Below the Stone's "Caves Awaken" update showcased

Below the Stone, a dwarf-themed mining roguelike by developer Strollart and publisher Apogee Entertainment, is making its way to Switch sometime this year. Today brings us a look at the game’s Caves Awaken update, which will also be offered on Switch at some point.

In the Caves Awaken update, time is of the essence. Keep an eye on the clock as periodic Cavern events unleash hellish waves of enemies during every descent. Risk and reward emerge from the ruins as dwarven treasure-seekers face off against the all-new Shade monsters, whose spawn rate increases the more time spent underground. 

Chart a course towards objectives, or look for access points leading to loot-filled caverns with the newly added Mega-map. Plan a path through labyrinthine underground layers of rubble, leaving markers in previously-plundered areas to prevent accidental backtracking. Amidst the increased threat of annihilation, enjoy quality-of-life updates like improved graphics, updated breakable objects, added gameplay modifiers, new NPCs, and much more.

Drill to the depths in this all-or-nothing roguelike tour de force where fame and fortune lie beneath ruins. Design a dwarf to match the latest underground styles with customization options for beards and haircuts, then pick up a pickaxe and provide for the kin back home. Make wise decisions while scouring the unknown for shimmering rewards, or risk becoming another lost soul buried beneath the rubble.

A gauntlet of procedurally generated dungeons and caves awaits enterprising explorers. Hack through dozens of unique biomes including fluorescent fungi fields, magma-marred mazes, and gorged caverns. Scrabble to survive amidst the blows of club-wielding trolls, lumbering Yetis, and stinging scorpions.

Crack open treasure chests brimming with untouched bounties like gold, silver, and platinum, and light the path to prosperity with dungeon and ore-detecting devices. Haul plundered resources and precious gems to the benevolent blacksmith in exchange for weapon and gear upgrades. Craft items to prolong each journey, from near-impervious armor to healing potions fresh from the alchemist’s cauldron.

When axes and swords aren’t quite cutting it, shake down darkness-dwelling bandits with copper-laced crossbows, cave sweeping shotguns, and booming blunderbusses. Toss massive area-of-effect explosives like dynamite that both blast enemies backwards and destroy chunks of rock with ease.

Chat up cave-dwelling moles and other NPCs willing to do business…for a price. Take on side quests from fellow cave-diving contemporaries. Brave the twists and turns of the undiscovered while carefully calculating the cost of moving onward. Return to the surface with the day’s loot in tow, or succumb to greed in search for greater rewards. But beware, as death sends miners back up to the start, all possessions lost to the earth below.