Diggerman

About

Diggerman is a single player casual simulation game. It was developed by Digital Melody and was released on June 14, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

Diggerman is an ultimate digging experience introducing brand new arcade mechanics.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 24 reviews

gameplay3 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

Simple and accessible arcade-style digging gameplay with responsive controls and a playful, colorful art style.
Light progression system with upgrades and hireable workers adds mild strategic depth and motivation.
Short runs with escalating challenge and boss encounters provide variety and make it suitable for quick play sessions.

Feels like a cheap mobile port with overly simplistic mechanics and limited control options, lacking PC optimization.
Progression becomes grindy over time with repetitive core gameplay and insufficient evolution of mechanics.
Visuals and overall design are low quality compared to similar games in the genre, sometimes causing screen shake irritation.

gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
56%
11%
The gameplay is a colorful, reflex-driven arcade digging experience with simple mechanics and light progression, offering enough variety to stay engaging without feeling overly repetitive. While it captures a nostalgic NES vibe and provides short-term entertainment, some players find its core digging loop shallow and lacking depth compared to similar titles. Overall, it delivers straightforward fun but may feel limited for those seeking a more evolved or substantial mining game.
- “Diggerman is a colorful arcade-style digging adventure that combines reflex-driven gameplay with light progression systems and a playful narrative hook.”
- “Ultimately, Diggerman succeeds by focusing on a strong central mechanic and layering just enough progression and variety to keep it engaging.”
- “The gameplay is straightforward: choose left or right to dig down, avoiding pitfalls that will kill or slow you.”
- “Diggerman is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it was a real PC game (it's not)... it's a cash grab from greedy mobile devs. The game is an ultra simple thematic ripoff of games like SteamWorld Dig, but much worse quality, and with much shallower gameplay (and shallow is the last thing you want, this is a mining game!).”
story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The story is lighthearted and primarily serves as a basic motivation for gameplay, providing enough context to frame the digging adventure without adding deep narrative complexity. While some find it charming and unique, others view the story mode as shallow and unengaging, making it a minor aspect of the overall experience.
- “While the story serves primarily as a lighthearted motivation for the action, it provides just enough context to frame the descent as a purposeful journey rather than a purely abstract arcade challenge.”
- “It does not attempt to reinvent the genre or introduce elaborate storytelling; instead, it delivers a polished, accessible digging adventure with consistent challenge and charm.”
- “Diggerman is truly a one of a kind game, the story is compelling, the art style is simple and relates to the game.”
- “You can only dig 45 degrees down left or right, so you just tap left and right on your iPhone screen and try to plot a course that will dig through batteries and money (I don't know why the developers think people bury batteries and money underground).”
- “Money buys you upgrades, and there's a shallow story mode so you can 'progress' through the game, not that you would want to, because it's garbage.”
- “Hardly a success story, gamers just weren't all that interested in the mobile app.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
45%
33%
The graphics of Diggerman feature a vibrant, retro pixel art style reminiscent of NES and SNES games, which suits its arcade aesthetic well. While not aiming for high-end realism, the visuals maintain clarity during chaotic moments and complement the game's overall charm and budget indie nature.
- “Visually, Diggerman embraces a vibrant and approachable art style.”
- “Diggerman is truly a one of a kind game; the art style is simple and well suited to the game.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “There's definitely an NES vibe to the gameplay (with SNES graphics), and for a budget indie title, it's enjoyable enough.”
- “While the visuals do not aim for high-end graphical realism, they suit the arcade aesthetic well and maintain clarity during chaotic moments.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization allows players to upgrade their digging stamina and abilities for improved performance, but issues like excessive stuttering, screen shaking, and visual effects can cause eye strain and disrupt the experience.
- “As players collect treasure during their descent, they can invest in improvements that extend digging stamina, enhance performance, or unlock additional capabilities.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The monetization of Diggerman is heavily criticized as a cash grab from mobile developers repackaging a low-quality, shallow game on Steam without ads, relying solely on upfront payment. Users view it as a poor imitation designed to exploit players rather than offer genuine value.
- “Diggerman is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it were a real PC game. It's a cash grab from greedy mobile developers. The game is an ultra-simple thematic ripoff of games like SteamWorld Dig, but of much worse quality, with much shallower gameplay.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the game's music and audio effects to be well-crafted, enhancing the overall experience with engaging and fitting sound design.
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game becomes repetitive over time, as players often find themselves performing similar tasks just to unlock a limited amount of end content. This reduces the sense of novelty and can make progression feel tedious.
- “At some point, even the new content isn't that new, and you're grinding just to eventually unlock the endgame content, which is quite limited.”