Don’t forget that the Get $10 For Every $50 Spent promotion is still on, but ending at the end of March. That means if you purchased a 1 year PS Plus membership at $49.99, you’re already set to get $10 back on or around April 12th. We’ll cover you on that extra penny. And yes, it’s stackable.

March 19th PlayStation Plus Update

The Cave (PS3)

PSN Price: $14.99, Free for PS Plus members

The Cave is a new adventure game from Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion creator Ron Gilbert, and Double Fine Productions. Assemble your team of three from seven unlikely adventurers, each with their own unique personalities and stories, then descend into the mysterious depths to explore locations including a subterranean amusement park and a medieval castle, not to mention a fully armed and ready-to-launch nuclear tipped ICBM. The Cave awaits.

Tekken 6 (PSP, Supported on PS Vita)

PSN Price: $19.99, Free for PS Plus members

Armed with the largest character roster ever in TEKKEN history, a robust single player game experience, countless mutiplayer and online options, and an addictive character customization system, the greatest fighting game franchise soars is here for PS Vita and PSP owners to add to their Instant Game Collection!

*Not available in Mexico

Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken

40% Discount for PS Plus members

Set out on a mission to assassinate the totalitarian penguin leader as Hardboiled Chicken. Destroy enemies with a slew of weapons and illuminate the secrets to his past while uncovering the real enemies of Albatropolis. Master fowl play in the co-op campaign as a pair of Budgie commandos on a mission to save the general’s daughter. Many lives will be destroyed, countless penguins will die!

• PS3 Version (PSN Price: $11.99; PS Plus Price: $7.19)
• PS Vita Version (PSN Price: $9.99; PS Plus Price: $5.99)

Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational Course and Character Pack

25% Discount for PS Plus members (PSN Price: $11.99; PS Plus Price: $8.99)

Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational is an incredibly fun and accessible golf experience on PS Vita. If you already have the game, here’s your chance to download all 3x characters (Erika, Gloria, & Kat) and 3x courses (Mt. Sakura, Northern Fox, & Mar Cielo). If you don’t have the game, you can add it to your download list here; then hop on this great deal for even more content. Read more about these Add-ons from the PS Blog’s post last week as well.

What’s your favorite content from this week’s update?

You’ll find all the content detailed above with their Plus benefits active when the PlayStation Store updates on 3/19. Got more questions on Plus? Leave your comments below, or, if you’re looking to engage with more of the PS community, head over to the PlayStation Community Forums to discuss this week’s news more, find other topics to contribute your thoughts to, or start one for yourself. See you in the comments!

PS3 Full Games

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch ($54.99)

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a heart-warming tale of a young boy named Oliver, who embarks on a magical journey into a parallel world in an attempt to save his mother. With animation by the legendary Studio Ghibli, and music composed by the renowned Joe Hisaishi, Ni no Kuni combines beautiful animated visuals, masterful storytelling, and a sweeping score into an epic role-playing adventure.
ESRB: E10+ // File Size: 21.7 GB

Ninja Gaiden Sigma ($19.99)

Play as Master Ninja Ryu Hayabusa and master the technique of dual-wielding katanas, devastating magical spells and a variety of weapons as you battle through this exclusive PlayStation 3 system game. Upload your scores to the PlayStation Network scoreboards to see how your Ninja skills rank against the rest of the world!
ESRB: M // File Size: 11.4 GB

Racquet Sports ($19.99)

Racquet Sports delivers the feeling of a true racquet in your hand. Using the PlayStation Moves unique motion creates an experience so natural that players will feel like they are playing the real game. Escape to exotic locations for intense, exhilarating competitions in five different racquet sports. With fun-packed multiplayer modes and a flexible control system, everyone can join in for wildly entertaining matches!
ESRB: E // File Size: 2.6 GB

Just Dance 4 ($39.99)

