Spelunky is a critically acclaimed roguelike 2D platformer developed by Derek Yu. It was initially released as an open-source freeware for the PC in 2008, before receiving an HD remake for the Xbox 360 in 2012, which was then ported over to the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita and PC in 2013, and finally the PlayStation 4 in 2014.

During a video game era when roguelike video games were a thing of the past, Spelunky comes along in 2008 to revive the genre. Players take control of an unnamed adventurer and journey through four different maps—mines, jungle, ice caves, and temple—in search of hidden treasures and secret areas, all while trying to survive the treacherous monsters and obstacles. And, in familiar roguelike fashion, no matter how far you've reached, you start from the very beginning if you die and lose all progress. Not only that, all levels are procedurally generated, making each playthrough (and there will be a lot of them) unique. You become more skilled and your technique more refined after every subsequent playthrough, but regardless, the game will be just as unforgiving as the previous run. The game is still relevant in this day and age as it remains to be the gold standard for developers who wish to create a roguelike.

The commercial success that it is, having sold over one million copies by 2016, it isn't a surprise that Spelunky 2 is currently in development, with no exact release date to speak of just yet.

And so, for today's 165^th Temptation Thursdays poll, we shall focus on the unnamed adventurer, the Spelunker, of the Spelunky video game series.

You may now cast your votes HERE.

To learn a little bit more about Spelunky, you may check out Wikipedia’s write-up.

For those who want to learn more about First 4 Figures’ Temptation Thursday polls, kindly click HERE.