The Nintendo Switch 2 is getting an addictive indie game that has been in development for nearly 2 decades

Nearly 18 years after it was initially announced, the addictive roguelike indie title Caves of Qud from developer Freehold and publisher Kitfox Games is poised to finally land on the Nintendo Switch eShop in Q4 2025. The game's release was first announced at Nintendo’s Indie World Showcase. 

Caves of Qud is a niche esoteric roguelike RPG, which is easy to pick up and hard to put down. The full v1.0 release of Caves of Qud arrived on PC, Mac, and Linux on December 5, 2024, bringing an end to a lengthy development cycle that had begun in 2007, entered a public beta in 2010, and was released on Steam in Early Access on July 15, 2015. The game received nearly a decade of weekly updates.

The indie title has sold over 100,000 copies on PC via Steam, GOG, and Itch.io, developing a cult-like following over the years. On Steam alone, the game has received a 95.1% user score from 10,126 reviews, earning an “Overwhelmingly Positive” status.

This positive reception stems from the game’s deep mechanics, where players can create characters from over 70 mutations, and explore a procedurally generated world where walls have melting points, can be broken with a pickaxe, or dissolved with corrosive gas.

As addictive as it is, the game is also punishing with permadeath in Classic mode, while Roleplay and Wanderer mode are more forgiving. The game also received the 2025 Independent Games Festival’s Excellence in Narrative Award and was nominated for Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year at the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.

The game was initially priced at $19.99 in Early Access, and was subsequently bumped up by another $10 when the game hit v1.0 on Steam. Furthermore, the game also boasts a Dromad Deluxe Edition, featuring the game’s soundtrack and a Pets of Harvest Dawn DLC.

The game’s 1.0 update polished the experience with a revamped UI, a tutorial, and a conclusion to the game’s main story with the addition of its final chapter. And it’s finally arriving on the Nintendo Switch with its addictive turn-based RPG experience.

While Caves of Qud’s price on the Nintendo Switch is yet to be announced, it’s expected to be similar to that of its current asking price of $29.99 on PC.