Shovel Knight Dig | Xbox Review

March 25, 2026 Scott Clark

I’ve loved Shovel Knight since Yacht Club Games’ very first game in the series. It was a perfect homage to a bygone era while offering a novel experience with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor behind it. Each subsequent game where you played as one of the villains continued the clever gameplay by expanding on the original formula. The devs even tried going the puzzle game route with Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon. Although that game didn’t click with me nearly as much, I still appreciated the attempt. I seemed to be in the minority of people who didn’t love it, so it clearly just wasn’t for me. Thankfully, Shovel Knight Dig, which originally released in 2022 on PC, goes back to tjhe platforming roots while still offering a bit of a twist. Adding roguelike gameplay to the charming characters and color palette was a stroke of genius to someone like me. I’m beyond pleased with this title, especially now that it’s available on console.

Bury Me Underneath

Instead of navigating stages from left-to-right like in the previous games, Shovel Knight Dig is true to its title. Your goal is to make your way as deep into the depths as you can. That’s right, our hero is actually digging more than he’s jumping. This change in direction works so well and makes me immediately reminisce about the SteamWorld Dig games. This game offers a lot more to make it stand out on its own, especially when it comes to exploration.

You’ll start each round above ground in the typical “hub world” associated with most roguelikes. This is where you’ll make permanent upgrades to make your runs easier, participate in challenges, and interact with characters for both story and gameplay reasons. Once you’re geared up, you’ll jump into the pit to start your next journey.

Along the way, you’ll pick up gems, defeat enemies, and use your shovel to navigate through the procedurally-generated dungeons. Each checkpoint gives you an option of a direction to take, each with its own rewards. You’ll eventually reach a boss room, which will reward you well and offer access to the next area upon defeat.

Everything That I Am, Rearranging

Combining the familiarity of the franchise with the roguelike gameplay works incredibly well here. Each boss is the same one you face for each level, but has a slight variation on its design each time you tackle them. In my opinion, this is much better than the randomized boss encounters I’ve seen in other games like this. It gives a bit of consistency each time, so you have somewhat of a strategy going in without it feeling repetitive. This also means that your practiced skills from before will be rewarded, and you won’t have to rely on your upgrades alone to help you survive. You beat bosses because you’ve learned their patterns, not just because you’ve improved your stats or weapons.

What also makes this stand out are the fun secrets to uncover. The game rewards your curiosity a great deal. See a wall that looks a little off? Or maybe there’s a head of screw sticking out in a place where it shouldn’t. Attacking or bombing areas like these will often produce a side area with much-needed upgades for your current run. Some might contain a treasure chest with more gems, while others contain shops to purchase run-only boosts. Even more interesting is finding characters to rescue that will unlock certain services up on the surface. The deeper you go, the greater the rewards.

Shovel Knight Dig also brilliantly keeps you moving forward at all times. Remember the ghost whale in Bubble Bobble that would appear if you took too long clearing your current stage? This game’s version of that is a massive saw blade attached to a mechanical arm that will move its way down from the top of the screen. This means you don’t have unlimited time to explore and have to always stay moving towards the bottom. This might sound stressful, but it actually keeps the game moving at a solid pace.

Shovel Knight Dig Final Verdict

I absolutely adore Shovel Knight Dig. It combines two things I love and does so in a package that simply clicks better than I could have even asked for. Failed runs don’t feel frustrating, because it’s always just as fun to start another fresh with more upgrades making you feel better equipped. Add the charm of the characters and art style I’m familiar with, and you have a game that I’ll easily recommend. That goes for people already a fan of the original Shovel Knight games, fans of roguelikes, or even those new to either. It’s very accessible, yet offers a solid challenge for those willing to stick it out. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

To hear me talk more about Shovel Knight Dig, be sure to listen to the May 28th, 2025 episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 55:05 time stamp.

This review is based on an Xbox Series X/S copy of Shovel Knight Dig provided by Yacht Club Games for coverage purposes. It is also available on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Apple Arcade, and PC via Steam.