Today sees the launch of The Cave, a new game from the mind of legendary designer/developer Ron Gilbert (Maniac Mansion/The Secret of Monkey Island/DeathSpank). As with many of Gilbert's games, it mixes puzzle-solving and adventure gaming with a little platforming thrown in, along with his trademark arch humor (see the trailer at Doublefine's website, showing off the game's tone and dynamics).  Much of the old-school adventure game flavor for the software comes courtesy a series of illustrations by Daniel Krall (Dark Horse's House of Night, Offset Comics' Doublecross and Deathface), some of which he has been showcasing at his Tumblr.

Krall explains his participation in the game's development (while very capably plugging it):

"I had the very exciting opportunity to spend this past summer collaborating with my friends at Double Fine on 84 individual pieces of art for this spectacular game that slowly unravel the backstories of all 7 playable characters. I’ve been pretty mum about it until now, but with the release date within reach I’ve gotten permission to share some of the pieces I’ve done! Please be wary of small SPOILERS in these posts. I’ll try to be strategic about what I post and not reveal any of the surprise endings.

I’ve seen the game in action and I can attest to the fact that it’s super fun and filled with the sort of humor and unique gaming experiences you’ve come to expect from a Double Fine production! Download it for your Xbox 360, PS3, or PC and have a blast with the  platforming action, and unique and mysterious puzzles either by yourself or with up to 2 spelunking pals cooperatively! You won’t regret it!"

Hell, I'm such a fan of Krall's style I'd buy it just to see these illustrations; I may just head over to Steam and preorder it right now.