A Game About Digging a Hole Switch Review
Version Reviewed: Nintendo Switch
In a year full of blockbuster releases and ambitious sequels, one of the most talked-about hits on PC so far has been a small indie game about digging a single hole. So when I saw that A Game About Digging a Hole was coming to Nintendo Switch, I had to get my hands on a review copy to check it out. What’s It Like? Put on your hard hat, grab your shovel, and prepare to get dirty as we review A Game About Digging a Hole on Nintendo Switch.
So if the title did not make it obvious enough, A Game About Digging a Hole is about digging a hole. You play as someone who buys a house with the promise that buried treasure waits in the backyard, so you purchase a shovel that explodes when its battery runs out and start digging. There is a surprisingly clever narrative buried deep within the dirt, but I cannot spoil that here.
What I can tell you is that before it reached Nintendo Switch, A Game About Digging a Hole became an absolute sensation on Steam. It sold more than 250,000 copies in its first week, climbed past one million sales within a few months, and has garnered thousands of glowing user reviews. It is one of those rare indie hits that caught fire through curiosity, humour, and a clever idea that resonates far more than you might expect.
While the game is primarily about digging a hole, there are a few mechanics in the core gameplay loop that keep you looking under the surface. You have four key tools for treasure hunting: your shovel, bag, battery, and a jetpack, all of which need upgrading as you dig. You will start off selling small stones and coal for chump change while working to upgrade your gear, and eventually stumble upon hidden treasure, rare ores, and money bags that allow you to reach the best equipment and dig all the way to bedrock. If you don’t manage your resources, like leaving enough battery power to jetpack top the surface, your shovel will explode, and you will lose your ores, making it a costly mistake.
A Game About Digging a Hole feels almost like a minimalist experience. While the hole you dig may be deep, the gameplay loop can feel a little shallow, but in this case, it works perfectly with the game’s charm. Despite a slow start, I couldn’t help but see what lay at the bottom of the backyard and uncover the secrets that waited there. In fact, I even went through a second playthrough after finding some keys for a chest in my garage, hoping one of the items would lead to a secret ending. Instead, I accidentally triggered it while recklessly throwing dynamite down a hole in my backyard, as is only fitting in a game like this.
On Nintendo Switch, A Game About Digging a Hole’s visuals are serviceable and suit the minimalist vibe of the game. Terrain deformation looks good, with each swing of the shovel taking a chunk out of your backyard as you dig deeper. Lighting does a decent job of setting the tone, shifting as you descend into your hole and helping the backyard feel surprisingly alive despite the game’s simple aesthetic.
On both the original Switch and Switch 2, the game runs with a smooth framerate, no matter how much of a mess you make of your backyard. There are occasional pauses during loading and some noticeable level-of-detail pop-ins as the environment updates, which are significantly more noticeable on the original Switch. Overall, performance is solid, and the game maintains its minimalist charm without too many technical distractions.
For my excavators looking into accessibility, A Game About Digging a Hole doesn’t have any options to speak of. So, as always, I recommend further research into finding out if A Game About Digging a Hole suits your needs. At under $7, A Game About Digging a Hole offers around an hour and a half of playtime for the main experience. While I went through a second playthrough to explore achievements and a potential secret ending, many players may find it a “one and done” experience. Completionists, however, will discover a bit more to dig into, making the modest price feel fair for the charm and curiosity the game delivers.
A Game About Digging a Hole is as strange as its title suggests, but that is exactly what makes it so memorable. The gameplay is simple yet surprisingly engaging, the minimalist visuals and sound design complement the quirky premise, and there is a subtle narrative buried beneath the dirt that rewards curiosity. Whether you are a completionist or just want to see what all the fuss is about, A Game About Digging a Hole proves that sometimes digging a hole is all you need for a surprisingly fun time.
So, What’s It Like? A Game About Digging a Hole is like a minimalist Minecraft.
Enjoyed our A Game About Digging a Hole Switch Review?
✨ Support What’s It Like? Want to help keep this independent Nintendo outlet running? Here are a few ways you can support:
🌐 More Nintendo reviews and guides: https://www.whatsitlike.com.au/
☕ Buy me a Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/whatsitlike
🎥 Join the Patreon for behind-the-scenes content: https://patreon.com/u102681944
