Mines of Mars

Mines of Mars is a platform game with a vertically oriented design where you control a miner on Mars. He is part of a crew that travels from Titan to Mars to move the mining operations. On the way the ship is hit by an ion cannon. The engineer, the pilot and the triage doctor perish and the miner is the only one left. Just like games as I Dig It, Miner Disturbance or Steamworld Dig, the miner needs to delve down in multiple sessions and bring back valuable ore, minerals and gems to the surface to turn them into upgrades that allow him to go deeper and access new areas.

On the surface there is a restoration station to replenish fuel, an ammunition hut to refill bullets, an arcade with mini-games, an offering pit where materials can be dumped for a chance to unlock secrets, a museum where the secret items are stored, a gem cutter to refine gemstones, a smelter to create metal objects, and a crafter where gems and metal are combined to craft weapons and items.

A virtual (and invisible) joystick on the left side of the screen is used to move around the miner. When blocks are nearby and pointing down or left/right, the miner will automatically dig using the pick axe. It is not possible to dig upwards until the boots are upgraded to reverse gravity, so an escape route has to be dug. When pointing upwards a jet pack is used to fly, but there is only limited fuel and it can only be refilled at the surface. It is also possible to jump. A similar joystick on the right side of the screen is used to move a reticule in any direction to fire a ranged weapon at the scarce enemies. Certain tiles can be shot to open up alternative paths.

Digging is not the only goal, the miner also discovers ruins of an ancient civilization and needs to piece together clues. Similar to metroidvania games many areas can only be accessed after gaining the right equipment. Large statues need to be unlocked to access new parts including stronger enemies and bosses. The digging area is accessed through a portal and after a while more portals become available. Upgrades include a better pickaxe and weapons such as a rocket launcher, a stronger headlight, better armour, a heat module that allows you to go deeper, more room to store items etc.