Pickaxe? Check. Stylish-but-horrible-dated miner’s outfit? Check. Spiders? Lava pits? Fire traps? Chec– oh. Well, guess this is gonna be one of those excavations. You know the sort… low chance of survival and such fun stuff. Bet it’ll be worth it in the end though, as them artefacts are bound to be worth a fortune, right? Maybe, maybe not. Only one way to find out.
Let me ask you a question: do you enjoy breaking rocks, busting spiders, crossing deadly chasms and more, all in the name of, well, archaeology? Then Shovel Quest is one Ludum Dare 29 entry that’s well worth a look, in spite of its short length. But hey, that’s game jams for ya: bite-sized gaming at its best, and let’s face it, there are times when a 10-15 minute game is preferable over a 40+ hour adventure.
The only tool at your disposal is a meagre shovel, but do not underestimate its value, for this thing packs a punch, and can be used for anything from pushing bombs to kicking ass and taking names; both of which you’ll find yourself doing plenty, to survive and/or progress through the depths. Won’t be easy as your health is quite limited and there are no checkpoints or any other kind of hand-holding, so do watch out for those darn spiders, eh?
Whether or not the trip will be worth it, is for the developer to know and for you to find out. Also, one thing you’ll notice not long after starting Shovel Quest is that its creator has a peculiar sense of humour. Not bad, just… peculiar. But enough of that – it’s time to dig! Good luck, miner. You’re gonna need it.
