The generation X grew up playing games like Mario, Contra and later with the advent of pc computers Pac Man. But such games are in short supply these days because it is difficult to compete with the action/adventure games of today which have stunning graphics and elaborate storyline and a thrilling gameplay experience. Spelunky is going to change that.

Spelunky is a cave exploration game where the player goes around finding treasures, encountering monsters and unraveling secrets. The game was first launched in 2008 and is free to play.

The unique feature of this game is, unlike the regular fps or rpg game where the player's character respawns every time the character dies, in Spelunky "death can be quick and painful" according to the official website, because the player tends to lose all the treasure and items he/she collected.

The good part is, every time the character dies the player starts a game in a totally new environment making the player think on the feet rather than memorize where the enemy is and where the traps are. This feature alone should lure gammers to play the game repeatedly.

The game environment is fully destructible, which is another interesting feature of the game and the player is given a limited number of bombs that can be used to blast a way through walls.

The player can pick an object he/she finds exploring the game or simply toss it away, however this decision could have ramifications later in the game.

The players have to be mindful of the traps but they can be turned to the players advantage as the traps can harm the monsters in the game same as the player and all the player has to do is lure an enemy to a trap.

The game allows for multiplayer and friends can play a "death match" against multiple opponents and each opponent can either help or harm the player thus giving the player the opportunity to socialize.

The game has won 3 awards at the Independent games festival (IGF) and more good news is expected from this game