TheRetroArcade
Veteran
Posts: 1,989
Joined: Feb 2026
Joined: Feb 2026
Well well well, not so impossible to make an impossible port now, is it?
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Heavily systemic, decades-in-the-works roguelike RPG Caves of Qud belongs to a taxonomy of games that we, the experts at PC Gamer, professionally identify as "PC-ass PC games." Other PC-ass PC games include Deus Ex, Dwarf Fortress, and EVE Online. Notably, none of those games can be played on the Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 videogame consoles—but as of February 2026, Caves of Qud can.
It's a port that doesn't seem like it should work, given that Caves of Qud uses a healthy chunk of the keyboard by default. It also does not seem like Caves of Qud should run on the decade-old Switch at anything approaching a healthy framerate, considering how hard its systemic generation can push a CPU. And that's exactly why it exists.
"I'm not sure it's a rational decision," Qud co-creator Brian Bucklew said in a recent interview with PC Gamer. "I think we are interested in solving impossible problems in general, and the idea of making Caves of Qud work on Switch—initially, making Caves of Qud work on gamepad—that doesn't seem like something that should happen. But the challenge entices me to do it."
As Bucklew is alluding to, Qud didn't make the jump from beefy desktop PCs to Switch overnight. In 2024, months before the game left early access after many many (many) years of development, Qud got a UI and control overhaul, which made it shockingly playable on the Steam Deck. It's still clearly a complex-as-hell game with a lot of information to convey, which can get a bit cramped on the Steam Deck's 1280x800 pixel display, but it works. And the gamepad binding scheme's savvy shortcuts and button combinations make actions that seem like they should require digging through several menus quite easy to pull off. Who knew examining the lethal geometry of the Chrome Pyramid could be so intuitive?
Bucklew clearly relishes a technical challenge, but the underlying motivation was the question why there aren't other PC-ass PC games on Switch.
"People think that there is not a market for systemic games on Switch," he said. "I think a lot of people might think a game like Caves of Qud would not succeed, but there aren't any, right? So on what basis are you making that claim, especially for a device that has as many users out there? If even a tiny amount of people want to play a deep systemi...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
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Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
Heavily systemic, decades-in-the-works roguelike RPG Caves of Qud belongs to a taxonomy of games that we, the experts at PC Gamer, professionally identify as "PC-ass PC games." Other PC-ass PC games include Deus Ex, Dwarf Fortress, and EVE Online. Notably, none of those games can be played on the Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 videogame consoles—but as of February 2026, Caves of Qud can.
It's a port that doesn't seem like it should work, given that Caves of Qud uses a healthy chunk of the keyboard by default. It also does not seem like Caves of Qud should run on the decade-old Switch at anything approaching a healthy framerate, considering how hard its systemic generation can push a CPU. And that's exactly why it exists.
"I'm not sure it's a rational decision," Qud co-creator Brian Bucklew said in a recent interview with PC Gamer. "I think we are interested in solving impossible problems in general, and the idea of making Caves of Qud work on Switch—initially, making Caves of Qud work on gamepad—that doesn't seem like something that should happen. But the challenge entices me to do it."
As Bucklew is alluding to, Qud didn't make the jump from beefy desktop PCs to Switch overnight. In 2024, months before the game left early access after many many (many) years of development, Qud got a UI and control overhaul, which made it shockingly playable on the Steam Deck. It's still clearly a complex-as-hell game with a lot of information to convey, which can get a bit cramped on the Steam Deck's 1280x800 pixel display, but it works. And the gamepad binding scheme's savvy shortcuts and button combinations make actions that seem like they should require digging through several menus quite easy to pull off. Who knew examining the lethal geometry of the Chrome Pyramid could be so intuitive?
Bucklew clearly relishes a technical challenge, but the underlying motivation was the question why there aren't other PC-ass PC games on Switch.
"People think that there is not a market for systemic games on Switch," he said. "I think a lot of people might think a game like Caves of Qud would not succeed, but there aren't any, right? So on what basis are you making that claim, especially for a device that has as many users out there? If even a tiny amount of people want to play a deep systemi...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?