The world’s #1 dance game brand is back with Just Dance 4! The latest edition of the record-breaking franchise takes the party to a whole new level of fun, with over 40 all-new chart-topping hits and the coolest dances. Just Dance 4 also features the all-new Battle mode, an upgraded Just Sweat mode, unlockable alternative choreographies, and original favorites like Duet Mode, Mash Up Mode and more! With Just Dance 4, the party never ends!
ESRB: E // File Size: 17.2 GB

PSN

The Cave ($14.99)

The Cave is a new adventure game from Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion creator Ron Gilbert, and Double Fine Productions, the award-winning studio behind Psychonauts and Brütal Legend.
ESRB: T // File Size: 984.2 MB

Mad Dog McCree ($7.99)

Mad Dog McCree and his band of cutthroats have ridden into town, kidnapped the Mayor and his daughter, and taken them to his hideout. These hombres are mean and vicious. What this town needs is a gunslinger to spray a little lead in harm’s way. Relive the gunpowder glory of the Wild West with American Laser Games Arcade Classic Mad Dog McCree!
ESRB: T // File Size: 966.7 MB

PS Vita

escapeVektor ($9.99)

Vektor has been trapped inside the CPU for what feels like an eternity and you are his only hope of escape. As he travels through the CPU, help him recover his memories and destroy the different enemy types sent to hunt him. But be careful, the further Vektor gets, the more devious the CPU becomes!
ESRB: E // File Size: 36.7 MB

PS3 Beta

DUST 514 (Free)

DUST 514 brings intense infantry combat, large scale warfare and rich character advancement to PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system in a system exclusive free-to-play persistent shooter set in, and integrated with, the massive universe of EVE Online. Wage war in the next generation of first person shooters, where your next victory could prove the crushing blow to a galactic empire of thousands of online gamers.

PSP

Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 ($19.99)

Experience football as it should be. PES 2013 offers full manual control over play, while Player ID ensures players look and move like the real thing.
ESRB: E // File Size: 1.5 GB

PS2 Classics

Disgaea: Cursed Memories ($9.99)

Help Adell save his hometown from a terrible demon curse in this sequel to the original tactical RPG classic.
ESRB: T // File Size: 1.2 GB

PS Mobile

Get this PS Mobile title for free on the PS Mobile Store on your PS Vita and PS Certified Devices today through January 30th. For more information, click here.

Beats Slider (Free) – Wouldn’t it be great if you could take a simple slider puzzle and make all the blocks into musical beats, notes and riffs? What if you could jumble them up to remix the music? BEATS SLIDER is exactly that! Learn and master the secret slider puzzle techniques, build up catchy electro tunes and compete for the best times online!

PlayStation Store Highlights

The adorable Ni No Kuni makes its way to retail and PSN today. Rounding out the full game options are Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Just Dance 4 and Racquet Sports. DoubleFine’s latest adventure, The Cave, is also out today along with Mad Dog McCree. There’s a new PS Vita game, escapeVektor, and if you’re looking for free content, there’s the DUST 514 open beta.

The 13 for ’13 sale also kicks off today – and if you’re a PlayStation Plus member you’ll get a deeper discount on the titles. Take a look at the selection below and see if there’s anything you like. Snag it now for a low price! As always, please leave your thoughts in the comments below. You can also chat about this update in the PlayStation Community Forums.

PlayStation Plus

Click here to learn more and purchase online or go to the PlayStation Store to activate instantly.

PS3 Demos (Free)

Dead Space 3

Dead Space 3 brings Isaac Clarke and merciless soldier John Carver on a journey across space to discover the source of the Necromorph plague and uncover the secrets that lay within Tau Volantis. Play alone as Isaac Clarke or with a friend as John Carver in seamless drop in, drop out co-op mode.
File Size: 1.9 GB

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE takes the renowned METAL GEAR franchise into exciting new territory by focusing on delivering an all-new action experience unlike anything that has come before.
File Size: 3.4 GB

