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Shovel Knight Dig

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Super Leap Day ← Shovel Knight Dig → TBA

Shovel Knight Dig is a platforming game developed by Nitrome and Yacht Club Games and released on September 23rd, 2022 on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV via Apple Arcade. A release on the Xbox and PlayStation platforms is planned to follow later[1]. The player plays as Shovel Knight trying to get his loot back that has been stolen by Drill Knight.

Controls[]

Nintendo Switch

  • Y - Shovel slash.
  • Analog stick down/left/right + Y - Dig down/left/right (when standing on/next to dirt)

Gameplay[]

In Shovel Knight Dig, the player traverses Shovel Knight downwards through a cavern set across different environments that are divided up into three acts. Each act is made up of randomly selected pre-made level segments that are stitched together to create the level[2]. As Shovel Knight advances through the cavern, he can encounter characters that sell different types of items. At the end of each act, the player is presented with two different iterations of the next level.

If Shovel Knight dies, he will lose all his non-permanent enhancements and some of his collected gems and be taken back to outside the top of the cavern. Upon re-entering, Shovel Knight can regain the gems he lost by touching flying bags scattered throughout the cavern.

Story[]

55?cb=20120317190109 Incomplete section

This section is incomplete. You can help by adding the missing info.

The story of Shovel Knight Dig takes place before Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope[3] and starts with Shovel Knight having his loot stolen by Drill Knight and The Hexcavators.

Locations[]

  • Mushroom Mines - A previously collapsed underground mine that has been opened by Spore Knight's mushroom stents[4]. It is interspersed with mushroom-related game components. Spore Knight is fought here.
  • Secret Fountain - A garden situated inside an area with the architecture and design of a medieval castle. Mole Knight is fought here.
  • Smeltworks - A metal refinery. Tinker Knight is fought here.
  • The Grub Pit - Hive Knight is encountered here.
  • Magic Landfill - An underground landfill made up of magic items, knight armor, and buildings. Scrap Knight is fought here.

Enemies[]

Enemy Behaviour
Fly Shovel Knight Dig
Fly 		Flies around. Has 1 HP. Can dig through dirt.
Boneclang Shovel Knight Dig
SKD bomb boneclangs
Boneclang[5] 		Attacks with a sword slash. Has 2 HP. Can be encountered stationary. A variant has a bomb as a head that when killed will drop the bomb, which behaves like a normal bomb.
Walking mushroom Shovel Knight Dig
Walking mushroom 		Is initially stationary and will walk towards the player when they are near. Shovel Dropping on its mushroom cap will not harm it and instead bounce Shovel Knight upward. When killed it will drop its cap, which when hit by Shovel Knight's Shovel Blade will bounce in the direction hit and bounce off platforms.
Flying beetle Shovel Knight Dig
Spin Bug[6] 		These enemies fly and can dig through dirt.
Spore creature Shovel Knight Dig
Spore creature 		A stationary enemy that shoots several small spore-shaped projectiles that move through platforms. After firing them, they wait before firing again.
Blorb Shovel Knight Dig
Blorb[5] 		Bounce towards the player[7].
Blazorb Shovel Knight Dig
Blazorb[8][9] 		Behaviour unknown.
Pink blorb Shovel Knight Dig
Pink blorb 		Hops towards the player[7].
Beeto Shovel Knight Dig
Beeto[5] 		Walks horizontally[10].
Propeller rat Shovel Knight Dig  Propeller rat bomb Shovel Knight Dig
Propeller rat drill SKD


Propeller Rats[5]

Can fly[10]. Variants can be encountered holding bombs[8] and drills[11]. Drill Proppeler Rats when killed will drop their drill, which functions as a normal drill[12].
Floating mushroom Shovel Knight Dig
Floating mushroom 		Can float in the air. When Shovel Knight touches one, it will turn him into small Shovel Knight[10].
Blitzsteed Shovel Knight Dig
Blitzsteed[5] 		Moves horizontally and can drill through dirt with its drill[10].
Tadvolt Shovel Knight Dig
Tadvolt[8][5] 		Behaviour unknown.
Crab Shovel Knight Dig
Grab Crab[6] 		Can be encountered on platforms and clinging to the sides of platforms. When on the side of a platform, it can move up it. It attacks by shooting its big claw out, which can extend out of its arm.
Charflounder SKD
Charflounder[5] 		An enemy the size of Shovel Knight that jumps out of lava. Its head is impervious to Shovel Knight's Shovel Drop[13].
Armoured beetle SKD
Armoured beetle 		Walks horizontally. Its armoured shell can be broken by Shovel Knight's Shovel Drop, revealing a red inner bulb that when hit again by the same attack kills it[13].
Birder SKD
Birder[5] 		Moves diagonally and bounces off platforms[13].
Goldarmor SKD

SKD Goldarmor Neo

Goldarmor[5]

Moves strategically, attacks with a sword slash, and can shield upwards. There are three variants: Normal Goldarmors, which appear in Smeltworks; variants that have blue armour and wield a fish hook, which are encountered in Secret Fountain, and variants with a hammer and square shield, which are encountered in an area with yellow walls.
Tunelling creature SKD
Floorb[6] 		Appears in Magic Landfill. Its behaviour is unknown, but it can appear on walls.
SKD Flare Wizzem
Flare Wizzem[14] 		Appears in Magic Landfill and appears to shoot fireballs that bounce of walls.
SKD Frost Wizzem
Frost Wizzem[14] 		Appears in Magic Landfill and shoots an ice projectile that appears as a snowflake.
Fish SKD
Fish 		Can hop around on platforms and jump upwards. Can swim in water.
  • Mushdoom[6] - Its body starts at a certain spot and extends as it moves. It will home in on Shovel Knight and can move through dirt. Can be damaged by attacking its head. Once killed, its body will break up but leave its skeleton behind at wherever it was located.
  • Dozedrake[8][5] - They appear to snore bubbles, just like in Shovel Knight. Other behaviour is unknown.

