♦ Livestream Contents
(1:53) “Caves of ZZT Remix” by DarkMatt, The Black Keys (2026) [https://museumofzzt.com/file/view/cavesmix/]
Conquering the last bit of Hell within the Caves!
We pick up where we left off, figuring out what to make of a giant head that makes me uncomfortable with its constant staring. The puzzle is a unique one about figuring out how to get into a small room with spinning guns that throw stars rapidly to get the key and get out. The process is a matter of figuring out the chaos, understanding how items can be transformed and corralled, and then paying close attention to the details. So it takes me a hot minute at the end to realize what's amiss here. Another great puzzle whose giant head makes it something that won't be easily forgotten!
Then it's off to E1M1! A PC Speaker rendition of At Doom's Gate sets the tone, but eventually it becomes clear that this board is in fact a ZZT-ized version of Doom's first level. (Harder to immediately clock as I entered the board from the back exit.) Aside from shooting the requisite hellspawn, there's also a password cracking puzzle that was a lot of fun to work my way through. Until I decided to just go for it and shoot my shot.
The Pit and the Pentagram is next, a beautiful snake-themed board that builds upon the original game's invisible boss fight, and it's not easy! Now a 3-stage battle with one, two, and then three invisible snakes that require snap reactions to get out of harm's way. Escaping one often means running into another, making for a real challenge that's quite satisfying to get through after several deaths. This is a tough board to balance, but I think it came out excellent.
The River Styx is one more crossed, now with a more generous arrangement of breakables to make it easier to get the stars to cooperate, but this board is still no slouch thanks to a slight detour which turns star-dodging into a matter of life and death.
Hell's depths takes the multi-phase fight against creatures, doing an incredible job of hiding the full extent of things, plus it includes a single-board currency that can be used to purchase some much needed health and ammo to get through the gauntlet.
Then it's off to meet the devil himself, and maybe a familiar face while we're down there. I finally get my answer as to how the battle of all battles would be handled in the remix, and was quite pleased with it.
The ending does a nice job trying the game with its predecessor as well as setting up the sequel Dungeons Remix, which is still open for submissions for all who wish to participate! It's gonna be fun.
Caves Remix as a whole is a fantastic love letter to ZZT, and builds so much on the original's scaffolding. Fleshing out so many of the game's blander boards into some truly wonderful creations. It's been a long wait, but the results speaks for themselves. A must play for anyone with fond memories of the original or with a taste for adventure.
♦ Play this world in your browser
https://museumofzzt.com/file/play/cavesmix/
♦ Streamed Jan 30th, 2026
