SteamWorld Dig

SteamWorld Dig for PC, SWITCH and etc. is an action platform game developed by Swedish independent studio Image & Form. The developer previously worked on games for kids and on mobile games. This title is one of studio’s greatest works.

Plot

The game takes place in an unusual universe that combines traits of steampunk and Wild West. In this world the human civilization had fallen and Homo sapiens degraded, becoming troglodytes who live underground. Now other, weird creatures, mostly robots, are the dominant species. One of them is Rusty, the main protagonist who is looking for remains of human culture. His search takes him to a remote city of Tumbletown that at first looks like a western settlement. After speaking with other inhabitants, mostly robots, Rusty discovers that the treasures he is looking for are hidden deep underground. The protagonist prepares his drill and starts a journey into the depths of the Earth.

Mechanics

In SteamWorld Dig for PC, SWITCH and etc. the player is traveling through caves, avoiding traps, fighting enemies, collecting resources and making sure that he always has access to light. Because the protagonist has a drill (and other tools, like pickaxes), the gameplay is in some ways similar to Minecraft – the player isn’t only traveling through the roads created by the developers, but can make their own tunnels as well. Thanks to that the game features something in the shape of an open world in which the player can freely decide in which direction they will go. After filling the backpack it is possible to return to the surface, to Tumbletown, where the inhabitants will eagerly buy minerals the player found for items like fuel for the drill, tools, sources of light, weapons and explosives. It is possible to buy or obtain upgrades for the protagonist. Among the available bonuses there are ones that increase Rusty’s health or ones that enable him to jump longer.

Technical aspects

SteamWorld Dig for PC, SWITCH and etc. features hand-drawn, two-dimensional graphics. The title doesn’t lack colors, but the well-implemented dynamic light makes the adventure dark and disturbing whenever the protagonist lacks light. As it was mentioned, the universe combines traits of steampunk and western. This can be seen both in designs of characters as well as levels and in music.

Last updated on 18 June 2024