Play Digger Online

Digger is an arcade game released in 1983 for MS-DOS systems, developed and published by Windmill Software. The game presents a side view perspective and involves controlling a mechanical digging machine. Its design incorporates elements from other arcade titles of the era, focusing on navigating underground environments to collect items while avoiding enemies.

Players control the Digger machine, which can tunnel horizontally and vertically through soft dirt to create pathways. The primary objective in each level is to collect all the emeralds scattered throughout the dirt, which allows progression to the next stage. While digging, players must avoid or eliminate enemy creatures called Nobbins and Hobbins. Nobbins move at a slower pace but can transform into the faster Hobbins. These enemies can only pursue the player through the pre-dug tunnels and cannot dig through solid earth themselves. The game features a persistent enemy system where defeated monsters are replaced by new ones spawning in the top right corner of the screen, up to a level-dependent maximum.

Several gameplay systems provide methods for dealing with threats. The Digger can fire a single projectile in the direction it faces, though this shot requires a lengthy recharge period after use. Alternatively, players can strategically dig beneath bags of gold, causing them to fall and crush any enemy in their path. A bonus cherry occasionally appears after all monsters for a level have been generated. Collecting this cherry triggers a temporary bonus mode where the Digger becomes invincible and can consume enemies, causing them to flee instead of chase. A level concludes when either all emeralds are collected or all enemy creatures on that stage are eliminated.