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**Game: Diggergun ****Genre: Action, **Adventure **System: **Steam (Windows) (also on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch) **Developer|Publisher: **Kabloop | GrabTheGames **Controller Support: Yes Steam Deck: Unplayable Price: US $9.99 | UK £7.70 | EU €9.99 ****Release Date: **November 6th, 2025

Review code provided with many thanks to Kabloop.

Diggergun – A Surprise Gem in the Steam Mines

Diggergun shoves you onto a windswept island in Cornwall, hands you a mining tool that doubles as a weapon, and politely informs you that you owe £3000 to a shady corporation. It’s a wonderfully blunt introduction to a game that looks simple on the surface but unravels into something far richer once it gets its hooks in.

At first glance, its monochrome palette and chunky pixel style make it seem like a modest 2D action platformer. But a few in-game days later, when you’re juggling hunger, exhaustion, late-night shifts, randomised mine layouts, impossible bills, and the vague fear that your choices might accidentally reshape the island’s political ecosystem, you realise Diggergun has far more ambition than it lets on.

Does anyone know any good mining jokes?

A Story That Hits Close to the UK

Your character arrives on Bal Island chasing what was supposed to be a decent job, only to find themselves trapped by debt and exploited by Cornwall Mining Corp. Your wage is miserable, the work is dangerous, and the cost of basic food is eye-watering enough to make real-world players wince. The narrative leans into British politics with surprising boldness; references to real parties, the cost-of-living crisis, and economic pressure add a sting to the humour. It might feel a little too familiar for UK players, but that closeness is part of the experience. It’s satire, but with teeth.

The island’s residents keep things from ever becoming too bleak. They’re quirky, sometimes ridiculous, sometimes strangely heartfelt, and all of them contribute something to the branching storylines. Who you talk to and who you ignore genuinely matter. There’s a “living world” feeling to Bal Island that quietly encourages exploration.

Yah! Now I can get back to work

The Mines: Random, Risky, and Weirdly Addictive

The heart of the game lies underground. Each day you drop into a fresh, single-screen mine where you drill through blocks, dodge hazards, grab lithium, deal with enemies, and race the clock before exhaustion knocks you out cold. Levels are randomly generated, so no two mining sessions behave the same way. Sometimes you walk into a room overflowing with resources. Sometimes you wonder if management deliberately hid the lithium just to ruin your mood.

Controls are crisp, and carving through blocks feels fast and satisfying. But there’s tension in everything: the descending timer, your dwindling energy bar, and the looming threat of collapsing in the mine and losing half your money for the day. That penalty is no joke. Money is tight, bills are cruel, and your budget never stretches quite as far as you need it to. You can take a loan, sure, but that simply digs the hole deeper, fitting for a game about literal and metaphorical digging.

Upgrade paths offer steady progress. Levelling your character lets you invest in things like dig speed, energy improvements, or better carrying capacity. Every upgrade feels meaningful because the game is built around constant resource pressure. Even one extra scrap of efficiency can be the difference between collapsing on the floor and making rent.

Ever get the feeling you’re being watched

Life on Bal Island Is Hard Work

What surprised me most was how much the life-sim systems contribute to the overall tone. You don’t simply work and sleep. Everything eats into your energy within the mines. Everything has a cost. And everything is against you at the start.

The rigid day/night cycle creates a rhythm that can be both stressful and engrossing. The first few in-game days almost feel like a drowning simulation. You’re scrambling, barely scraping by with every increasing pressure from higher-ups increasing your lithium goals. But as the systems click into place, Diggergun becomes far more rewarding. The struggle eases. New possibilities open. You start discovering strange little side quests, unexpected encounters, and alternate methods of freeing yourself from the island.

The game isn’t all smooth sailing. I encountered a situation where a dialogue option didn’t activate correctly, which put a tiny dent in an otherwise engaging run. Nothing game-breaking, but it stood out because the rest of the systems are surprisingly tight. And while the game is completely playable on PC, it currently struggles on Steam Deck, which is a shame because the snappy levels feel like they’d shine on handheld.

Black and White

The minimalist black-and-white presentation sets the tone well. It’s stark, a bit oppressive, and perfectly suited to the themes. The mines in particular feel gritty despite their simplicity. The soundtrack is subdued but fits, letting the tension come from the ticking clock and the grind of digging more than from any dramatic orchestral flourishes.

Diner for one, again

Conclusion: I Dug It

Diggergun absolutely caught me off guard. It starts as a compact action-platformer and slowly transforms into a layered survival story wrapped in satire, exploration, careful resource management, and stressful-but-satisfying time pressure. It captures the feeling of just barely scraping by, and turns it into a compelling loop that kept pulling me back for just one more workday.

There’s genuine variety thanks to the different endings and branching story routes, and the randomisation in the mines keeps the daily grind from ever feeling too routine. It’s a small game with a surprisingly large amount to say, and I walked away far more impressed than I expected to be.

If you’re after something unusual, tense, and full of personality, Diggergun is a standout little surprise. I highly recommend giving it a go, especially if you’re ready to dig your way out of trouble, one block at a time.

Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot

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