SteamWorld Dig is a randomized 2D mining game in the same vein as Terraria, but differentiates itself by providing structured objectives and levels within it. For the low, low price of “free” through Amazon Prime, you definitely owe it to yourself to pick up this gem of a game.
Even though the highly praised 2017 sequel built on the original’s strengths, SteamWorld Dig is still highly enjoyable today. The game starts with you discovering your uncle’s corpse, and there are a few signs pointing to a post-apocalyptic setting. In a town with only three people, you’re tasked with uncovering the secrets your uncle found by digging deep into the surface of the earth.
Surprisingly, the game still manages to maintain a goofy and cheerful vibe on top of the dark themes, similar to Splatoon. The world is still colorful, and the robot characters are full of wit and charm.
Adjectives such as “randomized” might scare away those who prefer more structured experiences. While SteamWorld Dig does give player choice in how they decide to dig downward, the actual scope is rather constricted, so players should rarely get lost.
For each objective, you dig to a certain spot, go through a hand-designed level, make your way back to the surface, and repeat. You’ll find materials as you dig, and you can sell them in exchange for money and experience if you make it back up to the surface without dying.
If you die, you lose half of your money, and you need to retrieve any collected materials where you last died. This creates an engaging gameplay loop by having players decide which paths to take, which materials they want to go for, and which items to buy.
So How Do You Claim This Game?
In order to claim SteamWorld Dig, you must have a subscription to Amazon Prime, although you can also sign up for the 30-day free trial and still keep the game, even if your subscription expires. Once you’ve subscribed, link your account to Twitch Prime at twitch.tv for no additional cost. On Twitch, there should now be a crown in the top-right corner. Click it, scroll down until you find SteamWorld Dig, and voila! You have a free game!
SteamWorld Dig is one of four free indie games Twitch Prime is giving away this month, with Death Squared, Antihero, and Jotun: Valhalla Edition also being available for free at the time of writing. You can only claim these games throughout the month of August, so pick them up soon!
