Hey team, let’s dig into A Game About Digging A Hole by DoubleBee and published by rokaplay Bou·tique. It costs as much as a coffee and gets very positive reviews on Steam. For instance, one user called it a “first-person Motherload type of experience.” They loved the smooth pace and simple goal. Meanwhile, another said it hit 122 fps on Unreal Engine 5 with no frame drops. That praise shows its strong build.
I’ve logged every hour and tracked all collectibles. Interestingly, the game has only one real achievement that takes effort. I drained the backyard of dirt purely for fun. Thanks to UE5’s Nanite terrain, each soil layer pops. The one achievement pushed me to plan each dig carefully. In addition, I liked how the game rewards careful resource selling and tool upgrades. As a result, it fits my goal-hunter style perfectly.
The spade feels solid in hand. You swing, you scoop, you sort resources into your inventory. From there, you choose between copper, stone or rare gems. Each material changes your upgrade path. Ben, the solo dev, said in a blog post he wanted tight feedback loops. Indeed, I see that in every shovel hit. The game feels like a sandbox turned strategy puzzle. Similarly, it reminds me of SteamWorld Dig in system, but trades combat for calm planning.
For speedruns, you master each animation frame of the dig. In fact, you can cancel spade swings to boost your rate. The community already shares tricks on Steam forums. For example, one tip is to equip the lightest shovel and skip tool upgrades on first runs. That way, you save time when the clock starts at first click. A review said to join the speedrun scene once you find the treasure. Personally, I agree—this game has strong potential on speedrun leaderboards.
The narrative is subtle. You’re a new homeowner. You hunt a secret buried under your garden. Developer Ben hinted in a tweet that each dig reveals lore fragments. Gradually, you piece together why this house sits on an old ruin. The pacing stays steady. The game never rushes you. Instead, dialogue appears in short text boxes and feels genuine. It grows your curiosity with minimal words.
Visually, it nails a minimalist style. Specifically, UE5’s Lumen lights cast warm cave glows. Color palettes shift from sunny backyard browns to colder blues underground. Animations stay smooth even on older GPUs. Notably, one Steam review praised that G-Sync kept it buttery on a 144hz monitor. I saw no dips on my GTX 1660. Moreover, the art acts like a guide, showing where dirt thins or where rare ores lie.
Sound design sets the mood. You hear soft wind outside, dripping water below. The soundtrack loops gentle piano and light percussion. Because of this, it never gets tiring even in long sessions. Each dig makes satisfying crunch and thunk effects. No voice acting here, but you don’t miss it. Instead, the audio cues help you spot deeper tunnels or hidden caves.
The game has no named NPCs, but your shovel feels like a character. You learn its quirks. Over time, that bond makes each run fun. The main avatar stays silent, so you project your own style. Therefore, I like that freedom. You shape your own digging persona.
Challenge stays low at first then builds. Early dirt is soft. Later you break through rock and need better tools. You balance digging depth with selling resources to fund upgrades. Reviews mention a small difficulty spike when you hit bedrock. However, you can always grind a bit more. There’s no deadly fall or time limit, so it stays chill.
Replay value ties to side goals. You can chase rare ores, hit 100% in achievements or seek a faster run. Furthermore, the game clock and leaderboard motivate you. I replayed to find three hidden chambers. Consequently, that kept me busy for another two hours after my first playthrough.
I see clear branching paths. You can go deep for legend or stay shallow for quick cash. Those choices shape your build. As such, it feels fresh each time, like picking different skill trees in a big RPG.
Compared to Motherload or SteamWorld Dig, this one feels more open. There are no forced areas. Instead, you dig where you want. That freedom boosts replay value, especially for speedrunners fine-tuning each step.
In conclusion, A Game About Digging A Hole stands out by turning a simple idea into a calming yet engaging loop. It uses UE5 tech smartly. Ultimately, it shows how small studios like DoubleBee can craft deep experiences. It’s perfect for casual diggers, strategy fans or speedrunners.
Discover your next underground adventure with these digging-themed gems: SteamWorld Dig offers a metroidvania twist with mining suits and combat upgrades, Motherload delivers classic first-person digging and selling, Terraria blends 2D excavation with crafting in vast worlds, Forager packs quick loops of gathering and building, and Don’t Starve mixes survival with base-building. Each game captures the thrill of digging, exploration, and resource mastery.
