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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: SteamWorld Dig
At a Glance
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How to Save and Pause:Your progress is automatically saved to one of three save slots as you play, with the most obvious saves occurring when you return to town or buy something. To pause the game, bring up the game's menu by pressing ESC. Time needed per session:It's really easy to make a lot of progress in a short amount of time, so fifteen minutes is a good minimum. Thirty minutes feels more realistic, however.
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Does this game pose issues for Christian players?
 | No - this is a great game for Christians There is some combat, but it's not really worth worrying about. |
Screenshots
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/steamworld_dig_0.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/steamworld_dig_1.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/steamworld_dig_2.jpg)
Game Overview
Steamworld Dig is one of those rare gems that can't be easily pigeonholed into any one specific genre. On one hand, it's similar to games like Robo Miner or a simplified version of Terraria or Minecraft, as you're going to be spending most of your time looking for precious minerals deep underground. On the other hand, your progress is heavily influenced by technological upgrades and there's an overarching story, much like a Metroidvania. But regardless of how you want to classify it, Steamworld Dig is a game about a steam-powered robot named Rusty who's just trying to understand why his late uncle Joe left him the old mine.
The gameplay is fairly straightforward, or at least it is in the beginning. Most of the action takes place in the mines, where players will use Rusty's pickaxe (or other tools) to break through dirt and gravel in hopes of finding precious minerals. The mines are also home to various types of enemies, such as buried trillobites, simple robots, and the more humanoid "Shiners". Since Rusty doesn't have much in the way of offensive capabilities until very late in the game, you're better off avoiding enemies most of the time.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Rusty has a limited inventory. As fun as searching the mines are, you'll need to periodically return to town to sell your loot and buy upgrades or additional items. Every dollar earned also counts towards various milestones. Reaching a milestone will unlock new upgrades or even new townsfolk, making it vitally important to find and sell as much loot as you can.
Over time, you'll learn that Uncle Joe was experimenting with some strange technology. Oddly enough, some of this tech seems to have been specifically made to upgrade Rusty with unusal new abilities. Early examples include the ability to run at a high speed, harness steam pressure to jump especially high, and the ability to equip a powerful drill to mine even faster than before.
Eventually the reason for all of this suspiciously convenient tech will become clear, but unfortunately, Steamworld Dig is a fairly short game, so you don't get very much time to play with the best equipment before it's all over. Even then, I think the short length still works in its favor, as it doesn't give the game time to become repetitive or stale.
I'd definitely recommend this game - it may not be a long one, but it's a fun ride while it lasts.
The gameplay is fairly straightforward, or at least it is in the beginning. Most of the action takes place in the mines, where players will use Rusty's pickaxe (or other tools) to break through dirt and gravel in hopes of finding precious minerals. The mines are also home to various types of enemies, such as buried trillobites, simple robots, and the more humanoid "Shiners". Since Rusty doesn't have much in the way of offensive capabilities until very late in the game, you're better off avoiding enemies most of the time.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Rusty has a limited inventory. As fun as searching the mines are, you'll need to periodically return to town to sell your loot and buy upgrades or additional items. Every dollar earned also counts towards various milestones. Reaching a milestone will unlock new upgrades or even new townsfolk, making it vitally important to find and sell as much loot as you can.
Over time, you'll learn that Uncle Joe was experimenting with some strange technology. Oddly enough, some of this tech seems to have been specifically made to upgrade Rusty with unusal new abilities. Early examples include the ability to run at a high speed, harness steam pressure to jump especially high, and the ability to equip a powerful drill to mine even faster than before.
Eventually the reason for all of this suspiciously convenient tech will become clear, but unfortunately, Steamworld Dig is a fairly short game, so you don't get very much time to play with the best equipment before it's all over. Even then, I think the short length still works in its favor, as it doesn't give the game time to become repetitive or stale.
I'd definitely recommend this game - it may not be a long one, but it's a fun ride while it lasts.
Points of Interest
Challenging but no too hard
Rusty can take a few hits, but it's still easier than expected for him to be destroyed. However, this doesn't necessarily mean your game is over, as you're prompted to pay a small fee to have him rebuilt. Any treasure that he was carrying gets left where he died, so you'll be able to recover it if you can get back there.
Of course, once you get access to better upgrades, dying will become less of an issue. With a little caution, it's possible to get pretty far in the game before you'll really need to worry about fighting. Accidents with falling rocks can still be an issue, however.
Of course, once you get access to better upgrades, dying will become less of an issue. With a little caution, it's possible to get pretty far in the game before you'll really need to worry about fighting. Accidents with falling rocks can still be an issue, however.
Plenty of hidden secrets
While the different upgrades Uncle Joe left for Rusty are interesting and a core part of the game, they aren't exactly secret - players are shown where they are and instructed to seek them out. There's a whole slew of secret surprises waiting to be discovered that nobody in the game will tell you about, such as some extremely rare minerals and hidden areas. Knowing where these secrets are is the key to getting the more difficult achievements.
Steam community features
There's a set of Steam trading cards available, but players will likely be more interested in the 24 achievements that can be earned by playing through this game. Most of them take some practice or effrot to earn, as they require the player to go out of their way to do some weird or silly things.
By far the hardest achievements to earn require you to play through the game lightning fast and still never die once. Good luck with that!
By far the hardest achievements to earn require you to play through the game lightning fast and still never die once. Good luck with that!
Very short
Most players will be able to finish the story portion of the game in less than four hours. In fact, in order to get a good rating and several of the achievements, you'll need to beat the game in about two hours. If you're just going to play through it once, you're going to be done rather quickly.
Concerns and Issues
Mild violence
Like most games that include enemy characters, the player will need to fight them. Striking an organic enemy, such as the bug-like trillobites, with a non-fatal blow will make them flash red and make some red particles (presumably blood) fly away from the point of impact. This simply shows that your attack landed, and the blood does not stick to anything or remain visible for more than a few seconds.
By contrast, mechanical enemies explode when defeated, and if Rusty ends up dying, he'll just power down and collapse into a heap.
By contrast, mechanical enemies explode when defeated, and if Rusty ends up dying, he'll just power down and collapse into a heap.
Alcohol reference
One group of enemies resembles thin, scraggly humans (sort of like Gollum from the Lord of the Rings). They're called "Shiners", and judging by the bottles they use as weapons, I'd say this is a reference to "moonshine", ie, homemade and questionably legal alcohol. There is also a saloon in town, but Rusty, being a robot, doesn't actually get drinks there. The saloon keeper seems to exist just to give you advice on how not to die again.