Interactive objects[]

  • Dirt - Can be dug through and stood on. Can contain rocks, which need to be destroyed in order to dig through dirt.
  • Destructible blocks - Can be walked on. They can be destroyed by Shovel Knight's Shovel Drop.
  • Treasure chests - Contains gems. There are three variants: normal treasure chests; grey treasure chests, which have to be opened with a key; red treasure chests; and flying treasure chests, which fly horizontally and when hit by a Shovel Drop drop its contents.
  • Gates - Gates can be unlocked with a key. Gates can block off other rooms and when choosing the next act block access to an entire route.
  • Relic room gate - A gate that blocks access to an entire act. Can be opened with a relic key. Acts with this gate will introduce a new Relic[12].
  • Revolving wall - A wall that has an outline of Shovel Knight. When Shovel Knight orients himself with it, it will spin and take him to another room.
  • Stone blocks - Can be destroyed by small drills and come in a 1x1 form.
  • Explosive triggers - When hit, they will blow up a line of blocks on a solid platform, revealing a path through it. The triggers can be encountered in the form of:
    • A nail stuck into a platform or stuck into the background.
    • A square metal block stuck into the wall.
    • A yellow button.
    • Wall deterioration.
    • Wood deterioration.
    • A gold bolt-shaped protrusion.
  • Mushrooms - Bounce the player up. Encountered facing upwards, and in this position comes in small or large forms, and diagonally.
  • Spinning platforms - A set of spinning platforms that are attached to a beam in the background. When one is touched, it will move horizontally until it hits a wall or another platform if one of the platforms does not have another platform in front of it.
  • Magical effect - Appears for a few seconds over a column of blocks during the volcanic dirt Smeltworks part of the February 1st, 2022 Yacht Club Games Presents[11]. It is uncertain what it does.
  • Dig Piles[15] - Can be dug up and give gems.
  • Keys - Will follow behind Shovel Knight and can unlock gates leading to different level acts and rooms. There are three types of keys:
    • Metal Keys - Indestructible.
    • Glass Keys - If a Glass Key is following behind Shovel Knight and he is damaged, the key will break.
    • Wooden Keys - Can be destroyed by fire damage and spikes[12]. Can be dropped by enemies when they are killed.
  • Water - Appears throughout Secret Fountain flowing out of fountains and holes in the wall. Shovel Knight will be slowed down if he walks in it opposite its flow. Fish can swim in it.
  • Bubbles - Float upward throughout Secret Fountain. Can contain nothing, water, gems, bombs, and fish. Bubbles that contain fish will release them when they are destroyed. Bubbles destroyed via a Shovel Drop give Shovel Knight a slight upward bounce.
  • Eggs - When touched will follow behind Shovel Knight. When taken to a nest, they will hatch into a pet. They will be damaged if Shovel Knight is damaged. Eggs come in two variants: a normal variant, that looks like an egg and has 3 HP; and a glass variant that is light blue coloured and has 1 HP. Both eggs can also be purchased from Chester.
  • Nests - Can hatch eggs.
  • Bags - Contain an accessory.

Hazards[]

  • Spikes - Kill Shovel Knight on contact regardless of health.
  • Omega Saw[16] - The Omega Saw constantly follows Shovel Knight from afar and will catch up with him if he is too slow. The Omega Saw will kill Shovel Knight on contact.
  • Small drills - Attached to platforms. Can harm Shovel Knight, enemies and destroy dirt and stone blocks[10].
  • Big drills - Move horizontally and can destroy dirt, destructible blocks, and enemies[17].
  • Saws - Can destroy dirt. Can be encountered stationary or attached to a moving stake[10].
  • Bombs - Explode after a few seconds and can kill enemies. They inflict 2 HP of damage and inflict fire damage. They can be knocked around before they explode.
  • Drill blocks - Blocks with drills on them. They are initially stationary, but when the player becomes parallel with them, they will move forward. They come in 1x1 and 2x2 block sizes.
  • Mines - They are encountered embedded in dirt and will explode shortly after the player enters their proximity.
  • Rotating flames - Consist of a nozzle that shoots a large line of fire that passes through dirt.

Obstacles[]

  • Gates - Will block Shovel Knight's exit from a room until all enemies are killed, then it will open.

Other[]

  • Medium sized drills - Held on a horizontally moving belt and can be released from it by Shovel Knight's Shovel Drop, whereupon they will fall. Their drill can destroy destructible blocks[13].
  • Lava - In one video, lava can be seen located at the bottom of one room located in Smeltworks. It temporarily rises upward and Charflounders jump out of it[13].
  • Magical fields - Appear in Magic Landfill and appear as a straight line of blue or pink magical energy. Their placement in one preview image suggests they may be teleporters.

