doukutsu-rs (Cave Story engine remake)

This site is not affiliated with doukutsu-rs, Studio Pixel or Nicalis. We do not host any files and only link the project’s official pages.

What it is

Cave Story (Doukutsu Monogatari) is Daisuke “Pixel” Amaya’s 2004 freeware platformer, later sold as Cave Story+ by Nicalis. The original Windows freeware still runs, but at a tiny resolution and without modern conveniences.

doukutsu-rs is “a reimplementation of the Cave Story (Doukutsu Monogatari) engine with many quality-of-life improvements. It lets you enjoy the 2004 indie classic like a modern game, with support for the original freeware, Cave Story+, and Nintendo Switch data files” (doukutsu-rs README). Its GitHub description calls it “a faithful and open-source remake of Cave Story’s engine written in Rust”.

Current status

• Status: Working. 1.0.0, the first stable release, came out on 3 June 2026 after years of betas.
• Builds: Windows (64-bit and 32-bit), macOS (Intel 10.14+ and Apple silicon 11+), Linux (binary and Flatpak), a universal Android APK and a Nintendo Switch homebrew build.
• Nightlies: linked from get.doukutsu.rs; the repository was last updated on 31 October 2026.

What you need

• Cave Story data files. The README: “This repository does not contain any data files.” It works with:
  • the original freeware release (free, from Pixel’s own distribution);
  • the data folder from NXEngine-evo;
  • a supported copy of Cave Story+ (Steam, GOG or Epic; the README has extra steps for Epic).
• A device: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, or a modded Switch.

We do not link or host the data files.

How setup works (overview)

Other versions

• NXEngine-evo: an older C++ rewrite of the Cave Story engine, also with widescreen and modern platform support.
• CSE2: a decompilation of the original freeware executable, used as a base for ports to many systems.

Cave Story+ itself is sold by Nicalis on PC and Switch, and is the official enhanced version.

Common problems

• “Data not found”: the data folder must be next to the executable (or in the Android game data folder), with its contents directly inside.
• Epic Games Store copy not working: follow the README’s Epic-specific instructions.
• macOS refuses to open the app: right-click it and choose Open.

Unofficial. This page is written by an independent directory. It is not made by, endorsed by or affiliated with Studio Pixel (Daisuke Amaya); Cave Story+ by Nicalis or doukutsu-rs contributors (doukutsu-rs (Cave Story engine remake)'s author). We do not host any files, and we never link to game files, ROMs or ISOs.