Mad Dog McCree

Mad Dog McCree and his band of cutthroats have ridden into town, kidnapped the Mayor and his daughter, and taken them to his hideout. These hombres are mean and vicious. What this town needs is a gunslinger to spray a little lead in harm’s way. Relive the gunpowder glory of the Wild West with American Laser Games Arcade Classic Mad Dog McCree!
File Size: 966.7 MB

The Cave

The Cave is a new adventure game from Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion creator Ron Gilbert, and Double Fine Productions, the award-winning studio behind Psychonauts and Brütal Legend.
File Size: 984.2 MB

PS Vita Demos (Free)

Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed

Sonic and the All-Stars cast line up on the starting grid once again to battle for supremacy in the ultimate race. Compete across land, water and air in incredible transforming vehicles that change from cars to boats to planes mid-race. It’s not just racing, it’s racing transformed!
File Size: 565.8 MB

13 for ’13 Sale

Sales

• The Testament of Sherlock Holmes – Regular $39.99, Sale $19.99

PS Vita Add-ons

LittleBigPlanet PS Vita

• Garfield and Odie Minipack ($2.99) – Friends are There… Lose those Monday Blues and dig into a bowl of yummy lasagna with this awesome Garfield and Odie mini-pack. Dress up your Sackboy as the lazy, sarcastic, orange tabby or the dopey-but-happy Beagle, and sink your claws into a whole heap of hilarious hijinks! You can also add a paw print of extra fun to your own creations with 52 stickers, including Odie’s bone, a ball of yarn and a cookie jar, along with Garfield’s pals Arlene and Nermal.

PS3 Add-ons

Borderlands 2

• Assassin Domination Pack ($0.99) – Enhance your Vault-hunting experience with a fresh new style! This pack contains the Ech0location head and Obsidian Justice skin for the Assassin – look for them in the character customization menu! This content not included in Season Pass.
• Assassin Madness Pack ($0.99) – Enhance your Vault-hunting experience with a fresh new style! This pack contains the Murder of Cr0ws head and The Nature of Fear skin for the Assassin – look for them in the character customization menu! This content not included in Season Pass.
• Assassin Supremacy Pack ($0.99) – Enhance your Vault-hunting experience with a fresh new style! This pack contains the Infern0 head and A Cleansing Fire skin for the Assassin – look for them in the character customization menu! This content not included in Season Pass.
• Commando Domination Pack ($0.99) – Enhance your Vault-hunting experience with a fresh new style! This pack contains the Headbanger head and Crash Test Soldier skin for the Soldier – look for them in the character customization menu! This content not included in Season Pass.
• Commando Madness Pack ($0.99) – Enhance your Vault-hunting experience with a fresh new style! This pack contains the Ex-Axton head and Delicious Flesh skin for the Commando – look for them in the character customization menu! This content not included in Season Pass.
• Commando Supremacy Pack ($0.99) – Enhance your Vault-hunting experience with a fresh new style! This pack contains the Covert Op head and Advanced Warfare skin for the Soldier – look for them in the character customization menu! This content not included in Season Pass.
• Gunzerker Domination Pack ($0.99) – Enhance your Vault-hunting experience with a fresh new style! This pack contains the Major Malfunction head and In the Trenches skin for the Gunzerker – look for them in the character customization menu! This content not included in Season Pass.
• Gunzerker Madness Pack ($0.99) – Enhance your Vault-hunting experience with a fresh new style! This pack contains the El Diablo head and Mess With The Bull skin for the Gunzerker – look for them in the character customization menu! This content not included in Season Pass.
• Gunzerker Supremacy Pack ($0.99) – Enhance your Vault-hunting experience with a fresh new style! This pack contains the ZerkerBot2000 head and Skin of Steel skin for the Gunzerker – look for them in the character customization menu! This content not included in Season Pass.
• Mechromancer Domination Pack ($0.99) – Enhance your Vault-hunting experience with a fresh new style! This pack contains the Furry Ferocity head and Warm and Fuzzy skin for the Mechromancer – look for them in the character customization menu! This pack requires the Mechromancer pack, sold separately.
• Mechromancer Madness Pack ($0.99) – Enhance your Vault-hunting experience with a fresh new style! This pack contains the Horned Child head and Bring Out Your Dead skin for the Mechromancer – look for them in the character customization menu! This pack requires the Mechromancer pack, sold separately.
• Mechromancer Supremacy Pack ($0.99) – Enhance your Vault-hunting experience with a fresh new style! This pack contains the Necrosis head and Chaos Reigns skin for the Mechromancer – look for them in the character customization menu! This pack requires the Mechromancer pack, sold separately.
• Siren Domination Pack ($0.99) – Enhance your Vault-hunting experience with a fresh new style! This pack contains the Pigtail Pugilist head and Love and Death skin for the Siren – look for them in the character customization menu! This content not included in Season Pass.
• Siren Madness Pack ($0.99) – Enhance your Vault-hunting experience with a fresh new style! This pack contains the Throatcutter head and A Quick Death skin for the Siren – look for them in the character customization menu! This content not included in Season Pass.
• Siren Supremacy Pack ($0.99) – Enhance your Vault-hunting experience with a fresh new style! This pack contains the Ascendant head and Ethereal skin for the Siren – look for them in the character customization menu! This content not included in Season Pass.