Pick-ups[]

  • Gems - Can be collected[10]. The following types of gems exist:
    • Green diamond-shaped gems[10]. Worth 1 gem[7].
    • Square gems that appear in either blue or yellow[10]. Blue are worth 5 gems while yellow are worth 10[7].
    • Red[18] and pink[19][13] diamonds. Worth 50 gems[7].
  • Cogs[12] - Three are placed in each level segment they appear in, and when all three are collected the player can access the utility drill at the end of the level[17].
    • The utility drill is located at the end of each level and gives the player the choice of a full health refill or a free upgrade if all gold gears are collected[17]. If all have not been collected, gems and food are sometimes given out[7].
  • Potions - Refills magic meter by 1 point[20].
  • Food - Restores health[17] and can be encountered inside a plate with a dome lid, which has to be smashed to be opened. The following food can be encountered:
    • Carrot - Restores half a health bubble.
    • Apple - Restores a full health bubble.
    • Mutton - Restores health.
  • Jewels - A single jewel appears in the background of each Hexcavator boss fight. In the PAX West 2019 demo, Spore Knight's jewel can be obtained after defeating Spore Knight and is worth 1000 gems[17]. Spore Knight's jewel is pink, Tinker Knight's jewel is orange[2], Hive Knight's jewel is lime green[11], and Scrap Knight's jewel is red[21].

Shops[]

Overworld[]

  • Hoofman - Operates a shop that sells item located to the right of the hole leading into The Well. To talk to him, Shovel Knight has to enter and hit a bell. In the PAX demo, the player cannot buy power-ups until they encounter the shop and have gems, which they can do upon initially beating Spore Knight[22].
  • Chester - Operates a shop called "Chester's Unlocks" that sells accessory unlocks.

Underground[]

The following shops can be accessed in rooms located at the side of each level and are sometimes denoted by a lamp.

  • Chester[23] - Resides in an ornate treasure chest with blue colouring that opens when hit. He sells upgrades and weapons[17].
  • Gastronomole - Has a shop stall and sells food. The food he sells varies based on the world he is in.
  • Tom Bola[12] - Resides on a barrel and runs a roulette game[24]. For 250 gems, his barrel will cycle through five items and will give Shovel Knight one at random[24]. The barrel will normally stop spinning on its own[11], but can also be stopped by a shovel slash[24].
  • Master Argus - Sells Shovel Blade upgrades.

Items[]

Temporary items[]

  • Relic Key - Opens a relic room gate. Costs 250 gems.

Permanent items[]

  • Follow slot upgrade - Allows one more item to follow behind Shovel Knight.

Food items[]

Main article: Food (Shovel Knight Dig)

These can be purchased from Gastronomole[17] and Tombola[24].

  • Fortified roast[17] - Allows the player to sustain three hits without losing any health. Costs 160 gems[17].
  • Clean plate - Gives the player an empty extra health bubble.
  • Mutton - Restores health[24].
  • Applis Lazuli[25] - Increases health by one bubble[25].
  • Can - Unknown[11].
  • Armoured chicken - Unknown[11].
  • Donut - Unknown[11].
  • Cotton candy - Unknown[11].
  • Cave cheese[11] - Refills 2 health points[24].
  • Trouple-Kissed Trifle - Increases maximum health by 1 bubble[12].
  • Health upgrade - Increases maximum health.

Upgrades[]

Accessories[]

Main article: Accessories

Accessories positively affect the player and can be purchased from Chester, randomly obtained from the utility drill if the "?" option is selected[17], and given by non-playable characters[26].

Ability upgrades[]

These are sold by Master Argus.

  • Heavy Shovel Drop[27] - Description is "Gather your strength to plummet down through dirt and foes."[27]
  • Glide Slash - Slows Shovel Knight's falling when he slashes with his shove.
  • Whip Slash

Armour[]

Shovel Knight is able to change his armour.

  • Stalwart Plate - Shovel Knight's starting armour.

Relics[]

Relics can be purchased from Chester, obtained via relic rooms[11], or obtained via a Relic power-up. Relic rooms are protected by a relic lock and can only be entered through use of a Relic key[11].

  • Flameo Wand[12] - Shoots a fireball[10]. Can be purchased from Chester for 400 gems[12].
  • War Horn - Creates a loud sound that inflicts damage within a large circular area around Shovel Knight[10] at the cost of 1 magic meter point[20]. Can be purchased from Chester for 650 gems[17].
  • Trowel[7] - Can be thrown and passes through dirt[7]. Can be purchased from Chester for 450 gems[7].
  • Mud - Unknown[28].
  • Mobile Gear[23][28]
  • Lance[28]
  • Reverse Exa[12] - Throws an axe that travels in an arc[12]. Uses 1 magic meter point[12].

Bosses[]

  • Spore Knight - Fought in Mushroom Mines. Her boss battle was present in the PAX West 2019 demo and PAX 2022 demo. She has 14 HP in the final game.
  • Mole Knight - Fought in Secret Fountain.
  • Tinker Knight - Fought in Smeltworks.
  • Hive Knight - Fought in The Grub Pit and accompanied by a Beeto called Fleck. Hive Knight can attack with a forward slash of his net. Fleck flies around. Hive Knight has 24 HP[11].
  • Scrap Knight - Fought in Magic Landfill and has 20 HP[21]. Some of her attacks include throwing a sword and introducing a circular sack of weapons that moves horizontally on the floor. She is also capable of jumping into the air.
  • Drill Knight - Fought in Drill Knight's Castle.

