Shovel Knight Dig

Shovel Knight (top right) uses his shovel to bounce upon an insectoid enemy

Shovel Knight Dig is a roguelite platform game.[1][2] Controlling the eponymous adventurer, the player descends down a hole to stop the villainous Drill Knight and his minions, the Hexcavators.[2][3] Shovel Knight can jump, dig horizontally and downwards, attack with his shovel, and bounce upon enemies and objects.[1][3][4] A playthrough consists of four separate sections, each composed of three procedurally generated levels and a boss fight with one of the Hexcavators.[1][4]

As the player progresses through the levels, they encounter secret passages, harmful obstacles, and collectable treasure.[2][3] Players cannot remain in the same location for too long, or an unstoppable buzzsaw will follow them through the level and kill Shovel Knight upon contact.[1][2] Gameplay is centered around collecting as much treasure as possible to buy useful upgrades at shops, such as increased hit points or limited-use Relics that provide various effects.[2][3]

In addition to shops, Shovel Knight can find three golden gears within each level as an optional objective, which give additional heath or a power-up if all are collected.[3] Shovel Knight Dig has been frequently compared to Downwell, as both feature digging down from a vertical perspective, fighting enemies, and collecting treasure.[3][5] A permadeath feature causes Shovel Knight to lose all upgrades upon dying, returning the player to the surface with a portion of their collected treasure.[2][4] At the surface, the player may spend the treasure on a variety of items, including tickets that allow for Shovel Knight to start at a later section, sets of armor that provide useful benefits, or keys that can be used to unlock new Relics.[1][2]

Shovel Knight Dig is a prequel to Shovel Knight (2014), and is chronologically the first game in its timeline.[6] A troublemaking thief named Drill Knight steals Shovel Knight's treasure bag, escaping by digging a hole deep beneath the earth. Angered, Shovel Knight follows Drill Knight down the hole, learning that his adversary has assembled a digging crew of evil knights called the Hexcavators. Shovel Knight later convenes with his adventuring partner Shield Knight, and the two resolve to defeat Drill Knight and reclaim the bag. After descending down the hole and defeating a number of the Hexcavators, Shovel Knight returns to the surface, watching as the nearby Tower of Fate falls underground due to Drill Knight's tunnels. Catching up to the Hexcavators, Shovel Knight learns that the team was assembled to search for a secret treasure, which they intend to sell in exchange for wealth and fame. At Drill Knight's underground castle, Shield Knight stays behind to hold off the castle's traps, leaving Shovel Knight to face Drill Knight alone. Emerging victorious, Shovel Knight reclaims his bag and returns to the surface with Shield Knight.

If the player performs a number of optional puzzles across a playthrough, they instead experience an alternative ending.[7] During the fight with Drill Knight, Shovel Knight accidentally cracks open the floor, revealing a hidden vault connected to the Tower of Fate. By inserting magical gems obtained by defeating the Hexcavators, Shovel Knight unlocks the chamber, with Drill Knight entering after he realizes that it leads to the secret treasure. Shovel Knight gives pursuit, confronting the Hexcavators just as they unearth the treasure: a magical amulet housing an evil spirit called the Enchantress. Drill Knight accidentally releases the Enchantress, allowing the spirit to transform him into a powerful monster. Shovel Knight and Shield Knight work together to defeat the monster, sealing the Enchantress back inside the amulet. The Tower of Fate begins rising to the surface, forcing them to leave the amulet behind and escape the collapsing hole. In a post-credits scene, Shovel Knight shows his partner an old relic he kept inside the bag, which he uses to open the secret entrance to their former hideout, the Burrow. The two resolve to reclaim the amulet from the Tower of Fate and prevent it from being used for evil.[lower-alpha 1]

Shovel Knight Dig was developed in a collaboration between Yacht Club Games, the creator of the original Shovel Knight, and mobile game studio Nitrome.[8][9] The team at Yacht Club Games was beginning to show fatigue from supporting the Shovel Knight franchise for several years, and they decided to pass on development of a new game to a third-party. Nitrome was chosen as a developer for the new game, with both studios conceiving Shovel Knight Dig as an arcade-style game where the player continuously moves downwards. Development lasted a total of four years,[10] with Yacht Club Games openly discussing different concepts and ideas with Nitrome, while checking on the team on a weekly basis. The teams cited Downwell as one of the game's earliest inspirations, and drew further influence from Spelunky and Dig Dug.[11]

Shovel Knight Dig was announced without a release date on August 28, 2019,[12] and was delayed in November 2021 for a 2022 release.[13] The game was launched for Nintendo Switch, Windows, macOS, and iOS (via Apple Arcade) on September 23, 2022.[10] A free DLC update called Fate and Fortune was released for iOS and PC on March 17, 2023, introducing quality-of-life changes, a music track from Jake Kaufman, and a new "Knightmare Mode" available to players who had already completed the game.[14]

According to review aggregator Metacritic, Shovel Knight Dig received "generally favorable" reviews.[15][16]

Critics described the game as a worthy successor to Shovel Knight, and found its gameplay to be unpredictable and intense.[19][22][24] Many compared the game to Downwell,[26][20] and appreciated the platforming gameplay, finding it reminiscent of the original game.[18][21] However, the roguelike mechanics divided critics. Destructoid felt as though as though the game effectively combined the platforming with a satisfying roguelike style,[18] while other reviewers felt as though these mechanics were unnecessary.[21][25] Game Informer wrote that he would rarely think about the roguelike features during gameplay, and felt as though the style of progression common to other games in the genre was absent.[21] PCMag echoed this sentiment, saying that Shovel Knight Dig did not feel unique in an indie game market saturated with the roguelike style.[3]

The game's graphics and music received praise.[19][24][26] Electronic Gaming Monthly liked how the style of the graphics and musics compared to games of the 16-bit era, saying that it felt like an upgrade compared to the original Shovel Knight’s 8-bit inspired design.[19] Nintendo Life agreed with this opinion, although he noted that the music felt less memorable than the original, which he said may be a consequence of the fast-paced gameplay.[24] Other reviewers appreciated the boss fights,[22] which TouchArcade found to be the most similar aspect of gameplay to the original.[26]

The level design was positively received,[24][20][22] although reviewers noted that their layouts would become familiar over time.[18][25][26] Destructoid felt as though some of the level generations were easier than others, and noticed that the procedural generation would gradually change enemy layouts and behaviors.[18] GameSpot liked this addition, saying that "It's like a magic trick: over and over you'll see things that are the same, but also different."[22] On the other hand, PCMag wrote that levels would become less and less interesting once the player learned their unique mechanics, saying that compared to the original Shovel Knight, "Dig feels a bit like a step back".[3] Nintendo Life dissented, writing that the generated levels felt like they were made by humans and not a computer programs, due to their unique mechanics. The reviewer found the game to be a challenging and well-made platformer, despite calling it a shorter entry in the series.[24]