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Pardon the dust! This page includes some jargon that hasn't been added to the site's glossary yet. I'll be around to fix this later, but sorry for the inconvenience in the meantime. |
Review: Dig Dog
At a Glance
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How to Save and Pause:Your highest score is recorded at the end of a run, and any bones you found are added to your tally. You cannot save during a game, though this isn't much of a problem considering how short each game is. You can pause the game at any time by pressing ESC. Time needed per session:Unless you're very skilled at this game, your average run will only last about five minutes. Since most players will make several attempts in one session, plan on playing this game for about ten minutes or more.
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Does this game pose issues for Christian players?
 | No - this is a great game for Christians Similar to older arcade games like Pac-Man or Galaga, characters "pop" when defeated. Other than this, there is nothing to be concerned with in this game. |
Screenshots
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/dig_dog_0.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/dig_dog_1.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/dig_dog_2.jpg)
Game Overview
Dig Dog is an cute game that I found on Steam a while ago. Not to be confused with Dig Dug, which is a popular arcade game by Namco, Dig Dog is about a dog who digs around, looking for bones.
In this game, you lead the dog through randomly generated worlds, attempting to help them find their buried treasure while avoiding different types of enemies and hazards. This isn't exactly an easy thing to do, as the dog can only jump so high and a mistimed dash can easily throw the little guy into or onto something dangerous. Once you've reached a bone, the dog will shoot through the world and fly off into the sky with their prize.
...and then the next level begins, pitting your pooch against another wave of enemies and hazards.
While that summarizes the basics, there are a few other things worth mentioning about the gameplay. Some enemies carry coins that can be collected and used to purchase upgrades from merchants. These upgrades can include everything from higher jumps, to health refills, to the ability to weaponize your money by throwing it at enemies. There are also a number of unique enemy types, each with their own movement patterns and, in some cases, attacks.
Should you survive each of the worlds, you'll simply continue from the beginning again, much like older arcade games. I've only managed to do that once, as I typically lose before the end of the fourth region. Still, this is a fun game for a quick break between other projects, and I'd suggest giving it a go. It's not very expensive; In fact, Dig Dog goes on sale for a hefty discount regularly, so you might even be able to get it just by selling unwanted Steam trading cards.
In this game, you lead the dog through randomly generated worlds, attempting to help them find their buried treasure while avoiding different types of enemies and hazards. This isn't exactly an easy thing to do, as the dog can only jump so high and a mistimed dash can easily throw the little guy into or onto something dangerous. Once you've reached a bone, the dog will shoot through the world and fly off into the sky with their prize.
...and then the next level begins, pitting your pooch against another wave of enemies and hazards.
While that summarizes the basics, there are a few other things worth mentioning about the gameplay. Some enemies carry coins that can be collected and used to purchase upgrades from merchants. These upgrades can include everything from higher jumps, to health refills, to the ability to weaponize your money by throwing it at enemies. There are also a number of unique enemy types, each with their own movement patterns and, in some cases, attacks.
Should you survive each of the worlds, you'll simply continue from the beginning again, much like older arcade games. I've only managed to do that once, as I typically lose before the end of the fourth region. Still, this is a fun game for a quick break between other projects, and I'd suggest giving it a go. It's not very expensive; In fact, Dig Dog goes on sale for a hefty discount regularly, so you might even be able to get it just by selling unwanted Steam trading cards.
Points of Interest
Every game is unique
Although each region has its own selection of monsters and the fourth region always starts with a dangerous underground corridor, the level maps are filled randomly. You'll never know what you'll find or where the bone might be hidden.
Warp to regions you've reached
Once you've reached a specific region enough times, a special "warp bone" will appear in the game's introduction area. Collecting these allows you to start your game in whatever region you want, though you won't have any coins or upgrades that you might have discovered from earlier levels.
Free dig mode for players who just want to explore
Not interested in a challenge? That's fine; the Free Dig mode is just what you want. This mode randomly cycles through easier versions of the game's different environments, allowing you to explore and see everything without risk.
Special palettes
Collect enough bones (over consecutive attempts) and you'll unlock new palettes to play with. These change the game's colors, but otherwise have no effect on gameplay. Some of them are really nice looking, and there's even a couple that invoke some nostalgic systems like the original Gameboy.
Achievements
There are 14 achievements to be earned as you snort around for the bones. Most of these are earned by doing something over and over again, so you'll eventually earn them all just by playing the game often. A few require some clever tricks or dogged persistence, though again, playing frequently is the key here.
Concerns and Issues
Mild violence
When any character is defeated (either by an attack, explosion, or coming into contact with a hazard), the character simply pops into a bunch of pixels that disappear quickly, much like you'd have seen in old arcade games. Other than this, there's nothing particularly worrisome about this game.