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I am a huge computer game fan and I grew up playing games like Final Fantasy, Super Metroid and Castlevenia! So when I came across the game Dig on Kickstarter I was taken back to my childhood.
The art is amazing and a throwback to my childhood. The modest €18 pledge leaves this game both affordable and likeable to most. I reached out to Julien Charbonnier and we had a great chat about the game and I looked at how it would play and what the future holds for this game.
Do You DIG It?
Dig is a mix of resource management, adventure and luck game mechanics. The card driven game plays 2-4 people and is aimed at ages 10 and up. With quick setup and a playtime of 20-45 minutes this is a quick, yet fun filler game that will keep you returning for more.
When asked where the idea for Dig came from, Julien said: "First of all, from a lot of trials! But more specifically from one basic idea: use a main deck of cards for its shape, I projected myself as a person facing this pile of cards and immediately thought that it was like facing a hill. Then the idea of “digging” in this hill came to me. As simple as it looks the first draft was there, and soon it occurred to me that completing this setup with a push-you-luck mechanic would be thrilling.
"Rules seem easy, but in fact the easier the game looks, the harder it is to keep it balanced and addictive. I spent a lot of time making sure DIG was attractive enough both by its mechanics and its design, the most difficult part was to find the right spot, the right cards and the right tempo to insure that DIG could be learned quickly and fun enough to make people want to play again right after a first game. Regarding design itself, well, I'm a huge fan of Frank Alberts' work (Pixel Glory) and always enjoy drawing pixel-art frames, so my mind was easily made regarding DIG's graphic direction."
DIG Overview
The game is very simple to play and you only have a few actions to take each turn. It's basically a set collection where the first person to score 10 wins. Below is the how to play from the Kickstarter page which will give you a basic understanding of the rules and actions you can take.
- "Dig" by drawing one card at a time
- Collect the Precious Stones
- Hire a Recruit for five Crystals
- Put your Recruit on a card to start a Gallery
- When your turn comes choose either to "dig" in your Gallery(ies) - add one card per Gallery you own... or choose to "dig" aside from them an either collect the card drawn or choose to place a Recruit on it to start a new Gallery.
- For each set of five cards a Gallery creates a Gem!
- Some will make your Gallery(ies) wealthier...
- ...but others can mean despair.
- Dig faster and safer by hiring one or several Companions with unique abilities!
Speaking about the overall gaming experience that people can expect to find within DIG, Julien made it clear that important choices will need to be made throughout the game.
He explained: "If the main mechanic of the game lays upon push-your-luck, the game offers quite more than that. Players will of course have to choose between a limited range of options when their turn comes, but as the game goes by they will have gathered more and more loot, from Precious Stones to useful items - therefore what seemed to be a simple gem chase will rapidly become a competition between players.
"In the end, players will face crucial choices that can mean either wealth or despair and will have to keep an eye on what their opponents are doing or planning to do... And that's the way I wanted DIG to be built: it starts slowly and every players are even. Then the game itself comes in consideration and challenges everyone as odds are switching from player to player for the best...or the worse. Before you can realise it you've arrived to a point where you have to manage your resources, your recruits, your galleries, your opponents' choices, what the Hill hides left etc... So sure, the game looks simple, but don't underestimate it or it might mean loss."
Final Thoughts
The game's main draw for me was the artwork, but looking at the gameplay and the chat I had shows that there is a solid game underneath. You must decide if it’s worth digging as much and when played with your children this can lead to a great family fun game. Its light for adults and will be a great filler game but when you factor in some gamers will have kids, the nostalgia from the artwork will please the adults and the kids will love the game too.
Its' currently sat on just shy of its €6000 goal and I hope to see many stretch goals unlocked in the coming days. A price tag this cheap, €18, is worth a punt but I am certain you will not be disappointed.