Characters[]

  • Shield Knight
  • Altius - Appears on a sign on the Surface and can enter The Well.
  • Meleeist

Feats[]

Feats functions as achievements in the game.

Name Description Notes
Student of Shovelry Complete the tutorial
Relic Rookie Wield 5 relics
First Purchase Buy your first item.
Pocket Power Defeat an enemy as Tiny Shovel Knight.
Mycophile Dig through the Mushroom Mines. Reach the end of Mushroom Mines, which involves reaching the end of Act III and defeating Spore Knight.
Victory! Finish the game. Can be unlocked by defeating Drill Knight at the end of Drill Knight's Castle.
Detector Mettle Find all the secrets in one world. Unlocked by entering all secret rooms and collecting their main item. This feat may also be unlocked just by entering all secret rooms.
On a Diet Finish a world without eating any food.
Untouched Emerge unscathed from a battle with any Hexcavator. Defeat a Hexcavator without taking any damage.
Flameo Wander Defeat an enemy with the Flameo Wand from more than 8 blocks away.
No Damage! Finish any stage without taking damage.
Cog Catcher Collect all 9 cogs in a world.
Hide Owl Seek Help Altius in three locations in the Mushroom Mines. To complete this achievement, across three different runs Shovel Knight has to find Altius on a chest in a sideroom and attack him. This has to be done across three runs as Altius only appears once per run on top of a treasure chest. Altius will not appear in rooms only accessible via a key.
Shocking Electrocute 3 enemies at once. Can be unlocked by having a blue Floatsome electrocute water and kill three enemies.
Wash Up Clean off a Mud-Encrusted Relic without using it.
King of the Beasts Have two different follow pets at one time!
Penny Pincher Finish the game without spending any gems. On release, in the Steam version this achievement was awarded to anyone who completed the game.

PAX demos[]

Two demos of the game were playable at PAX West 2019 and 2022.

PAX West 2019[]

This demo was available at PAX West 2019 and PAX East 2020[29][30][31]. It covered three segments of Mushroom Mines and the Spore Knight boss battle[17].

Shovel_Knight_Dig_PAX_demo

Shovel Knight Dig PAX demo

Gameplay

Footage of the demo was captured by the following websites:

Spore Knight battle[]

Shovel Knight will drop into a room that can have the following configurations (all may not be listed) which always has a rock shaped like horns holding a pink jewel in the background[17]:

  • Largely flat room with moving platforms on either end[17].
  • Room with raised corners that has two upward-facing large mushrooms in the middle[7].
  • Completely flat room with interspersed mounds of dirt that can be dug in to[32].
  • A room with raised corners that has a platform placed above the middle of the room[18].
  • A largely flat room filled mostly with dirt[33].
  • A completely flat room with spikes at the sides, initially covered by 2x2 destructible blocks[34].

He will then converse with Spore Knight about her intentions before the battle begins[17]. There are two possible sets of dialogue, and they are listed here. The music during the battle also changes to a boss battle theme[17].

Spore Knight has ten health and her body can be damaged with shovel slashes, but her head cannot be damaged by Shovel Drops[17]. She starts off the battle jumping around, and upon being damaged or upon not being damaged for a short period of time, she will dig into the ground then jump up somewhere else and execute one of the following attacks[17]. She generally jumps up at the edges or middle of the main area with this digging attack and tries to do this away from the player[17]. She has the following attacks:

  • Jumping around in an arc. While doing this, she can, pass through large bouncy mushrooms[17].
  • Jump up and throw spores[35] around her out of her bag[32]. Prior to executing this attack, she may jump around[18].
  • Throwing her mushroom cap horizontally[17]. If she does not harm the player, she may jump around[33].
  • Creating a line of small upward-facing mushrooms that go across all surfaces and soon disappear, then jumping around in an arc and after some jumps trying to jump and move towards the player. The initial moving spell that creates the mushrooms can harm the player on contact[17].
  • Popping her mushroom cap off her head, which bounces diagonally around the room[7].

At some point during the battle, white spores will start falling[18]. They fall in waves and can be destroyed by shovel slashes[18]. Upon being defeated, the floor will explode and both knights will fall on to a path selection platform where Spore Knight will bounce around and fall down the left path to the next area (the right path is also possible[18]) and Shovel Knight will obtain the pink jewel shown in the background[17].

After this, the screen will turn black and read "SPORE KNIGHT DEFEATED! WELL DONE" and prompt the player to enter three letters to represent their name, which will be submitted to a leaderboard showing the players with the 10 highest gem scores[32].

PAX West 2022[]

Shovel_Knight_Dig_FINAL_BUILD_@_PAX_West_2022!_(Caravan,_Hatching_Egg,_&_More_Gameplay!_-_Switch)

Shovel Knight Dig FINAL BUILD @ PAX West 2022! (Caravan, Hatching Egg, & More Gameplay! - Switch)

This demo was playable at PAX West 2022, which ran from September 2-5th[36]. Footage of the demo was captured by the following websites:

The demo has a leaderboard at the end[36].

Soundtrack[]

The soundtrack for the game is available on the follower platforms and will be added to streaming services after the game's release[37].

