Cave Story
store.steampowered.com
Freeware action-adventure platformer later released commercially as Cave Story+.
DA
Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya
Japanese solo developer who made Cave Story over five years
Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya at a glance
- Known for
- Cave Story, Kero Blaster and Ikachan
- Based in
- Japan
- Indie since
- 1999
- Active products
- Cave Story, Kero Blaster and Ikachan
Facts checked 2026-10-22
About Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya
Daisuke Amaya, known as Pixel, is a Japanese independent game developer from Ono, Fukui, best known for Cave Story, one of the games that defined the modern indie scene. He made it almost entirely by himself in his spare time over about five years, handling the programming, art, writing and music, and released it as free software in 2004.
Cave Story's exploration-heavy action platforming and handcrafted pixel art earned wide acclaim and an English fan translation spread it worldwide. Publisher Nicalis later brought it to commercial platforms as Cave Story+, along with WiiWare, DSiWare, a 3D remake for the 3DS and a Nintendo Switch version.
Under his own label Studio Pixel, Amaya went on to release the run-and-gun Kero Blaster (2014) and its companion game Pink Heaven (2015), and created the music tools Org Maker and PxTone. He has also contributed to other developers' games, including artwork for Avemary Rocket -Captain Patchwork- (2026).
Products by Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya
Kero Blaster
store.steampowered.com
Run-and-gun platformer about a frog working for a teleporter company.
I
Ikachan
studiopixel.jp
Early freeware game about a squid exploring an undersea cave.
P
PxTone
studiopixel.jp
Freeware music-making suite, successor to the Org Maker tool used for Cave Story.
Timeline
- 1999 — Released the freeware game Ikachan.
- 2004 — Released Cave Story as freeware after about five years of solo work.
- 2011 — Cave Story+ released on PC with Nicalis.
- 2014 — Released Kero Blaster.
- 2015 — Released the companion game Pink Heaven.
How Daisuke builds
- Make every part of the game yourself, from code to music.
- Take the time a game needs, even years.
- Simple controls, rich hand-built worlds.
Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya FAQ
Who is Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya?
Daisuke Amaya, known as Pixel, is a Japanese independent game developer from Ono, Fukui, best known for Cave Story, one of the games that defined the modern indie scene.
Who made Cave Story?
Cave Story was made by Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya, a Japanese developer who created it almost entirely alone over about five years and released it as freeware in 2004.
Is Cave Story free?
The original 2004 PC version is freeware; enhanced versions such as Cave Story+ (published by Nicalis) are sold on Steam and Nintendo Switch.
Where is Pixel from?
Daisuke Amaya was born in 1977 in Ono, Fukui Prefecture, Japan.
What has Pixel made since Cave Story?
He released Kero Blaster in 2014 and Pink Heaven in 2015, created the PxTone music tool, and has contributed art to other games, including Avemary Rocket (2026).
What is Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya doing now?
As of October 2026, Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya's active products include Cave Story, Kero Blaster, Ikachan and PxTone.
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