Caves

3:39 Caves is the first level of the 1996 Tomb Raider: Lara follows paw prints through the snow into the Peruvian mountains, fights bats, wolves and a bear, and opens the great doors that lead on to the City of Vilcabamba. It holds 3 secrets and 7 pickups, by Stella's count, and it teaches the game's rules quickly: dart traps, floor tiles that break under Lara's feet, and switches that open doors somewhere else. Lara starts with only her pistols and the compass. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis remakes the level as Mountain Caves. The clip is Look Back Gaming's playthrough of the 1996 game.

Quick facts

Sources: Stella's Tomb Raider Site: Caves (counts for Tomb Raider I-III Remastered); Reimagining Peru, Amazon Game Studios, Jun 22, 2026.

Walkthrough

The route below follows Stella's Remastered walkthrough; the 1996 level is laid out the same way.

1. 6:03 The entrance. Follow the paw prints through the snow. A dart trap fires across the path: run straight through it rather than stopping.
2. 6:26 The first opening. An angled block lets Lara climb to a raised opening; the first secret is just around the corner.
3. The bat caves. Bats fly in as soon as Lara enters. In the far right corner a snowdrift reaches a higher opening with the second secret.
4. The switch door. Drop to a closed door and pull the switch beside it. A locked wooden gate here is the way out later.
5. The wooden bridges. Two wolves attack. A mummified body lies on a ledge in this room.
6. The bear pit. A bear waits in a gap below. Shoot it from above, where it cannot reach Lara. Through the next door more bats attack, and a pressure pad opens a nearby door.
7. The gap and columns. A running jump crosses the gap. A small medi pack hides behind the columns and two wolves wait below the stairs.
8. The greenery room. Jump to the vine-covered ledge for the third secret.
9. The carved doors. A switch opens the big doors for about 22 seconds: turn and run.
10. 13:38 The breakaway tiles. Take the steps at a run past another dart trap, kill the wolf above, then run over the two tiles that collapse and drop Lara to the room below.
11. The exit. Dart traps line the lower hallway. Jump the gap, kill the last wolf, pull the switch in the alcove, and go through the large doorway to finish.

5:17 Lara never needs more than the pistols here, and their ammunition never runs out. The bear hits hardest, so fighting it from a ledge is the safe way. More on the moves Lara uses is on Controls and Movement. Josh Strife Plays' clips on this page show the 1996 PlayStation version.

Secrets

Source: Stella's Tomb Raider Site: Caves.

14:03 A chime plays when Lara finds a secret, and the statistics at the end of the level show how many she found out of the total. There is no reward for finding them all. The full list for every level is on Secrets.

Original and Remastered

20:40 In Tomb Raider I-III Remastered the level is the same, with new graphics that can be switched back to the 1996 look at any time. Stella notes that save crystals appear only in New Game+ in the Remastered version, and that the Remastered version restores Lara's health when a new level loads. Aspyr's June 2024 update fixed the snow in Caves among its changes. On the 1996 PlayStation and Saturn versions, saving needed a save crystal; on PC Lara could save anywhere.

Caves in Legacy of Atlantis

11:30 Amazon Game Studios names the first Peru area Mountain Caves and says Peru opens with snow and an ice slide early on before moving into warm jungle. The wolves, bats and bears all return among Peru's five returning creatures, and the makers say the bear fight is now about movement rather than standing and shooting. A collapsing bridge followed by a wolf ambush also returns, reimagined. The developers say all of the original 1996 secrets return with many new ones added, though how many Mountain Caves will hold is not published as of Nov 2, 2026. Hands-on previews so far covered the Lost Valley rather than this opening area; see Legacy of Atlantis Previews and What's New in Legacy of Atlantis. The clip is Nick930's comparison of the Dec 2025 announcement trailer with the 1996 game, whose closing shots show the remake's snowy cave entrance.

Frequently asked questions

How many secrets are in Caves in Tomb Raider? Caves, the first level of the 1996 Tomb Raider, has 3 secrets by Stella's count: two small medi packs and one large medi pack.

What is the first level of Tomb Raider? Caves is level 1 of the 1996 Tomb Raider, set in Peru. Lara's Home is an optional training level before it, started from the main menu.

How do you get past the bear in Tomb Raider's Caves? Shoot it from the ledge above the pit, where it cannot reach Lara. Her pistols have unlimited ammunition, so there is no need to save shots.

Is Caves in Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis? Yes, as Mountain Caves. Amazon Game Studios says the remake's Peru opens on snow and an ice slide, with the wolves, bats and bears returning.

What comes after Caves in Tomb Raider? The City of Vilcabamba, level 2, where Lara looks for the Silver Key and the Gold Idol.

Sources

• Caves, Stella's Tomb Raider Site, read Nov 2, 2026
• Tomb Raider Remastered Game Info and Walkthrough, Stella's Tomb Raider Site, read Nov 2, 2026
• 10 Things You Need to Know Before Playing Classic Era Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics, Sep 6, 2024
• Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Update 3 Patch Notes, Crystal Dynamics, Jun 6, 2024
• Reimagining Peru, Amazon Game Studios, Jun 22, 2026
• Creatures of Peru, Amazon Game Studios, Jul 6, 2026
• Tomb Raider (1996) Playthrough (No Commentary), Look Back Gaming, Apr 24, 2020 (video)
• Was it Good? - Tomb Raider 1, Josh Strife Plays, Jan 22, 2022 (video)
• Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered - PlayStation/Xbox/PC/Steam Deck/Switch - Digital Foundry Tech Review, Digital Foundry, Feb 13, 2024 (video)
• Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis [Trailer] vs Original | Direct Comparison, Nick930, Dec 21, 2025 (video)