Boulders
Heavy, round and always ready to fall. Push one sideways to block a creature, drop one on a firefly, or get flattened standing in the wrong spot.
Retro cave-digging game for iPhone, iPad & Android
Dig through the earth, grab the glittering diamonds and race for the exit before the clock runs out, while boulders tumble, gems cascade and fireflies close in. Thirty hand-made caves of pixel-art mayhem, made for your phone.
Coming soonApp Store
Coming soonGoogle Play
- Free to play
- No ads while you play
- 30 caves, 5 levels each
- Plays offline
Diamond Digger at a glance
- Genre
- Arcade puzzle, cave digging
- Platforms
- iPhone and iPad (iOS 15+), Android 7.0+
- Price
- Free, with optional ads and a one-time Remove Ads purchase
- Caves
- 30 hand-made caves in two mines, 5 difficulty levels each
- Play your way
- Portrait or landscape, touch joystick or D-pad, game controllers
- Release
- Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play
- Made by
- In-Detail, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Players
- Single player, no account needed
How to play
Dig. Grab. Survive. Escape.
Every cave is a little physics puzzle against the clock. The rules take a minute to learn, and every hole you dig changes what happens next.
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Step 1
Dig your path
Drag anywhere on the cave and Digby tunnels through the earth. A floating joystick follows your thumb, or use the classic D-pad.
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Step 2
Collect diamonds
Each cave needs a set number of diamonds to open the exit. Grab extras for a higher score and a bonus star.
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Step 3
Mind the rocks
Boulders and diamonds fall the moment the ground beneath them is gone, and roll off anything round. Dodge them, or use them.
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Step 4
Escape in time
Reach the glowing exit before the timer runs out. Finish fast and keep the extra diamonds to earn all three stars.
Meet the cave
Everything down here wants your diamonds
Each cave mixes a few of these together. Learn how they behave and you can turn every one of them to your advantage.
Fireflies and cave spiders
They follow the tunnel walls and explode on contact. Time your move as they pass, or crush one under a rock to blast a hole in the cave.
Crystal moths
Dangerous to touch, but drop a boulder on one and it bursts into nine sparkling diamonds.
Green slime
It grows into every open space. Trap it and it hardens into diamonds; let it grow too big and it turns to stone.
Magic walls
Drop a boulder through a shimmering magic wall and a diamond falls out the other side, but only while the magic lasts.
Diamonds
They fall and roll just like boulders, so a careless dig can send a whole cascade of gems straight onto Digby's hard hat.
Unlocks after the Diamond Mine
Go deeper: the Deep Mine
Finish the Diamond Mine and a second mine opens up: 10 enormous caves, up to four times the size, with four new ways to win or lose. Free, like everything else.
Cave bats
They flap through open tunnels and hunt Digby when he gets close. Outrun them, or crush one and it bursts into nine diamonds.
Powder kegs
Drop one and it blows a hole through brick walls. Line them up and one spark sets off the whole chain.
Keys and doors
Red, green and blue doors seal off parts of the cave. Find the matching key to open the way to the diamonds and the exit.
Living rock
Walls that grow sideways into any empty space. Dig a side tunnel and it fills in behind you.
Why you'll love it
A classic, rebuilt for your phone
Hand-made caves
30 caves designed and tested one by one, from a gentle first dig to sprawling Deep Mine labyrinths, each with 5 difficulty levels.
Stars and high scores
Three stars per cave for finishing, extra diamonds and speed. Chase your best score on every cave and level.
Controls that feel right
A joystick wherever your thumb lands, a classic D-pad, a DIG button, plus keyboard and game controller support.
Upright or sideways
Play one-handed in portrait or turn your phone for a wider view. Rotate any time without pausing. Looks great on iPad and tablets too.
Crunchy retro sound
Modern takes on classic 8-bit sounds with deep bass, a cave soundtrack, diamond combo chimes and haptic feedback.
Fair, friendly ads
Never during play. Watch a video only if you want extra time or a second chance, or remove the ads between caves with one purchase.
Screenshots
Take a look inside
Grab your pickaxe
Diamond Digger is coming soon to iPhone, iPad and Android. Free to play, no account needed, and the caves are waiting.
Coming soonApp Store
Coming soonGoogle Play
FAQ
Questions and answers
What is Diamond Digger?
Diamond Digger is a retro pixel-art cave-digging game for iPhone, iPad and Android, made by In-Detail in Johannesburg, South Africa. You guide Digby the miner through 30 hand-made caves: dig through the earth, collect enough diamonds to open the exit, and escape before time runs out, while boulders fall, gems tumble and cave creatures close in. It is inspired by the classic 1980s home-computer cave-digging games, rebuilt for touch screens with modern sound and smooth animation.
Is Diamond Digger free?
Yes. Diamond Digger is free to download and every cave can be played for free. There are no ads while you play a cave. The game shows optional reward videos (watch one for 30 extra seconds or to continue after game over) and an occasional ad between caves. A one-time Remove Ads purchase switches off the ads between caves for good; the optional reward videos stay available.
When can I download Diamond Digger?
Diamond Digger is coming soon to the Apple App Store and Google Play. The download buttons on this page will link straight to the stores as soon as the game is live.
Which phones and tablets does it run on?
iPhone and iPad with iOS 15 or later, and Android phones and tablets with Android 7.0 or later. You can play upright or turn your device sideways for a wider view of the cave, and the layout scales up on tablets.
How do you play Diamond Digger?
Drag anywhere on the cave to move Digby (a joystick appears under your thumb), or use the D-pad. Digby digs through earth as he walks. Collect the number of diamonds shown at the top of the screen to open the exit, then reach it before the timer hits zero. Boulders and diamonds fall when the ground beneath them is dug away and roll off rounded objects, so think before you dig. Hold the DIG button and pick a direction to dig or grab something next to you without moving.
How many levels are there?
There are 30 caves in two mines: the Diamond Mine (16 caves and 4 bonus caves) and the bigger Deep Mine (8 caves and 2 bonus caves). Every cave has 5 difficulty levels, and you can earn up to 3 stars per cave for finishing it, collecting extra diamonds and beating the time target.
What is the Deep Mine?
The Deep Mine is the second set of 10 caves, free to play, which opens once you finish the Diamond Mine. Its caves are much larger and add four new features: cave bats that hunt Digby, powder kegs that explode and set each other off, coloured keys and locked doors, and living rock that grows into any space you leave open.
Can I play offline?
Yes. Diamond Digger plays fully offline. An internet connection is only used to load the optional ads and to check or restore the Remove Ads purchase.
Does Diamond Digger collect my personal information?
The game keeps your progress, scores and settings on your device only; we do not run accounts or servers for the game. The ads come from Google AdMob, which may use your device's advertising identifier and IP address to show and measure ads, subject to the choices you make in the game. Full details are in the privacy policy.
Is Diamond Digger suitable for children?
Diamond Digger has cartoon peril (creatures explode and Digby can be squashed by a boulder) but no blood, gore or bad language. It is made for a general audience rather than specifically for young children, and the ads are limited to content suitable for a general audience.
How do I restore my Remove Ads purchase on a new device?
Install Diamond Digger with the same Apple ID or Google account you used to buy it, open Settings from the title screen and tap RESTORE.
Who makes Diamond Digger and how do I get help?
Diamond Digger is a What If project by In-Detail Advertising CC, an advertising and digital agency in Bedfordview, Johannesburg, South Africa. For help, feedback or ideas for new caves, email hello@in-detail.com.