Dance Magic

• Tracks Set 2 ($1.99) – Set of 7 tracks with unique stepcharts and leaderboards.

Dead or Alive 5

• Hotties Swimwear Pack 1 ($4.99) – A set of some of the sexiest outfits for four of the hottest fighters in gaming.
• Hotties Swimwear Pack 2 ($4.99) – A set of some of the sexiest outfits for four of the hottest fighters in gaming.
• Hotties Swimwear Pack 3 ($4.99) – A set of some of the sexiest outfits for four of the hottest fighters in gaming.
• Hotties Swimwear Set ($12.99) – Twelve of the sexiest swimsuits for the hottest fighters.
• Zack Island Stage (Free) – Blue waves! White sands! It’s always summer in the tropical paradise of Zack Island!

Just Dance 4

• Oath ($2.99) – Cher Lloyd featuring Becky G
• You Make Me Feel ($2.99) – Cobra Starship
• We R Who We R ($2.99) – Ke$ha
• Boom ($2.99) – Reggaeton Storm

LittleBigPlanet 2

• Garfield and Odie Minipack ($2.99) – Friends are There… Lose those Monday Blues and dig into a bowl of yummy lasagna with this awesome Garfield and Odie mini-pack. Dress up your Sackboy as the lazy, sarcastic, orange tabby or the dopey-but-happy Beagle, and sink your claws into a whole heap of hilarious hijinks! You can also add a paw print of extra fun to your own creations with 52 stickers, including Odie’s bone, a ball of yarn and a cookie jar, along with Garfield’s pals Arlene and Nermal.

Max Payne 3

• Deathmatch Made in Heaven Pack ($9.99, Free with Season Pass) – Get the Deathmatch Made in Heaven Pack and play new multiplayer modes for Max Payne 3, including Dead Men Walking co-op mode, new Deathmatch-style modes: Run and Stun, Time Attack and Marked Man, and Checkpoint Challenge Arcade mode. Note: Add-on content, Max Payne 3 required to play. This content is part of the Rockstar Pass and is available to Rockstar Pass purchasers in game upon release.

