Choose Cave Story+
Choose Cave Story+ if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 91.8% positive across 3,688 reviews.
Cave Story+ vs 1001 Spikes
Cave Story+ and 1001 Spikes both land in Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. Cave Story+ (2011) is 3 years older than 1001 Spikes (2014). Cave Story+ scores higher on Steam reviews (91.8% positive) than 1001 Spikes (88.1% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose 1001 Spikes
Choose 1001 Spikes if you want the Multi-player and Shared/Split Screen side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2014) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 1001 Spikes launched in 2014.
Both Cave Story+ and 1001 Spikes sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Cave Story+ |  1001 Spikes | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2014 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 91.8% positive (3,688 reviews) | 88.1% positive (386 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player |
| Developers | Nicalis, Inc., Studio Pixel | Nicalis, Inc. |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Cave Story+ (2011) is 3 years older than 1001 Spikes (2014).
- Cave Story+ scores higher on Steam reviews (91.8% positive) than 1001 Spikes (88.1% positive).
- 1001 Spikes is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Cave Story+ (14.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Cave Story+ is Deck Playable, 1001 Spikes is Deck Unsupported.
Cave Story+ vs 1001 Spikes — FAQ
- Which is better, Cave Story+ or 1001 Spikes?
- On Steam reviews Cave Story+ scores higher (91.8% positive) than 1001 Spikes (88.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Cave Story+ is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Cave Story+ or 1001 Spikes first?
- If you want chronology, Cave Story+ (2011) came out before 1001 Spikes (2014). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Cave Story+ and 1001 Spikes similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Cave Story+ have multiplayer like 1001 Spikes?
- No. 1001 Spikes supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Cave Story+ is listed as single-player only.