I used to play Diggers all the time when I was a kid. I would spend entire afternoons finding new ways to beat each level and eliminate the enemy teams. Unfortunately, the game died with the ancient pc I played it on, and I haven't played it since, mostly because I could never find anywhere to download it from. Luckily for me, the search is finally over!
The gameplay is great, I don't think I've ever ran into any glitches in it, but the controls are a little bit clunky.
I remember jumping being a big problem, but I'm not sure whether it was because of the controls or because I was bad at timing jumps back then. The jerky way that the camera follows your diggers can be annoying, but doesn't interfere much with gameplay.
Also, I've got to say that this game has more variety than most of the other retro games I've played. There are probably literally a million ways to complete each level. You can go with the conventional style of play for which the game is so cleverly named, digging, or use any number of ways to hunt down and kill the opposing team one digger at a time. My favourite way to beat the level is to seal off your
mine shafts and completely flood those of your enemy, sometimes leaving yourself access to their base in case they teleport back, allowing you to beat them up when they get there.
Other fun nonconventional ways: Trap the enemy diggers near their base, leaving the entire map open for you. Systematically hunt down and kill every member of the opposing team using a large group of your men to reduce casualties. Chase enemy diggers down gigantic mine shafts, at the bottoms of which they'll either die instantly or be softened up for your men to beat them up. Chase them down a flooded mine shaft. Lure them onto a lift and dunk them in floodwater. Construct an elaborate "irrigation" system of tunnels and floodgates that can easily be triggered by detonating a single piece of TNT that releases a lake, flooding the entire map, except for at least one of your men. Just blow the enemy diggers up with TNT.
I love how items can be used in many different ways. For example, floodgates can be used to expertly control floods, both strategic and accidental. Also, they can be used to trap enemy diggers or stop yours from doing something stupid, like taking a tumble down an open mine shaft. Also, when opened and stacked on top of each other, they can be used as a handy ladder in places where you can't place lifts, like outside or between rocks.
Enjoy the game, and I hope you have as much fun with it as I did.
