ABSTRACT
When this article was first written, the freeware prototype of Spelunky had just been released, and Derek Yu was best known for being one of the developers of early indie hit Aquaria. In the time since then, an extraordinarily popular commercial version was released, which has entertained and inspired players now for seven years. The object of Spelunky is to work through a series of cave levels, avoiding damage and sudden death while collecting treasure and working towards the mysterious goal. But Spelunky is a platformer, an action game presented with a side view. Its controls are greatly simplified, and the emphasis is on finding clever ways around obstacles. One of the best ways to design traps, in other games as well as in roguelikes, is to give them an activating method, to simulate some operating mechanism.