Development[]

Development of Shovel Knight Dig started in April 2018[38] when Yacht Club Games contacted Nitrome about making a small arcade-like Shovel Knight game built around digging downwards[26][39]. Development of the game was primarily handled by Nitrome[26]. The game originally started off with a significantly smaller scope, described by Alec Faulkner, a level designer at Yacht Club as "more of a minigame [in early development]", but between 2018 and 2019 greatly expanded into a full-fledged game[39].

The game was announced on August 28th, 2019, during a video presentation given by Yacht Club Games[40] and at this point was 20% complete[41]. The game had been worked on for more than a year at this point and was in early development[42]. At this stage, the story had not been completed[43]. Yacht Club announced during its Yacht Club Games Presents presentation on February 26th, 2020, that the game would be released in 2021[13]. By February 27th, 2020, Nitrome had finalized a list of themes and bosses that were going to appear in the game[26].

While a preview about the game was shared in late April 2020[44], no new information about the game posted until November 2021, where Yacht Club Games announced the game would be released in 2022[21]. By early March 2022, Nitrome was close to finishing development of the game[45]. On August 30th, Nitrome and Yacht Club Games announced that the game would be released on September 23rd on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Apple Arcade[46]. From then up until release, Yacht Club Games and Nitrome posted previews of the game. The game was released on September 23rd, 2022, for Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Apple Arcade.

Shovel Knight Dig was influenced by several other video games. It was primarily influenced by Downwell and Dig Dug, but also drew inspiration from Spelunky, Boulder Dash, Super Mario Bros. 2, Mr. Driller, and SteamWorld Dig[39][47].

Shovel Knight Dig was the largest project Nitrome had ever undertaken and also had the largest team of any Nitrome game[48]. Like Nitrome's mobile games, Shovel Knight Dig was developed in Unity[27].

Future content[]

Several DLC updates are planned for the game[49].

Beta elements[]

Reveal trailer[]

  • Boneclangs had 3 HP instead of 2.
  • Spore Knight's dialogue box contains four lines of text instead of three.

PAX West 2019 demo[]

The PAX West 2019 demo contained some differences from the final game.

  • The interior of Hoofman's shop was different and Hoofman was female[50].
  • Tom Bola was called Tombola[24]. This was also the character's name in the first press kit.
  • The HUD elements are arranged differently. This HUD also appeared in the game's reveal trailer.
  • Shovel Knight's health did not flash red when it was at 1 HP.
  • When obtaining an accessory from the Drill Capsule, the obtain effect was
  • Obtained accessories appeared at the top of the screen in the form of their menu icon.
  • Food could normally be dropped by enemies.
  • The Looking Glass cost 350 gems[32].
  • The Flameo Wand was called Fire Rod, had a different description, and cost 500 gems[7].
  • The Inverse Repeller cost 150 gems[51].
  • Boom Rock Trigger was called Catalyst, had a different description, and cost 150 gems[18].
  • Suave Salve was called Charm Spell[17].
  • There was an accessory called Blorbsbane Flask[17] that caused Blorbs and Blazorbs to avoid Shovel Knight[17]. This accessory is absent in the final game.
  • Fortified Roast allowed the player to sustain three hits without losing any health and cost 160 gems[17].
  • The accessory that allowed Shovel Knight to destroy dirt with his head was an upgrade from Master Argus called Head Butt Dirt and cost 200 gems[27].
  • The Omega Saw continuously moves instead of stalling when near Shovel Knight.
  • Normal spikes that inflict damage were present.
  • There is no lamp before Spore Knight's room[17].
  • Spore Knight has 10 HP instead of 14.

February 2022 Yacht Club Presents[]

  • Hoofman's shop sold a blue potion item that is absent in the final game.

Other[]

  • Altius originally had no role in the game or name and just appeared on the sign leading to Hoofman's shop. He was later integrated into the game after the development team had the idea of the starting screen owl being part of the game's story. For a large portion of development, he was called Lifdis[52].
  • In early development, when at the end of an act one path would progress Shovel Knight further down the cavern while the other would allow him to replay a previously completed act[39].
  • Molers and a mole thief enemy that could steal unspecified content were planned for the game but were cut. These enemies appeared in screenshots in the first Shovel Knight Dig presskit that was posted when the game was revealed in late 2019.
  • Around late 2019 the game had an item called "Prodigious fungi" that allowed health bubbles to withstand three hits, cost 600 gems, and was exclusive to Mushroom Mines[26].
  • The game had more mole NPCs during development, but most of them were cut[53].
  • The Grub Pit was originally called Entomological Enclave[44][54].

Credits[]

Click [show] to reveal this box
Art
Mat Annal[55]
Jon Annal[55]
Markus Heinel[55]
Giuseppe Longo[55]
Gustav Kilman[55]
Phil Giarrusso[56]
Rafael Françoi[57]
Miguelito[58]

Programming
Romain Macré[55]
John Kennedy[55]

Level design
Rafik Vardanyan[59]

Music
Jake Kaufman[2]

Uncertain role
Adam Pype[60]
Thomas Ferrer[61]
João Silva[62]

Announcements[]

55?cb=20120317190109 Incomplete section

This section is incomplete. You can help by adding the missing info.

  • February 10th, 2021 - Jon Annal on Twitter posts a short preview of the Spore Knight boss fight.
  • November 3rd - Yacht Club posts an update on the game revealing that its release has been pushed back to 2022 and revealing the stage Magic Landfill and the boss Scrap Knight.
  • February 1st, 2022 - In a Yacht Club Games presents, Yacht Club reveals more information about the Shovel Knight Dig stages Magic Landfill and The Grub Pit.

