Dale Hardshovel HD

About

Dale Hardshovel HD is a single player casual action adventure game. It was developed by phime studio LLC and was released on September 22, 2015. It received neutral reviews from players.

Do you love puzzles with dropping, pushing and connecting artifacts ? Then welcome to our matching artifacts game with brains ( brain not included, you’ll have to use yours )

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

48%

Audience ScoreBased on 23 reviews

story3 negative mentions

Dale Hardshovel HD offers challenging puzzles that require critical thinking, making it a rewarding experience for puzzle enthusiasts.
The game features simple and intuitive controls, allowing players to easily navigate and enjoy the gameplay.
Many players found the game to be a source of joy and motivation during difficult times, highlighting its positive impact on mental well-being.

The game suffers from technical issues, particularly on Linux, where mouse clicks often fail to register, leading to frustrating gameplay.
There are reports of the developer abandoning the game, leaving unresolved issues and a lack of communication with players.
The graphics and overall polish of the game are lacking, making it feel like a lazy port of an older mobile game.

story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The story follows Dale Hardshovel, an Australian archaeologist, emphasizing themes of perseverance and the unpredictability of life. However, players criticize the narrative for being simplistic and poorly presented, likening it to a low-quality slideshow with minimal options and subpar graphics. Overall, the story is considered small and lacking depth, with additional worlds themed around holidays.
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “Main story, 2 additional worlds (Halloween and Christmas).”
- “Tldr: no options whatsoever, ugly grainy blown up mobile tablet graphics when fullscreened, cringe slideshow dollar store story about some college chick wanting stuff translated and then you're off to the game.”
- “The story is about Dale Hardshovel, an Australian archaeologist.”
- “[h1][b]story[/b][/h1] a small one.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it relaxing and soothing, while others criticize it for being repetitive and grating, particularly during long play sessions. The use of a looped, faux-exotic style has also been noted as a downside.
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “The audio work is grating with fake exotic-style music playing on loop.”
- “As a side note, for long play sessions the soundtrack may become a bit annoying because it gets repetitive.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay is generally smooth and engaging, featuring simple mechanics that challenge players with thought-provoking puzzles. However, the time constraints can be frustrating, as some levels may require more time than the allotted countdown allows.
- “Interesting puzzle game, with simple mechanics and levels that really make you think.”
- “However, it works without a hitch in 4K on Windows 10 and the gameplay is sound.”
- “Contrary to the gameplay video, your timer counts down from a set number, and when it reaches 0, you lose. Good luck finishing a level where you have 2 minutes and the (old) YouTube walkthrough takes 3:55.”
- “It is simple in mechanics, but some levels really make you think.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
The graphics in "Dale Hardshovel HD" have received mixed reviews, with some users criticizing them as grainy and reminiscent of low-quality mobile games, especially when played in fullscreen. While the remastered edition offers some improvements, many feel it still lacks polish. Overall, the visuals detract from the otherwise engaging puzzle gameplay.
- “Dale Hardshovel HD is the remastered edition of Dale Hardshovel; mostly the graphics and the additional worlds are different.”
- “Dale Hardshovel HD is a pretty good puzzle game; it needs a bit more polish with graphics, but the puzzles are very challenging, which will keep you thinking.”
- “Tldr: no options whatsoever, ugly grainy blown-up mobile tablet graphics when fullscreened, cringe slideshow dollar store story about some college chick wanting stuff translated and then you're off to the game.”
- “Dale Hardshovel HD is a pretty good puzzle game, needs a bit more polish with graphics but the puzzles are very challenging which will keep you thinking.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and stressful due to the timed levels, which add pressure to the experience.
- “Levels are timed, which is both tedious and stressful.”
- “The grinding feels endless and often becomes a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.”
- “Repetitive tasks make the gameplay feel monotonous and detract from the overall experience.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game experiences notable glitches and bugs, indicating a need for improvements in stability.
- “The game is plagued by glitches and bugs that disrupt the overall experience.”
- “Frequent crashes and instability make it hard to enjoy the gameplay.”
- “I encountered numerous bugs that severely affected my progress and enjoyment.”