Dig! Dig! Dino!
Dig! Dig! Dino! is a no time limit, stress-free game about digging up dinosaur bones. It’s definitely got a bit of Digscovery in it, but it’s a lot more like Steamworld Dig. Steamworld Dig was awesome.
In this one, you start with a shovel and a drill. The shovel digs up a square of dirt, while the drill grates up rocks that are in your way. It’s got a kind of Battleship/Minesweeper thing to it, where you’ll find a corner of something while digging, whether it’s a dinosaur bone or an artifact from an ancient civilization or something that can be sold for coins, then you’ll need to dig up the surrounding spaces to reveal the whole thing. You have a limited amount of energy for each run, which can be increased as you sell things you find to buy upgrades.
The progression is smooth and fast – you’re able to buy a new something or other after nearly every dig. The whole game is a few hours long, and it’s meant to be completable. There’s a storyline told in a sort of Unpacking/Pick Pack Pup manner – the items you unearth each have a description that reveals a new secret, but there are also some story bits told with newspaper articles in between the action.
It’s sold as a game that you can play while having TV on in the background (complimentary). There’s no time limit, and if you don’t have enough energy to dig up a whole bone this time, you can always try again. The new playfield will be randomized and refreshed each time (you can’t start a dig then finish it up later), but it’s not a punishment or anything. You will be constantly improving your tools and always able to dig just a little bit deeper. Getting a big bone right before your energy runs out feels great, but it’s also fun just to kind of go nut nut all over the playfield, digging a little here and a little there, finding garbage to sell for coins to spend on new upgrades.
The story – unlocked in tiny pieces with each new dino bone or artifact you uncover – is great. Unlike Digscovery, which wanted to teach you a little bit about the dinosaur you just dug up, this one gets weird. And I am HERE FOR IT. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there might be more than regular old dinosaur bones buried underground…
The only downside to this game, really, is that I played through the whole thing in a fun-filled, relaxing afternoon and it made my hand hurt the next day. Big hands + small Playdate = be careful when games are too compelling! This and Fulcrum Defender are a very strong start to Season Two. Where do you even go from here? Just a pair of nice little games that really feel like they get what the Playdate is about. Can’t wait to see what’s next!
(Released May 29, 2025, as part of Season Two.)