SteamWorld Dig is a single-player platform mining adventure built around a clear progression loop: guide Rusty underground, find riches and secrets, then use your haul to improve the tools and abilities that open routes deeper below. Its appeal is the blend of digging, platforming, and exploration; its main caveat is that the official descriptions establish that mix, but do not settle whether its pacing or challenge will suit every player.
What kind of game is SteamWorld Dig?
Steam and Xbox describe SteamWorld Dig as a platform mining adventure with strong Metroidvanian influences. You play Rusty, a mining steambot exploring underground. Mining yields riches, while exploration uncovers secrets; upgrades to tools and abilities help Rusty reach farther, and enemies and environmental hazards add danger to the descent. Steam identifies the game as single-player and lists full controller support. Steam’s official listing and Xbox’s listing provide the descriptions.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Steamworld Dig 2 - Nintendo Switch | $34.96 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Dogworld (Super Rare 59) - Nintendo Switch | $79.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Yoshi's Crafted World - Nintendo Switch | $52.90 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Minecraft - Nintendo Switch | $29.83 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker - Nintendo Switch | $38.49 | Buy on Amazon |
How the digging-and-upgrade loop works
The central loop ties exploration to progression: digging exposes new underground spaces and resources, and resources fund improvements that make deeper exploration possible. That gives mining a practical purpose beyond collecting valuables. The official descriptions also identify platforming and hazards, so the game’s challenge is not presented as mining alone.
Is SteamWorld Dig a Metroidvania?
It is fair to call it Metroidvania-influenced, as the official descriptions do, but that label should not be taken to mean it follows every convention of the genre. The sources describe underground exploration and upgrades to tools and abilities, but do not detail how route structure, ability-gated backtracking, or world layout work in practice. Xbox also describes randomized worlds and emergent gameplay; the available listing does not explain how much those elements change a playthrough.
#1 Best Overall
- Dig your way underground and explore vivid worlds riddled with treasure, secrets and traps.
- Combat dangerous enemies at every turn of the underworld's twisted paths, including shadowy creatures and the haunted remains of an ancient electrical threat.
- Upgrade your Gear to forge deeper into the Earth and take on bigger challenges.
- Swing across large chasms with your Hook shot and fly through caves with the Jet Engine!
What do SteamWorld Dig reviews say?
Steam currently displays a “Very Positive” label, with 93% positive from 3,085 English-language reviews, and a critic aggregate of 76. These figures are storefront snapshots accessed October 8, 2026, not fixed or independently dated review statistics; Steam’s counts and labels can change. Check the Steam listing for its current figures.
Those ratings are a useful broad signal of reception, but they do not explain why individual players liked or disliked the game. The official descriptions support a more concrete expectation: this is for players interested in combining mining and resource collection with platforming, hazards, secrets, and progression through upgrades. They do not establish specific claims about difficulty, length, or how satisfying the moment-to-moment controls feel.
Which versions and platforms are confirmed?
| Store listing | Details stated by the listing |
|---|---|
| Steam | Image & Form Games is listed as developer and publisher; release date December 5, 2013. Single-player; full controller support. |
| Xbox | Image & Form International AB is named; release date June 5, 2015. The listing supports Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. |
The Xbox listing gives the rating as Everyone 10+ and cites fantasy violence. That rating applies to that listing and should not be generalized to every region. A PlayStation Store listing exists, but the detailed page was not available in the retrieved information, so its edition details, price, and current availability are not established here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is SteamWorld Dig worth playing?
If the idea of digging for resources, using them to improve Rusty, and pushing farther through a hazardous underground world sounds appealing, the game’s premise is a strong fit. The genre description also signals a mix of platforming and exploration rather than a pure mining simulator. Steam’s current user-review snapshot is positive, but it is not a substitute for knowing whether you enjoy that particular loop; the available sources do not establish how the game feels to play or how its challenge develops.
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Quick Recap
Best Value
- The Captain Toad: treasure tracker game, which originally launched for the Wii U system to critical acclaim and adoration by fans, is coming to the Nintendo Switch system.
- This version includes new stages based on the various kingdoms in the Super Mario Odyssey game. Also, play with a friend by sharing a pair of Joy-Con Controllers.
- While One player controls Captain Toad, the other can assist with things like turnip cover Fire. Captain Toad: treasure tracker launches for Nintendo Switch on july 13.
Rank #4
- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
- Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
- Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
- Includes Super Mario Mash-Up, Natural Texture Pack, Biome Settlers Skin Pack, Battle & Beasts Skin Pack, Campfire Tales Skin Pack; Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
Rank #3
- Explore each stage and then find even more secrets by making your way through the stage backwards on the flip side
- Overcome varied enemies and obstacles, like Zombie Guys, Skelesaurus, Ukiki, and Monty Mole as you seek out hidden collectables; ESRB Content: Mild Cartoon Violence; Genre: Action, Platformer
- Pass a Joy Con controller to a friend for 2 player cooperative exploration
- Clad Yoshi in collectable, protective, handicraft costumes as he makes his way through each stage
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