Trivia[]

  • Shovel Knight Dig is the first Nitrome game to lack the Nitrome jingle.

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Yacht Club Games on Twitter: [1]: We have plans to release on Xbox / PlayStation platforms in the future! We'll be sure to announce more once details are finalized. Thank you for your patience!, 30 Aug 22, retrieved 30 Aug 22.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Yacht Club Games website: Shovel Knight Dig Press Kit, 28 Aug 19, retrieved 17 Sept 22.
  3. ↑ Yacht Club Games on Twitter: [2]: Jake Adkins: Is this a true sequel, or a spinoff? I can't quite tell

    Yacht Club Games: Prequel, 17 Sept 22, retrieved 17 Sept 22.
  4. ↑ Yacht Club Games on Twitter: [3], retrieved 26 May 21.
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 Some of the enemy names in this section are taken from the "Official Shovel Knight Enemy Names" and "Official Specter of Torment Enemy Names" blog posts by Yacht Club Games.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Yacht Club Games: Shovel Knight Dig Instruction Manual, 23 Sept 22, retrieved 23 Sept 22.
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 Shacknews on YouTube: Shovel Knight Dig - Gameplay, 9 Sept 19, retrieved 18 Mar 20.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Shovel Knight Dig Press Kit - Screenshots.zip
  9. ↑ Yacht Club website: Update Notes, ?, retrieved 18 Mar 20.
  10. ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 Nitrome on YouTube: Shovel Knight Dig Trailer, 11 Sept 2019, retrieved 15 Mar 20.
  11. ↑ 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 Yacht Club Games on YouTube: Yacht Club Games Presents 2.1.22 - Shovel Knight Dig segment (4:03 - 6:22), 1 Feb 22, retrieved 3 Feb 22.
  12. ↑ 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 Yacht Club Games on YouTube: Shovel Knight Dig Special Preview Gameplay showcase!, 18 Sept 22, retrieved 18 Sept 22.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 Yacht Club Games on YouTube: Yacht Club Games Presents 2.26.20, 26 Feb 20, retrieved 26 Feb 20.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Shovel Knight Guidebook page 151
  15. ↑ Dig Piles are named in the following Facebook post: Yacht Club Games on Facebook: [4]: Dig Piles take 5 digs to dig up, 23 Jan 19, retrieved 26 May 22.
  16. ↑ Twitch on YouTube: Shovel Knight Dig Special Preview Gameplay showcase! → 6:30: The Omega Saw is always chasing you here., 17 Sept 22, retrieved 17 Sept 22.
  17. ↑ 17.00 17.01 17.02 17.03 17.04 17.05 17.06 17.07 17.08 17.09 17.10 17.11 17.12 17.13 17.14 17.15 17.16 17.17 17.18 17.19 17.20 17.21 17.22 17.23 17.24 17.25 17.26 17.27 17.28 GameXplain on YouTube: Shovel Knight Dig DIRECT FEED Demo Gameplay (Nintendo Switch), 21 Sept 19, retrieved 17 Mar 20.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 18.6 18.7 Nintendo World Report TV on YouTube: Shovel Knight Dig - Switch Gameplay (PAX West 2019), 1 Sept 19, retrieved 27 Mar 20.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Yacht Club Games on YouTube: Yacht Club Games Presents 8.28.19, 28 Aug 19, retrieved 21 Apr 20.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 GameXplain on YouTube: Shovel Knight Dig FINAL BUILD @ PAX West 2022! (Caravan, Hatching Egg, & More Gameplay! - Switch), 3 Sept 22, retrieved 8 Sept 22.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Yacht Club Games website: Development Update: Delve into Dig 2022, 3 Nov 21, retrieved 8 Nov 21.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Nintendo Life: Hands On: Trust Us, You Guys Are Really Going To Dig Shovel Knight Dig, 4 Sept 19, retrieved 15 Apr 20.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 As named in Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 24.5 24.6 24.7 Twitch: Yacht Club Games stream (14:18:15 - 14:18:23), 3 Mar 22, retrieved 3 Mar 22.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Twitch: Yacht Club Games stream (14:24:06), 3 Mar 22, retrieved 3 Mar 22.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 26.5 Wireframe magazine issue 33 → Shovel Knight Dig interview
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 Twitch: Yacht Club Games stream (14:30:40 - 14:30:57), 3 Mar 22, retrieved 3 Mar 22.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 Nitrome on YouTube: Shovel Knight Dig releases September 23rd!, 30 Aug 22, retrieved 6 Sept 22.
  29. ↑ Yachut Club Games on Twitter: [5], 1 Sept 19, retrieved 19 Mar 20.
  30. ↑ Yacht Club Games on Twitter: [6]: NOBODY: How was the Pax East Shovel Knight Dig demo different from the Pax West one?

