Diggergun – Mine Deep, Live Smart, Pay the Rent

• DEVELOPER: Kabloop
• PUBLISHER: Kabloop, GrabTheGames
• PLATFORMS: PC
• GENRE: Platformer / Simulation
• RELEASE DATE: November 6, 2025
• STARTING PRICE: TBA
• REVIEWED VERSION: PC

I never thought I’d be writing about a platformer and simulator that’s really about being overworked and underpaid. Diggergun tackles themes like worker struggles, low wages, and environmental issues. It doesn’t shy away from them — it constantly reminds you of the pressure to keep working or risk not paying your bills. What’s impressive is how it makes you feel that weight. Even after collecting more than a dozen pieces of lithium, the game always keeps piling on more tasks. It’s a harsh reflection of life on an isolated island off the coast of Cornwall, where you work under tough conditions and an exploitative contract.

Platforming Precision Meets Resource Management

Diggergun is all about speed, quick decisions, and mastering both the platforming and shooting parts of the game, while managing your energy and finances carefully. The controls are simple, whether you’re using a keyboard or controller, all you need to do is jump, shoot, collect, and upgrade your skills. It also features a dynamic day-night cycle and an energy system that tracks your actions, rewarding or punishing your choices. For example, you can use the bathroom or take a shower to restore energy, or even water the flowers, but if you die while mining, you lose all your money. Not getting enough sleep affects the gameplay too.

The game includes a detailed economy based on real UK living costs, with realistic wages, food prices, rent, and taxes. Another great feature is its randomly generated levels as each mine feels different, growing more complex and challenging as you go deeper. It’s not just about simple mining and collecting; you’ll need real skill to handle the variety of enemies, from small bugs to creatures that spawn others, turrets that fire in one direction, flying enemies, and more.

I honestly didn’t expect the platforming to be so challenging, but since everything is randomly generated, each run can be very different. Some levels give you small, quiet mining areas with no enemies, while others are large maps where you need to find keys to unlock the exit. You can only carry a limited amount of lithium before having to return and deposit it, and if you die, you drop everything and have to pick it up again.

The Economy is Cruel, and Every Bullet Counts

The catch is, if you or an enemy accidentally shoot the dropped lithium (which happens often), you lose it all, and all your hard work goes to waste. I actually like this mechanic; it mirrors real life, where a single mistake can have big consequences. It’s incredibly stressful – one moment you’re sprinting to a job, the next you’re awake until midnight mining just to meet a quota. Finding a balance is absolutely crucial.

To keep things interesting, Diggergun also introduces different characters, each with their own schedules and personalities that influence the story. Your choices shape how events play out, leading to multiple possible endings. For example, there’s an election event where you can decide who to support, and moments where you can rescue someone from a cage. There’s even a relationship tab showing who you’ve met and how many more people you can still meet.

Additionally, it’ll be important to level up your statutes, since there is a levelling system, you’ll get stronger the more enemeis you beat and more stuff you collect so you can spend those points to for example, get lucky and find more lithium, carry more lithium, have more energy, have more health and more. Plus there are different weapons oyu can use and unlock over time such as a shotgun.

Escaping the Grind

In the end, Diggergun turned out to be a really fun little game with beautiful 2D pixel art and a noir atmosphere that perfectly captures a sense of loneliness, yet somehow makes the experience enjoyable. I didn’t run into any bugs or technical issues, and your main goal is to escape the mining corporation and end your employment for good. The game is designed to be challenging while delivering a clear social message about workers’ rights and economic struggles. It also stays engaging thanks to the constant pressure of meeting your quota and the randomly generated levels that keep every run feeling new.

Review copy provided by the publisher

4