Rock Band 3

• Bang Your Head ($1.99) – Quiet Riot
• Chiasm ($0.99) – Chaotrope
• Cult of Personality ($1.99) – Living Colour
• How Do You Do It? ($0.99) – Quiet Company
• Rage and Pain ($1.99) – Francisco Meza
• Reaping Tide ($1.99) – Mile Marker Zero
• Spoonman ($1.99) – Soundgarden
• Stronger ($1.99) – Kelly Clarkson
• You, Me & The Boatman ($0.99) – Quiet Company

RockSmith

• The Strokes Song Pack ($7.99) – Includes ‘Reptilia’, ‘Last Nite’, and ‘Juicebox’
• Juicebox ($2.99) – The Strokes
• Last Nite ($2.99) – The Strokes
• Reptila ($2.99) – The Strokes

PS3 Themes

• A New Year Vintage Dynamic Pinup $2.99
• Abstract Light Flares Dynamic Theme $2.99
• Abstract Ocean Fire Dynamic Theme $2.99
• Abstract Orbit Light Dynamic Theme $2.99
• Abstract Sky Flares Dynamic Theme $2.99
• Abstract Tunnel Light Dynamic Theme $2.99
• Derrrick The Deathfin Theme Free
• Dynamic Flirty Girl 5 $2.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Bad Dudes Dynamic Themes Pack $4.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Classic Dynamic Theme Pack $4.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Cole Macgrath Dynamic Theme $1.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Evil Cole Macgrath Dynamic Theme $1.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Fat Princess Dynamic Theme $1.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Fun Dynamic Themes Pack $4.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Heroes Dynamic Themes Pack $4.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Jak And Daxter Dynamic Theme $1.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Kratos Dynamic Theme $1.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Nariko Dynamic Theme $1.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Nathan Drake Dynamic Theme $1.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Parappa Dynamic Theme $1.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Radec Dynamic Theme $1.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Ratchet & Clank Dynamic Theme $1.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Sackboy Dynamic Theme $1.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Sir Daniel Fortesque Dynamic Theme $1.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Sly Cooper Dynamic Theme $1.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Spike Dynamic Theme $1.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Super Dynamic Themes Pack $14.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Sweet Tooth Dynamic Theme $1.99
• PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Toro Dynamic Theme $1.99
• The Dark Knight Rises Dynamic Theme $2.99
• The Hobbit Dynamic Theme $2.99
• The Masked Flame Dynamic Theme $2.99
• Worms Revolution Theme Free

PS3 Avatars

• Mad Dog McCree Badge Avatar – $0.49
• Mad Dog McCree Cow Skull Avatar – $0.49
• Mad Dog McCree Dynomite Avatar – $0.49
• Mad Dog McCree Gun Shots Avatar – $0.49
• Mad Dog McCree Gunman Avatar – $0.49
• Mad Dog McCree Mad Dog Avatar – $0.49
• Mad Dog McCree Prospector Avatar – $0.49
• Mad Dog McCree Prospector Tied Up Avatar – $0.49
• Mad Dog McCree Undertaker Avatar – $0.49
• Mad Dog McCree Witness Avatar – $0.49

PS3 Wallpapers (Free)

• Big Sky Infinity Wallpaper 3
• Knytt Underground Wallpaper 2
• Mad Dog Mccree Wallpaper

Game Videos (Free)

• Assassin’s Creed III DLC Reveal Trailer
• Mad Dog McCree Trailer
• Metro: Last Light Genesis Trailer
• Zen Pinball 2 Trailer

Available In-Game Only (Not on PlayStation Store)

Rock Band 3

• Cult of Personality ($0.99) – Pro Guitar – Living Colour
• Spoonman ($0.99) – Pro Guitar – Soundgarden

In The Cave, you’ll choose three characters – from a possible seven – to descend into the depths of an ancient and mysterious cave, each of them in search of something they desire above all else. This is no ordinary ancient and mysterious cave, however: The Cave happens to be alive, watching their every move, narrating their stories, doling out wisdom and mockery in equal measure. What could his true motive possibly be? He’s not telling. “Mysterious” just means “not telling”.

Depending on which characters you choose, you’ll puzzle your way through a Victorian mansion, a museum from the far future, a desert island, a nuclear missile silo, and much more… all buried deep within The Cave. See? We’re being mysterious too!

We’ve designed the puzzles such that one player can solve them by switching between all three characters, or you can have friends join in for two or three player local cooperative play. Each character has a unique special ability, which gives them access to new areas and puzzle solutions.