    Yacht Club Games: Same demo!'', 19 Mar 20, retrieved 19 Mar 20.
  31. ↑ Yacht Club Games on Twitter: [7], 26 Feb 20, retrieved 19 Mar 20.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 32.3 32.4 Hardcore Gamer on YouTube: Shovel Knight Dig Gameplay, 9 Sept 19, retrieved 18 Mar 20.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 GameSpot Gameplay on YouTube: Shovel Knight Dig Gameplay - Mushroom Mines And Spore Knight Boss Fight, Aug 30 19, retrieved 30 Mar 20.
  34. ↑ https://twitter.com/Jon_Annal/status/1359593107822678026
  35. ↑ Shovel Knight Dig Press Kit - Sprites.zip -> spore_knight_spores.png (an image of Spore Knight in the same position as when she does this attack)
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 Yacht Club Games: Come Visit Us At PAX West 2022!, 23 Aug 22, retrieved 3 Sept 22.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Yacht Club Games on Twitter: [8]: [The game's soundtrack will] be on Bandcamp, Steam, streaming services (post-launch), and on Youtube!, 18 Sept 22, retrieved 18 Sept 22.
  38. ↑ Yacht Club Games on Twitter: [9]: In April 2018, after being impressed by @Nitrome games for years & hot off the tails of #LeapDay, we reached out to see if they’d be interested in making an infinitely replayable Shovel Drop focused game like Downwell. [...] , 22 Sept 22, retrieved 23 Sept 22.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 39.4 Fanbyte: Why Yacht Club is Handing Shovel Knight Dig to Nitrome, 17 Sept 19, retrieved 16 Apr 20.
  40. ↑ Yacht Club Games on YouTube: Yacht Club Games Presents 8.28.19, 28 Aug 19, retrieved 11 Apr 20.
  41. ↑ Yacht Club Games on Twitter: [10]: [...] We were happy where the game landed for the demo but we had essentially built out about 20% of it…that’s not very much!, 22 Sept 22, retrieved 23 Sept 22.
  42. ↑ Yacht Club Games on Twitter: [11]: Shovel Knight Dig is still in early phases of development, it does not yet have final release platforms and versions., 2 Sept 19, retrieved 22 Apr 20.
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 USgamer: "We're Going to Make Shovel Knight Downwell:" Shovel Knight Dig Devs on Its Literal New Direction, 31 Aug 19, retrieved 11 Apr 20.
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 Yacht Club Games on Twitter: [12], 7 Apr 20, retrieved 14 Apr 20.
  45. ↑ Twitch: Yacht Club Games stream: 14:16:01 - 14:16:15: Jon Annal: As everyone knows we're on the final stretch, y'know. It's all of the final bits of polish and the massive mountain of bugs and fixes., 3 Mar 22, retrieved 3 Mar 22.
  46. ↑ Yacht Club Games: Shovel Knight Dig Releases on September 23rd!, 30 Aug 22, retrieved 24 Sept 22.
  47. ↑ Nitrome on Twitter: [13]: There are lots of influences. Downwell, spelunky, mario 2, boulderdash, mr driller and ofcourse steamworld., 30 Aug 19, retrieved 8 Mar 22.
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 Nitrome on Twitter: [14]: [...] Shovel Knight dog [sic] has been in development now for 4 years with an even bigger team so that’s easily the largest project we have undertaken., 19 Jun 22, retrieved 20 Jun 22.
  49. ↑ Reddit: Hello! We are Yacht Club Games and Nitrome, the folks who brought you Shovel Knight Dig! Ask Us Anything! → Comment by Jon Annal: Haha, well half of the team are on Dig and will be doing all sorts of awesome DLC and cool updates for some time yet., 23 Sept 22, retrieved 13 Dec 22.
  50. ↑ GameXplain on YouTube: Shovel Knight Dig DIRECT FEED Demo Gameplay (Nintendo Switch): 0:22: Hoofman: Oh hello darling! I'd love to sell you something, but we're closed until further notice., 21 Sept 19, retrieved 22 Feb 22.
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 Twitch: Yacht Club Games stream (14:36:56 - 14:37:22), 3 Mar 22, retrieved 3 Mar 22.
  52. ↑ Reddit: Hello! We are Yacht Club Games and Nitrome, the folks who brought you Shovel Knight Dig! Ask Us Anything! → Comment by SeanyfaceYCG: grigspritle: What was the inspiration for Altius? He's a very cute addition and I think there should be a plush of him.

    SeanyfaceYCG: And [sic] owl on the start screen was initially just a detail! Later on, we came up with the idea of the owl being involved in the quest, and the character of Altius was born. Fun fact, he was called "Lifdis" for a while!, 23 Sept 22, retrieved 7 Oct 22.
  53. ↑ Nitrome on Twitter: [15]: Haha we actually removed some of the [mole NPCs]. Apart from the chef and an NPC minor I belive thats it., 28 Sept 22, retrieved 28 Sept 22.
  54. ↑ Nitrome on Twitter: [16]: NOBODY: Here it is mentioned Hive Knight is encountered in Entomological Enclave, but according to the direct, he is encountered in The Grub Hive. Is this the new name for EEnclave?

