Archeology, eh? Excavation sites, dusting rocks, going on digs in the hope of finding something buried deep in the land… no, that’s not the life for Diamond Dan. He’s in it for the exotic locations, dangerous trap-filled chambers and oodles of treasure, and you’re coming along for the ride.

Diamond Dan is tagged as a ‘casual’ game on its Steam page, but honestly it feels anything but casual. Take a breath for one second and Dan is a goner, skewered on spikes or crushed by falling rocks. It’s remarkably exciting stuff, although the one-hit-deaths and constant restarting of levels may put some gamers off.

GAMEPLAY

Dan runs, jumps, falls, clings and smashes his way through over twenty levels full of blocks, diamonds and traps. The idea is to grab as much treasure as you can, all the while moving towards the bottom of the level. Once you’re at the base of the dungeon, you need to grab the scroll at the bottom, then leave via the temple door and rake in the booty.

Dan navigates the maze by pushing blocks out of the way and creating gaps for moving through. Random surrounding blocks will also occasionally move out of his way, providing a different path each time you play the level. There are tons of directions to head in and different amounts of treasure each way, so working out the best path to the finish is entertaining stuff and adds tons of replay value to the game.

You’ve got a combo meter in the corner than decides how many points you bag for each gem or pile of coins found. Your combo increases every time you set off a trap – hence, the idea is to purposely set off traps, then quickly get out of the way. Running along a row of trapdoors or diving out of the way of a falling block is brilliant stuff, and gives a real sense of urgency and tension.

Strangely, Dan will die instantly if caught by a trap and you’ll have to start from the very beginning. In a way this makes perfect sense, as setting off traps is a huge risk, yet completely worth it for the points – yet at the same time, it maybe would have been nice to have an Easy mode available, that allowed you to get hit a couple of times.

This one-hit kills nature of the game also means that Diamond Dan is incredibly challenging, especially on later levels. This will go down different depending on how hard you like your games – I personally found it just a tad too difficult, as you need to stay one-hundred percent focused the entire time to make sure random blocks don’t tall on you, or spikes don’t come out of a wall and catch you. It’s particularly stressful when you’re right at the end of a level, and get hit by something that comes out of the blue.

That’s not to say that the difficulty put me off playing – after being knocked out, Dan is throwing straight back into the action again, with barely any loading time. This helps to numb the feeling of punishment, and gives the game a great ‘just one more go’ element. Each level can technically be completed in around one minute, so it doesn’t take too long to get back to where you were up to.

Apart from Dan, you’ll also be able to select another character Ann after you’ve playing several levels. Ann adds a whole new dimension to the game, as she can break blocks instead of pushing them. I’d argue that Ann’s method of play is even more frantic that Dan’s, as you attempt to break a wall down to dodge a trap instead of running away. Brilliant stuff.

STYLE

For a game full of similar-looking blocks and browny-grey walls, Diamond Dan is really quite beautiful. The level of polish is staggering, and helps give the gameplay a pleasantly smooth feel. The lighting effects in particular are really well designed, allowing you to see the area around your character but fading to black the further you look.

The interface is perhaps the most fantastic element, though. The menus are built around the idea that you are an explorer tagging along with Dan, and you’re presenting with a table in a tent, with each different option acting as an item on the table. For example, choosing levels is set out via a map and diary. It’s all very clever, and really puts so many of the menu systems we see in indie and casual titles to shame.

STORY

Dan has been dragged along on an archeology dig by his uncle, who is a huge fan of dusting rocks and being generally slow and boring. Dan can’t stand this approach, so one night he sneaks into the dig and does some adventuring of his own. He comes across a scroll that leads him to another hidden tomb, and so his adventures begin.

Dan’s story is told via a diary that keeps track of his movements. Since levels can sometimes be tackled in whichever order you choose, this recording of your efforts can be really interesting, as you’re technically making it happen depending on how you make Dan go about his business. As with the slick interface, this is a genuinely lovely idea, and adds so much personality to Dan and his journey.

OTHER

Diamond Dan is challenging stuff, but ultimately rewarding and very satisfying indeed. If you’re looking for a more casual, sit-back-and-relax title, this is not it – you’ll need quick reactions and plenty of adrenaline to make it through this adventure. However, those after a thrilling rush down under should definitely apply on the dotted line.

With several hour’s worth of play and tons of achievements to unlock, Diamond Dan is an essential indie purchase that will have you both cursing and smiling at the same time. Make sure you at least check out the demo for this gorgeous piece of indie gaming.

BUY/TRY