SteamWorld Dig

SteamWorld Dig combines platforming, digging and gradually unlocked abilities into a surprisingly addictive whole that can be finished in a single evening and still leaves a strong impression. The player takes on the role of the steam-powered robot Rusty, who inherits a mine from his uncle and gradually works his way deeper and deeper beneath the town of Tumbleton. The setting has a western flavour, with cacti, a desert sky and robotic inhabitants who come across as laconic and dryly funny.

The game's loop is simple and exceptionally well tuned. You descend, dig sideways and downward, collect ores and gems, keep an eye on your light and water reserves, and return to the surface in time to sell your finds. With the money earned, Rusty upgrades his pickaxe, stamina, lantern and movement, so the next descent goes faster and reaches further. Special caves hold technologies that change the rules: drilling through hard blocks, running along walls, or a steam-powered jump. Digging also creates your own map, since every passage you carve out remains and becomes your own personal way back.

The PlayStation Vita version launched alongside the release for the big console, and the handheld form suits it well, since each descent is short and offers a natural point to put the game down. The hand-drawn art is clean and legible, the music alternates calm western motifs with tenser tones in the deeper levels, where the surroundings stop being friendly. Critics praised above all the pacing and how the game never drags, and the title became the foundation of a series that continued with further entries in different genres. It is also interesting how, without a single word of explanation, the game teaches the player to plan the way back up, since reckless digging downward eventually catches up with you. Today, SteamWorld Dig still plays just as well as it did back then, and remains one of the best entry points for anyone wanting to start exploring independent games on the Vita.