SteamWorld Dig stars a little robot that goes by the name Rusty. The character has a thirst for adventure and a pickaxe itching to dig. The world presented in SteamWorld Dig draws from Old West inspirations with stereotypical robots occupying the various buildings in the Wild Western city. There aren't a lot of characters in SteamWorld Dig, but the roster features some memorable characters that look cool and are pretty humorous as well. Players won't find much of a storyline in SteamWorld Dig, but what's here is good, and there is a surprising ending waiting for players at the end of the game as a reward for their patience.
SteamWorld Dig features a deep level of progression that begins players with a solar powered lantern and a rusty pickaxe. Players slowly begin digging their way down, collecting rare minerals, solving puzzles and find other items to help progress though the game. A limited amount of inventory space combines with a limited light supply to force players to constantly return to the surface to sell what goods are found below and to recharge the only light source available in the early game. The early part of the game can be a grind, but players that stick with the game will find the game progressing a lot quicker after the first hour spent with the game.
Players can take the resources and treasures they find beneath the Western town to sell for more currency. This allows players to purchase new items and upgrades that can be used in mining expeditions such as ladders and more powerful pickaxes. The treasure found beneath is also used to help upgrade the town, and the town will, in-turn, offer Rusty better items in shops and similar benefits. This progression has been seen other games before, but it works well for SteamWorld Dig to offer players a reason to always return to the surface while searching for the best treasures while playing the main game.
While mining deeper and deeper into the earth's crust, players will come across doors that lead to puzzles and the best loot and treasures in the game. These puzzles will often involve making blocks fall in a certain area, mining only certain blocks to progress through the level or avoiding traps while mining important blocks. The puzzles are never too difficult, but they do offer players a break from ordinary mining and give players a good chance to pick up some valuable loot. The stages in SteamWorld Dig are randomly generated, as are the puzzles, so the location of these hidden rooms will differ in each game and offer different puzzles and prizes as well.
There are a variety of different enemies that stand between Rusty and his goal throughout the game. Enemies start with what appears to be armadillos with spikes on their backs but progress along with the game's main character to get more powerful and more dangerous. There are miners armed with dynamite and other dangerous monsters the further players progress through the game. Though the enemies in the game get tougher, Rusty gets plenty of new weapons and abilities to handle whatever the game throws players' ways including a Steam Jump and powerful drills.
SteamWorld Dig is a great indie game that may start slow but manages to entertain over the next 5-6 hours of gameplay. SteamWorld Dig is one of the better indie games released in 2013, and it's a surprisingly cheap download at $9.99. SteamWorld Dig is a beautiful game that offers nearly infinite replay value thanks to its randomly generated environments, so grab A Fistful of Dirt in SteamWorld Dig today!
SteamWorld Dig is now available for Steam and Nintendo 3DS and can be purchased for $9.99. For more information on the game, check out the official SteamWorld Dig website.
Game Features:
- Single Player
- Unlock New Equipment and Upgrades
- Gamepad Support
- Steam Trading Card Support
- Achievement Support
Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Image & Form
Platforms: PC (reviewed) & Nintendo 3DS
Release Date: December 5, 2013
- Beautiful visuals
- Infinite replay
- Strong soundtrack
- Slow buildup