You’ll run around and jump on stuff, but make no mistake: The Cave is an adventure game in the grand old tradition of games where you steal things, make people upset, and break into places. Who doesn’t love that? Buy The Cave today and prove you are capable of love!

• Subscribe via iTunes here
• Subscribe via RSS here
• Download the MP3 here on PS3, PS Vita or PC (Right-Click->Save As)

Ron Gilbert created classics such as The Secret of Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion, cementing his legacy as one of adventure gaming’s founding fathers. On today’s show, Mr. Gilbert graciously joins us for a discussion on the origins of his upcoming PSN release The Cave (on PSN Tuesday!), the state of adventure gaming after the success of The Walking Dead, and a host of other fascinating topics. This one’s a can’t miss! We also lay out next week’s PSN releases for January 22nd, 2013, delve into new listener voicemails, discuss Ninja Theory’s new opus DmC Devil May Cry, share our all-time favorite gaming collector’s editions and much more. Listen in and let us know what you think!

Send us questions and tips: blogcast@playstation.sony.com

The Cast

• Sid Shuman – PlayStation Social Media Manager
• Nick Suttner – PlayStation Account Support Manager
• Aram Jabbari – PlayStation PR Manager
• Ron Gilbert – Creator of The Cave

[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]

• Thanks to Cory Schmitz for our beautiful logo and Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. Special thanks to Astro Gaming headsets for providing audio gear.

If, like me, you grew up in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s it’s likely that Ron Gilbert is responsible for many of your formative gaming experiences. While at LucasArts he was responsible for a red-hot run of bona fide adventure game classics, including Maniac Mansion, Zak McKraken and the beloved Monkey Island series.

In January, he returns to the fray with The Cave, a delightful Sega-published 2D romp that, in true Maniac Mansion tradition, sees you picking three characters from a wildly diverse line-up of seven oddballs and descending into the titular caverns for all manner of puzzle-centric adventure.

From the brief section we’ve played, it’s clear that Gilbert has lost none of his flair for fiendish puzzle design, barmy dialogue and madcap storytelling. It’s shaping up to be a charming, challenging and wonderfully eccentric title that will both delight his core fans while being accessible enough to win plenty of new ones.

We caught up with the man himself when he was in London earlier this week to find out a little more about the project.

You’ve said that the concept for The Cave has been in your head for more than 20 years. Why has it taken so long to get it made?

Ron Gilbert: Well, I have a lot of ideas floating around my head. I’d think about The Cave every once in a while and put another piece of the puzzle in place, so to speak. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago when I was having lunch with [Double Fine founder] Tim Schafer that things really started moving.

We were talking about games and The Cave had just popped into my mind. I told him about it and he thought it was a great idea so he said ‘why don’t you come to Double Fine and make it?’ They had a free team at the time so it was just the perfect aligning of two things. It was just random luck.

You’ve spoken a lot recently about how much you enjoyed Limbo. The two games seem to have a few elements in common – was its release a catalyst for pushing The Cave back into your thoughts?

Ron Gilbert: It was a little bit. Playing Limbo was what got me thinking about The Cave again. I played Limbo and I really liked it. It’s a brilliant game. It’s not an adventure game – a lot of people dispute this – but I don’t consider it an adventure game. But it’s a brilliant game nonetheless. And it did kind of start my mind thinking a little bit, and dredged up The Cave. Especially the 2D element – I always imagined The Cave being this 2D ant farm, you know?

What other sources of inspiration have you drawn upon?

Ron Gilbert: A couple of things. The first adventure game I ever played was set in a cave – the original Colossal Cave. It was very inspiring to be able to follow that tradition.

And caves are just inherently interesting and mysterious. We lived in them 40,000 years ago, y’know. There’s just something about them – they’re really ingrained in our brains on some level.

And then the other inspiration was just what Gary [Winnick, LucasArts designer] and I had done with Maniac Mansion, with the seven characters. I’ve always wanted to revisit that formula and this was the perfect vehicle.

