Cutthroat Caverns – A New Look and New Way to Play

I get nervous whenever I hear that one of my favorite movies is getting remade. In theory, the newer version should be better since technology has advanced, and they should be able to improve the original in fun ways. However, positive memories from the past can sometimes make it hard to appreciate or accept the newer version. For example, the only Willy Wonka I recognize is Gene Wilder.  

When it comes to board games, I’m of the opposite opinion! That is why I was very excited to try out the Cutthroat Caverns Anniversary Edition iPhone app. We own the original edition of Cutthroat Caverns published in 2007 by Smirk and Dagger games. It was one of the first hobby games I researched and bought on my own to play with my college friends. A decade ago, this game was always getting played, but recently the game hasn’t seen any table time.

Can the Anniversary Edition app live up to my fond memories from my college glory days?

Let’s get a Quick Overview!

If you are unfamiliar with the game, players take on the roles of various characters traveling into a dungeon, encountering monsters, working together to attack a monster, but competing against each other to deliver the finishing blow to earn victory points. After defeating eight monsters, the player with the most victory points is the winner, but only if they survived the dungeon.  

As the name suggests, this game can quickly turn friends into foes as you compete to be the player that finally finishes off the monster. A round looks something like this:

Players will review their hand of cards. Cards could be attacks of various strengths, modifier cards to help or hinder other players, and potions. Turn order cards are randomly dealt out at the start of the round. All players select the card they plan to play and then reveal in turn order any damage done to the monster. If the monster survives, it damages the player(s), reducing their total life points. A player is eliminated from the game if their life points ever hit zero. 

Our Thoughts

Good news! Cutthroat Caverns is still as fun and enjoyable as I remember! This game does a great job of taking the dungeon crawl feel of an RPG and putting it into an easy to learn card game.

The art update for the encounter cards and characters is a significant improvement. The monster art is more consistent in feel, and the graphic design improvement makes the encounters cards clearer to read. The app is quite well designed to allow for quick access to read any necessary card text.  

A semi-complaint we had with the original game was the playtime. Most full games would take over 90 minutes to play. For a game that involves such high levels of take-that style play and player elimination, it really outstay its welcome. The Anniversary Edition and app includes rules to allow for full, medium, or shorter length games by adjusting the starting life points and encounter cards. Changing both the starting health and encounter cards keeps the end game tension for players as they try to kill the last monster taking a final fatal attack. This is a big improvement for groups that may want to enjoy a shorter Cutthroat Caverns experience.

You can only play the app solo against three AI opponents. Playing solo on the app makes for a super quick experience since the only player you’re waiting on is you. Your hand of cards, potions, life points, and victory points are easy to see on the phone. The app does a great job of showing you what the computer played and allowing you time to play counter cards without interrupting the game’s flow. Whenever you can play a counter card, either tap once to pause, tap twice to pass, and wait 5 seconds to auto pass.

The major downside of playing solo is that making the AI opponent critically miss isn’t nearly as rewarding stealing it away from your friends. The player interaction really is a key component in this game’s high points. I wish there was a pass and play option so we could sit and play together in the evenings. Hopefully that will be included in a future update. 

Final Thoughts

Cutthroat Caverns with the right group can be a complete blast. However, due to its extended playtime, take-that mechanics, and player elimination it’s not a great fit for everyone. However, if you are interested in that style of game, the app is a great way to try it out. And if you like it and think your friends and family would too, I highly recommend picking up a copy of the new anniversary edition so you can enjoy the updated art as you backstab and betray your friends on your path to victory!

To get your own physical copy of Cutthroat Caverns, you can find it here on Amazon!
The app can be downloaded on iOS and Android.

Game Info:
Title: Cutthroat Caverns
Ages 14+
Designer: Curt Covert
Artist: Lindsey Look
Publisher: Smirk and Dagger Games

A special thank you to the team at Smirk and Dagger Games for sending us a copy of Cutthroat Caverns Anniversary App edition to review. As always our thoughts and opinions are our own.

If You Enjoyed This Post You May Also Like:

20 Great Board Game Apps
Tiny Towns Review
Why We Love Marvel Legendary