The decision to close Nutty Putty Cave after John Jones died inside it almost 16 years ago still stirs up controversy. For most of the nearly 60 years prior to Jones’ death, the cave had been a popular Utah County attraction. Students, Boy Scout troops and families had explored its larger rooms together while the more adventurous souls shimmied through its narrower tunnels.
Yet in December 2009, unable to remove Jones’ body and concerned about the safety and behavior of future explorers, officials collapsed and sealed the cave mouth. Despite numerous protests, Nutty Putty would never be explored again.
Until now — with the aid of a virtual reality headset.
With the help of Brandon Kowalis, one of the cavers who attempted to rescue Jones, a Polish gamemaker has mapped out the entirety of Nutty Putty Cave. On Friday, 3R Games released an update to its new Cave Crave game that enables players to walk, crouch, crawl and climb through Nutty Putty’s 1,400 feet of chutes and tunnels.
“It is a very unique experience that you might not like immediately. Some people are put off by it,” said Piotr Surmacz, the CEO of 3R Games and the lead developer of the project. “But it’s definitely a one-of-a-kind experience, because instead of providing you with a vast space to explore, it squeezes you into a very tight space.”
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This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.