Are you much of a spelunker in your spare time?

Ron Gilbert: No, I’m actually somewhat claustrophobic… going into a cave for real creeps me out a little bit.

What would the Ron who made Maniac Mansion back in 1987 think of The Cave?

Ron Gilbert: Where the hell are the verbs?

Do you think it’s markedly different to those classic LucasArts games?
Ron Gilbert: Well, I think at its core The Cave is just a good solid adventure game. If you look at the puzzle structure of Monkey Island and the puzzle structure of The Cave they share a lot in common. But for The Cave, it was just about streamlining – looking at things like inventory and traversal and just trying to re-examine them. In a similar way that Gary and I looked at Maniac Mansion and wanted to get rid of the parser, and just streamline some of that stuff out of those games.

That’s really what The Cave is about. Maybe we’re right about some of it, maybe we’re wrong. Maybe people really do want inventory. You’re just always trying new things and feeling your way through it and making adjustments for the next game.

Does stripping out the inventory make the game more accessible to newcomers?

Ron Gilbert: I think it does, in a way. Gaming has become much more mass-market. A lot of people play games these days – on their phone, or their tablet, or whatever. They’re not necessarily interested in these fast-reaction, hyper-violent games with lots of neck-stabbing or whatever, but they are interested in slower things and they really do like puzzles.

The best-selling game of all time is Angry Birds. And it’s a puzzle game. You use your brain to puzzle things out. But there is this visceralness to it – you watch these birds smash into stuff.

For the larger mass-market, adventure games are probably a really great thing, but maybe they don’t want a bunch of verbs on the screen or to rifle through hundreds of items in an inventory. So it’s just about streamlining stuff away and seeing whether that’s more in line with what a modern gamer is looking for.

You must have designed hundreds of puzzles over the years. How do you keep them fresh?

Ron Gilbert: Puzzles in adventure games are probably a lot like stories. If you look at adventure games you can probably boil every puzzle down to one of, say, 20 puzzles. It’s the same with movies. You could take every single movie plot ever made and boil it down to 25 basic plots. It’s what you put on top of that – the other scenarios, the characters, all of those things.

If you were to deconstruct all the puzzles in the The Cave’s carnival section you probably wouldn’t find anything too original. But the fact that we wrapped them up in this carnival and gave them to you in different orders makes them seem fresh and new. Like with movie plots, it’s how you dress it up that makes it interesting.

Are there any adventure game clichés that you find really difficult to avoid?

Ron Gilbert: The absurdity of it all. It’s one of the reasons I’ve always enjoyed making adventure games that are comedies. At some level, there’s just the absurdity of using weird items in weird ways.

If you’re doing a game that is completely serious it’s always struck me as odd that I’m combining a pencil with some bubblegum to get a coin out of a sewer, while trying to tell a serious hard-boiled detective story. Those things just don’t match.

If you’re doing a comedy you can get away with a lot of that stuff, as people are more willing to accept it. But that absurdity of using strange items to solve puzzles can be a very hard thing to get away from.

What makes a great video game character?

Ron Gilbert: In some ways the same things that make a really good movie protagonist. There’s something about a protagonist that the player needs to be able to relate to. There’s always some kind of challenge they’re trying to overcome – that’s always a cornerstone of any movie.

That works well in games as you as the player actively help the character overcome it. So, protagonists are a little bit about aspiring to more than you actually are. It’s about getting caught in some kind of a problem and trying to work your way out of a problem.

Out of all the characters you’ve created, which one is your favorite?

Ron Gilbert: Probably Guybrush [from Monkey Island]. He’s a bumbler, right? He’s not the smartest person in the world, he really isn’t. He just bumbles his way through. He’s the butt of jokes, but he doesn’t know it. He imagines he’s a much better pirate than he actually is. That’s fun to write for and fun to make puzzles for because you can really play off it without the character themselves turning into a buffoon. I think Guybrush is really special because of that.