Yacht Club Games and co-developer Nitrome have at last announced a release date of September 23, 2022 for Shovel Knight Dig on Nintendo Switch, Apple Arcade, and PC via Steam. It’s not quite a direct sequel to the smash indie hit Shovel Knight, but it is a brand new 2D adventure with upgraded visuals and audio and lots of action. The key difference is that this game is, to an extent, randomly generated, as “levels have been meticulously crafted, then stitched together using proprietary generation techniques for infinite replayability.”
If you somehow care about the story, the premise of Shovel Knight Dig is that Drill Knight has blown up Shovel Knight’s campsite and stolen his loot, causing Shovel Knight and Shield Knight to go underground after him and his gang. Shenanigans and twists and turns ensue, with some new characters appearing along the way. The gameplay then consists of your usual jumping, slashing, and digging, including new “Speed Shovel” mechanics because you will constantly be descending deeper into the earth. As you go, you will accumulate more power and wealth, including some permanently unlocked items and upgrades.
Basically, Yacht Club Games and Nitrome have a made a Shovel Knight roguelite, but they actively avoid the term in their PR for some reason. Check out the Shovel Knight Dig release date trailer and dig into those new visuals and sound. Even the YouTubers who show up for no reason are at least moderately amusing.
Shovel Knight Dig will retail for $24.99 this September, but on Steam specifically there will be a “10% off & free soundtrack promotion” at launch.
Meanwhile, Yacht Club Games is also hard at work developing Mina the Hollower, a love letter to Game Boy games, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, and other such things.