    Nitrome: Yes that’s correct, 3 Feb 22, retrieved 5 Feb 22.
  55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 55.2 55.3 55.4 55.5 55.6 55.7 Nitrome on Twitter: [17]: So very proud of our team @RomainMacre @gnarpnarp @markusheinel @mat_annal @Jon_Annal for working so hard on this. ... Onward to #PAXWest2019

    Second tweet: Also should certainly mention @miascugh (Giuseppe Longo) helping on art and @JK48K (John Kennedy) on programming both sadly not with us at PAX., 29 Aug 19, retrieved 7 Jun 22.
  56. ↑ https://twitter.com/rephildesign
  57. ↑ https://twitter.com/rathaelosM/
  58. ↑ https://twitter.com/art_miguelito
  59. ↑ 59.0 59.1 Rafik Vardanyan: Shovel Knight Dig, ?, retrieved 11 Jun 22.
  60. ↑ https://twitter.com/adampi
  61. ↑ https://twitter.com/tomtominc1
  62. ↑ https://twitter.com/JoaosDev
  63. ↑ Shovel Knight Dig Press Kit - Sprites.zip
  64. ↑ This can be seen in the PAX demo.
  65. ↑ Shacknews: Shovel Knight Dig: First hands-on preview from PAX West 2019, 1 Sept 19, retrieved 12 Apr 20.
  66. ↑ Tom's Guide: Shovel Knight Dig Shows No Mercy, 2 Sept 19, retrieved 13 Apr 20.
  67. ↑ TheGamer: PAX East 2020: Shovel Knight Dig Feels Remarkably Similar To Shovel Knight, 29 Feb 20, retrieved 21 Apr 20.
  68. ↑ Yacht Club Games on Twitter: [18], 3 Nov 21, retrieved 26 May 22.
  69. ↑ Nitrome on Twitter: [19], 3 Nov 21, retrieved 11 Jun 22.
  70. ↑ Yacht Club Games: Shovel Knight Dig Releases on September 23rd!, 30 Aug 22, retrieved 30 Aug 22.
  71. ↑ App Store: Shovel Knight Dig on the App Store, ?, retrieved 31 Aug 22.
  72. ↑ Yacht Club Games on Twitter: [20], 11 Sept 22, retrieved 11 Sept 22.
  73. ↑ Goombastomp: Yacht Club Games Talks Shovel Knight Dig, Working with Nitrome, amiibo Support, and More, 16 Sept 22, retrieved 17 Sept 22.
  74. ↑ Yacht Club Games on YouTube: Shovel Knight Dig Special Preview Gameplay showcase! (26:10 - 26:30), 18 Sept 22, retrieved 18 Sept 22.
v • d • eShovel Knight Dig
General Shovel Knight Dig • Knightmares
Characters Major: Shovel Knight • Shield Knight • Altius • The Enchantress
Merchants: Hoofman • Armorer • Whisker • Chester • Gastronomole • Master Argus • Tom Bola
Minor: Meleeist • Walter • Black Knight • Oreman • Hunter • Lamp Lighter • Farmsmith • Student Mage • Cooper • Duelist Di • Canary Scouts • Hoop Kid • Percy • Forager • Fan Boy • Bag Fellows • Clawed Miner • Caster • Prospector • Spelunker • Peacock Gent • Bow Lady
Locations Surface • Tower of Fate • Burrow • The Well • Mushroom Mines • Secret Fountain • Smeltworks • The Grub Pit • Magic Landfill • Drill Knight's Castle • Crystal Core
Enemies Flies • Boneclangs • Walking mushrooms • Spore creatures • Mushdooms • Blorbs • Beetos • Propeller Rats • Floating mushrooms • Impostors • Blazorbs • Blitzsteeds • Charflounders • Fireball robots • Armoured beetles • Birders • Goldarmors • Fish • Grab Crabs • Floatsomes • Spongeblorbs • Divedrakes • Tadvolts • Wizzems • Magic cauldrons • Floorbs • Badgers • Wasps • Larvae • Larvae spawners • Spin Bugs • Rolling Beetos • Torpeetos • Spiders • Wasp queen • Drill Stacks • Drill Knight Elite Guards • Firedrakes • Evil spirits
Bosses Spore Knight • Tinker Knight • Mole Knight • Hive Knight • Scrap Knight • Drill Knight • Possessed Drill Knight • Black Knight
Interactive Objects Dirt • Dirt Blocks • Stone blocks • False Walls • Chests • Dig Piles • Gates • Stone walls • Revolving walls • Signs • Drill Capsule • Mushrooms • Spinning platforms • Furnaces • Teleporters • Bubble blocks • Siege Bombs • Damage types
Hazards Omega Saw • Stationary drills • Bombs • Spikes • Mines • Drill machines • Wall panels • Water • Rotating flames • Lava • Assembled drills • Sine Daggers • Book platforms • Carnivorous Dirt • Conveyor belts • Crossbows • Spears • Lasers • Hovering lasers • Redirectable drills
Items Accessories • Food • Shovel Blade techniques • Follow Slot Upgrades • Keys • Eggs • Pets • Gems • Flying Bags • Magic Jars • Health Upgrades • Magic Upgrades

Armour: Stalwart Plate • Streamline Mail • Final Guard • Ornate Plate • Pandemonium Plate • Brash Bracers • Scrounger's Suit • Ballistic Armor • Conjuror's Coat • Combo Cuirass • Black Knight's Suit
Relics: Flameo Wand • Gusteo Wand • Blizzeo Wand • Rising Dagger • Reverse Exa • Throwing Trowel • War Horn • Morph Lance • Mobile Gear Drill • Bubble Frog • Coffer of Safekeeping • Shadow Locket • Omega Driver

Story items Shovel Knight's bag • Map • Drifting Glass • Gemstones • Rocket Drill • Dark Magic
v • d • eConsole games
Tower Fortress • Bomb Chicken • Gunbrick: Reloaded • Super Leap Day • Shovel Knight Dig
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