A sequel that expands the dig-and-explore formula brilliantly. The tunnel network grows into a proper underground metroidvania, punctuated by satisfying upgrades and hidden zones. The loop of mining and reinvesting stays devilishly addictive.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player7+
Description
The mining robot Dorothy digs ever deeper to find a missing friend. Published by Image & Form, released worldwide in 2017. Tunnels to excavate and sell off, upgrades to unlock, new exploration abilities and interconnected metroidvania-style progression.
SteamWorld Dig 2 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Dig, climb back, sell, upgrade your gear: this instantly satisfying loop rises here to the level of an exemplary little metroidvania. Each new ability cracks open whole stretches of underground that were out of reach, in a charming western-robot world. The length stays modest and the difficulty forgiving, but the balance is so clean the adventure is savored in one sitting, without a dull moment.
A sequel to a likeable little digging game, it leveled up quietly, buried on Switch under flashier releases. Yet its dig-sell-upgrade loop gains a remarkably smooth metroidvania structure, where every new tool reopens the map. Players who love clever progression and tight level design really ought to dig back in.
Is SteamWorld Dig 2 still worth playing in 2026?
SteamWorld Dig 2 takes its predecessor's simple mining idea and lifts it into an exemplary little metroidvania. The loop of digging, climbing back, selling and upgrading gear is instantly satisfying, and each new ability opens entire swaths of the underground previously out of reach. The robot-western world has a charm all its own, and the pace never flags. Its length stays modest and the difficulty fairly forgiving, but the design balance is so clean that this adventure is best savored in one stretch, without a single dull moment.
