DIG: the Card Game 2011

DIG: the Card Game is an easy to learn and fun to play, tactical card game of hiring dwarves, provisioning supplies, digging tunnels, and mining gemstones for 2 to 4 players.

In the game, players represent Dwarven Mine Foremen. Each day the foremen hurry to the Provisioner to buy tools and to the Labor Camp to hire Dwarves. The Dwarves then set out to mine the dangerous caverns of an unexplored mountain. The mountain isn’t going anywhere, but other foremen are after the same gemstones. The Miners have six days (turns) to dig tunnels, mine gemstones, and hope to survive the day’s inevitable cave-ins.

The Goal of the game: Players must carefully plan when and where to position their miners within their tunnels for the most successful haul of gemstones. At the end of each day, players may sell their gemstones to the Provisioner (at variable rates) and try to win the game by having the most Gold Coins at the end of the sixth day (turn).

The game includes the following mechanics: worker placement (dwarves), resource management (picks and lanterns), a light economic engine (valuable rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds,) and a dash of geological luck (random Cave-Ins).