This page collects the minor gameplay elements in SteamWorld Dig that are too small to have their own pages.
Orbs[]
Orbs are round, shiny, blue spheres found when breaking a metal orb (big or small) in the mine. When the tile is destroyed, there is a small blast that destroys nearby tiles and knocks Rusty back. Orbs can be used to buy Upgrades and Items in the shops, and the number of orbs is tracked and displayed on the game's ending screen.
Physics[]
Here are the physics of SteamWorld Dig:
Jumping: Rusty can jump approx. 1.5 units high, or about 2.5 with a running head start. Wall-jumping allows for infinite jump height.
Running: Takes approx. 4 steps to completely build up your speed, at which point it doubles, allowing you to jump higher.
Gravity: Most non-dirt things are affected by gravity. Rocks fall, causing them to break dirt, destroy Ores and Gems, or instantly kill you. Lamps and Boozers are destroyed when they fall any distance.
Falling: Without Fall Dampeners, Rusty can only fall up to 6 units without taking damage. Further falling results in approximately 1/2 to 1 bar of damage, or more if falling an especially long distance. Sliding against a wall will break your fall without any damage being taken, as does landing in water. Rusty seems to speed up when falling.
Pickups[]
These pickups can be found in the mine and they can restore certain resources:
- Fire: +30 seconds of light.
- Water: +1 bar of water.
- Heart: +1 bar of health.
- Triple: All of the above.
- Golden Gear: Fully restores all resources.
Water[]
Water is a resource that powers items like the Steam Punch and the Drill. It can be found in certain spots in the mine and will slowly go down as Rusty refills his tanks. The pool will refill when the mine is exited and reentered. It can also dampen fall damage slightly.