Dirt, Drills, and Dynamite: The Art of Prospecting in SteamWorld Dig.

I don’t need to tell you about my love of video games. I’ve espoused the virtues of fighting games, waxed poetic about the meaning behind Shadow of the Colossus and warned you of the festering abomination that is the Darkest Dungeon, among many others. As my first post of 2024 I’m here to tell you all about another absolute diamond in the rough. SteamWorld Dig.

While I will enjoy my time with epic, sprawling games like God of War and its sequel, Elden Ring or Baldur’s Gate 3, sometimes I just need something super casual, a low stakes, fun and relaxing game that I can play while listening to audiobooks or winding down for the day. My list of those games includes titles like Powerwash Simulator, Spiritfarer and Stardew Valley and now I’m very pleased to say I can add Steamworld Dig to that list.

SteamWorld Dig follows Rusty, a plucky little steampunk robot who travels to the small town of Tumbleton in search of his prospector uncle, Joe. Rusty walks into town and finds Joe’s apprentice Dorothy beside herself with worry. He also finds Tumbleton on its last legs. Joe has been missing for a while and the mine is shut down, so Rusty and his trusty pickaxe must not only find Joe, but also mine enough loot to pick Tumbleton out of the dirt and give the town a new lease on life.