Spelunky 2 Won't Be Spelunking This Year; "Density And Detail" Cause Delay

Spelunky 2 won't make it out of its development cave this year after all. Developer Derek Yu announced on Twitter that the follow-up to the original roguelike is just a little off the mark due to its level of complexity, and as a result the team needs more time to finish it.

"Development is still going well and we're not far off target, but the density and detail of the game is demanding more time," Yu said in a series of tweets. "As soon as we have a release date for Spelunky 2, we'll make sure everyone knows! We can't wait to show you more, although of course the best way is for you to experience it for yourself at launch. All the crazy stuff we're adding makes me buzz with excitement."

In the tweets, Yu also apologized for the recent lack of updates, saying that it's sometimes hard to strike a balance between communication and development time. He also remarked that the team is adding more detail and contrast to the environmental art in response to feedback from the initial trailer.

Spelunky 2 is an ambitious sequel, introducing new characters and online co-op to the first game's roguelike exploration. Yu developed the first game almost single-handedly, and he's still leading the effort for the sequel.

"Neither cooperative nor competitive modes are where Spelunky excels because the core of this game is designed around the exploits of a lone survivor in a hostile world. Spelunky doesn't extend a helping hand when you're down," Tom McShea wrote in GameSpot's Spelunky review. "It doesn't have mercy. And that stubbornness is one of the main reasons it's so hard to pull away from the game. When you finally conquer something that has been hounding you for hours, you feel like the best darn explorer on the planet, and that feeling overshadows all the hardships you overcame down the troubled path you traveled."