Diggerman
- June 14, 2019
- Digital Melody
"Diggerman" is a mobile arcade game where players dig through the earth to rescue a kidnapped sweetheart from a huge angry mole. The game features five worlds with various obstacles, treasures, and the ability to hire workers and upgrade battery life. With Game Center integration, players can earn stickers and track progress, making it a fun and engaging experience.
Reviews
- The gameplay is straightforward and addictive, providing a fun experience for casual gamers.
- Despite its simplicity, the game offers interesting mechanics and can keep players entertained for a decent amount of time.
- The art style and thematic elements, while basic, contribute to a unique charm that some players find enjoyable.
- The game feels like a cheap mobile port with shallow gameplay and lacks the depth expected from a PC title.
- Technical issues and design deficiencies make it frustrating for players, especially those accustomed to higher standards in PC gaming.
- Progression can become tedious, requiring a grind that detracts from the overall enjoyment and limits replayability.
- story7 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The story in the game is described as shallow and unengaging, with players questioning the logic behind the narrative elements, such as burying batteries and money. While some reviewers find the story to be unique and compelling, the overall sentiment leans towards it being poorly executed and not a significant draw for players.
“Diggerman is truly a one of a kind game, the story is... compelling, the art style is simple and relates to the game.”
“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.”
“Truly a genius story certainly not told before, and one that you want to understand.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Diggerman is described as overly simplistic and lacking depth, drawing unfavorable comparisons to better titles like SteamWorld Dig. While it features straightforward mechanics and can provide brief entertainment, it ultimately feels like a shallow cash grab with limited replay value. Despite its NES-inspired charm, the overall experience is deemed unsatisfactory for a mining game.
“It has some interesting mechanics and will keep you well-entertained for 30-60 minutes.”
“The good: the gameplay is straightforward: choose left or right to dig down, avoiding pitfalls that will kill or slow you.”
“There's definitely a NES vibe to the gameplay (with SNES graphics), and for a budget indie title, it's enjoyable enough.”
“Diggerman is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it were a real PC game (it's not). It's a cash grab from greedy mobile developers. The game is an ultra-simple thematic ripoff of games like SteamWorld Dig, but much worse in quality, and with much shallower gameplay. Shallow is the last thing you want in a mining game!”
“There's definitely an NES vibe to the gameplay (with SNES graphics), and for a budget indie title, it's enjoyable enough.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The graphics of Diggerman feature a retro pixel art style reminiscent of NES and SNES games, which some players find charming and fitting for a budget indie title. However, others view the choice of outdated graphics as a drawback, suggesting a lack of contemporary visual appeal. Overall, the simplistic art style is seen as both a defining characteristic and a limitation of the game.
“Diggerman is truly a one of a kind game, the story is compelling, the art style is simple and relates 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 a NES vibe to the gameplay (with SNES graphics), and for a budget indie title, it's enjoyable enough.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The monetization of Diggerman has been criticized as a blatant cash grab by mobile developers, with the game being perceived as low-quality and lacking depth compared to similar titles. While there are no ads on Steam, players feel the game offers little value, leading to comparisons with other monetization-heavy games that prioritize profit over gameplay.
“There are no ads on Steam, so this is a game about nothing featuring nothing.”
“This game offers a fair monetization model that doesn't pressure players to spend money.”
“I appreciate that the in-game purchases are optional and don't affect gameplay balance.”
“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 much worse in quality and with much shallower gameplay. And shallow is the last thing you want in a mining game!”
“The monetization in this game is outrageous. It feels like every corner is designed to squeeze money out of players, making it impossible to enjoy without spending.”
“I was really disappointed by the aggressive monetization tactics. It ruins the experience when you have to constantly deal with ads and paywalls.”
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music and audio effects in the game are generally well-received, enhancing the overall experience and immersion. Players appreciate the quality and integration of the soundtrack with gameplay elements.
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players feel that the grinding in the game becomes tedious as the novelty wears off, ultimately leading to repetitive tasks aimed at unlocking limited end content.
“At some point, even the new content isn't that new, and you're grinding just to eventually unlock the endgame content, which is pretty limited.”
“The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
“I found myself spending hours on grinding tasks that felt more like a chore than enjoyable gameplay.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for causing eye strain due to excessive stuttering and screen shaking effects, which can lead to a frustrating experience for players.
“May cause irritation to the eyes, with the excessive stuttering and screen shaking.”
“The game suffers from severe frame drops, making it nearly unplayable during intense moments.”
“Optimization issues lead to long loading times and frequent crashes, disrupting the overall experience.”