A Game About Digging A Hole has been on my radar since I saw it on Steam. It kept giving me reminders of how much consoles can miss out on indie titles to play. There are plenty of other “indie” games, but they are shovelware and shouldn’t even exist on storefronts. Seeing that A Game About Digging A Hole was coming to the PS5 had me ecstatic about finally experiencing it — a premise about something so simple and yet quirky at first glance. What I encountered was a fun little title to enjoy. And with the boasting about more fun for the price of a coffee, I think the justification is absolutely there.
A Narrative That Isn’t Just Surface Level
On the face of it, A Game About Digging A Hole is exactly like its title says. Players purchase a home for $10,000 with the promise of discovering treasure in its backyard. The mystery is that we don’t know why, but it’s there, and it’s our riches for the taking. Upon arriving at the house, you begin digging your hole as you see fit. While it may sound simple, things are not as they may seem.
The story of the game is two-form, starting simply with digging a hole. That turns into something out of left field at the end. And honestly, I love it for that. Things go from cozy to a feeling of tension and unease as you dig further. Something I feel would reflect in real life. The hole gets deeper and darker, and your own brain starts turning against you. While I can’t go into spoiler territory, the premise is not something to take at ground level. Rather, as you progress, you naturally uncover the mystery in its most ridiculous and satisfying way. One that needs to be experienced to see what I mean. But what Cyberwave did was show that even a simulator about digging a hole can pull a fun story.
Don’t Just Keep Digging, Improve Yourself
When it comes to the digging aspect of the gameplay, it’s very satisfying. While you don’t see the full motion of digging, it’s an automated shovel. By just holding R2 on PS5, you can begin your unearthing journey. There is a twist that players need to be wary of, which is that there is energy for it. And if it runs out, the shovel will detonate in your hands. So it provides this good risk versus reward as you want to progress further. But overstraining it can be consequential.
Luckily, the game features an upgrade system that allows you to improve your character — from strengthening the battery of the digging tool to how much of an area it digs. It even allows you to expand your inventory space to hold more items. This is most important for the various gems and minerals you collect as you dig, for these fund your upgrades. Even as you progress and need to collect different gems to sell, they prove that it’s not for nothing.
The game’s steady progression reflects well. When you start off, you are using a small spade to dig. Things feel really slow, and the difference you make seems minimal. It all changes as you progress further. Upgrading the shovel allows for faster progress. Buying the jetpack allows you to get back to the surface at an incredible pace. The changes you see as you go further are actually meaningful. It only incentivizes you to want to dig down further for your spoils.
Graphics and Audio I Can Dig
Visually, A Game About Digging A Hole has a cute indie aesthetic to it. It’s a cartoony vibe that has an innocence to it. While some may see simple graphics, it’s the bold colors and charm that make it great. Not every game needs to have 4K lifelike details to be well represented. Sometimes, even the cartoon approach is the right way to go. The digging animations look smooth, more so when you are using the drill and can see the dirt terraforming as you navigate your cursor around. Having the animated look suits the game and gives a comfortable feel to the simulator. It sets itself apart from other titles in the genre that aim for a more modern look.
One visual problem the game does present, though, is freezing and skipping due to texture loading. More specifically, when you are turning or moving fast. The freezing caused me to take damage from falling or get slightly disoriented. Most of the time, the game performs well visually, but this was one of the noticeable instances that recur. And when it does, it affects things to the point where I almost died while digging.
The audio for A Game About Digging A Hole is well done. The whistling of the wind deep in the hole makes me feel like it’s breezing by my ear. The details when you dig with the shovel or drill also feel one-to-one with the real-world tools. I even noticed the difference in sounds when you walk on the various surfaces, whether it’s the dirt or patio stone from the house. Some of the AAA studios struggle with audio even today. Yet, Cyberwave does well in portraying the environment being heard all around you.
A Quick, But Worthwhile Time
If you are looking for a fun time, A Game About Digging A Hole provides just that. The game boasts the price of a cup of coffee but provides more time and fun. What starts as a simulator about digging turns into a quest and a thirst to try and get your treasure. At times, I found myself being distracted by just finding more minerals and upgrading my character, which was a blast.
With a fun story, visuals, and audio to match it, the title is a worthy entry to play. While its performance hiccups can taint things slightly, they don’t overly affect the experience to the point of being unplayable. Additionally, the length of the game is something that I wish were a bit longer. When it ended, I was picking up the perfect amount of steam to want to burrow my dig hole further into the ground.
It’s been a big year for indie developers, some of which we fancied in our 2025 Smash Jump Awards. And seeing more teams putting their hearts into something like Cyberwave does here is great. I recommend giving A Game About Digging A Hole your time. That way, you can see what a simulator can provide and how it pushes the envelope a little bit in terms of where it wants to go with the story. Not just that, but it may even tempt you to dive back in for more than one playthrough of digging for treasure in your backyard. Just be sure to do it in the game and not your actual lawn!
The Review
Great
