One of the best things about indie games is that so many of them are made to appeal to categories of gamers who may normally struggle to find something they’ll enjoy. Whether that’s because they’re looking for something far more difficult, far more easy, maybe something with specific themes, or that addresses challenging topics, there are plenty of titles out there that have happily ignored the prevailing winds of the gaming mainstream to chart out the tougher nooks and crannies of the map. One particular style of play that has been gaining in popularity are simulations of various types that are built around predictable and repetitive tasks, which may bore many people to tears but to some folks out there they can be a soothing means of relaxing.

DigDigDrill is absolutely a title moving in that general direction, except instead of being one of the popular work sims that try to find ways to approximate jobs people do in the real world, this is more of an almost arcade-style throwback built on simplicity. In truth, the breadth of the experience is summarized quite well by the game’s title, because the majority of the time you’ll simply be going deeper into the Earth, making deep holes, and then pulling the resources you find back to the surface. When you do return you’ll then have the opportunity to use blueprints and critical materials you’ve dug up to construct ever-more powerful equipment, initially simply helping you drill faster, but over time having the potential to be insanely effective if you’re willing to take the time to grind for everything you’ll need to do it.

The challenge here with scoring is that while it plays well enough, and I can absolutely believe that it will suit the tastes of at least a portion of the overall audience out there, it would also be quite fair to say that it lacks in ambition. A cursory glance would show you that visually it has a very basic, but reasonably distinctive, look. I suppose the almost puzzle-like process of building your upgrades is at least different, but it also doesn’t seem terribly strict, so at best perhaps it could be considered novel. Finally, sitting down with it for a little while, on a general level you’ll quickly experience almost everything there is to do. The details will change and evolve in terms of what you’ll work with and deal with, but part of its appeal is that same simplicity, as long as that’s your jam. If it isn’t, then you’ll likely want to steer clear, even if its extremely basic nature also carries a certain amount of charm with it.