:53.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-09-01T18:22:23.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-01T18:22:23.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_1a225894d2341b3cf673e551","canonicalTitle":"最大4人で超リアルな「洞窟探検」をするゲーム『Cave Expedition』が面白そう。浸水した通路や狭いスキマを勇気をもって進んでいく","representativeArticleId":"a_c07b282e3402a2ba2a9b095d","sourceCount":3,"writtenSourceCount":3,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Cave Expedition\"],\"studios\":[\"Moonmilk Games\"],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-09-01T03:21:41.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-09-01T05:00:03.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-01T18:22:23.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260901-464322/","title":"マルチ対応リアル洞窟探検ゲーム『Cave Expedition』発表。“本物の洞窟探検家”が携わり、音も岩肌も「洞窟で収録」した本気仕様"},{"source":"Denfaminicogamer","url":"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/260901r","title":"最大4人で超リアルな「洞窟探検」をするゲーム『Cave Expedition』が面白そう。浸水した通路や狭いスキマを勇気をもって進んでいく"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/09/01/171575.html","title":"実在の探検家チームが制作する洞窟探検シムがガチゲーすぎる！最大4人で地下水が溢れる洞窟をロープを張り慎重に進む『Cave Expedition』がめっちゃリアル"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Cave Expedition"],"studios":["Moonmilk Games"],"people":[],"type":"announcement","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Moonmilk Games announced Cave Expedition on August 31, 2026, a cave exploration simulator for solo play or up to four players in online co-op.","Cave Expedition is planned for release in 2027 on PC (Steam), with Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S versions planned.","Moonmilk Games records Cave Expedition's environmental sounds and textures in real caves around the world, and its staff operate as an actual cave exploration team.","Cave Expedition tracks player hunger, fatigue, and body temperature, and lets players buy and upgrade equipment in a shop."]}