Mining roguelike Drill Core grows with a colossal update bringing it out in full

Nothing quite beats the thrill of digging a hole. Whether you're at the beach or in the backyard, grabbing a shovel and heading straight down is an urge we've all had at least once. That's why games like Minecraft, Deep Rock Galactic, and Spelunky are so appealing. If you'd rather be in charge of the people digging, though, then Drill Core is for you. The intergalactic roguelike has finally launched in Steam 1.0, and it's better than ever.

In Drill Core, you've got a new job as a platform manager. Instead of getting a nice corner office with a view, though, you're in charge of an intergalactic mining operation. With your daring crew, you need to slowly make your way through a planet's surface and down to its very center. You've got to guide your team through perilous conditions, deadly local fauna, and corporate quotas all at once, as they try to do their jobs with as little interference as possible.

During the day you'll guide your team downwards, as the platform they're on continues to gather as many resources as possible. When night falls, though, Drill Core ups the challenge. Your crew is brought above ground, but a slew of deadly creatures are trying to invade your new tunnel. That's why you've got to deploy a range of defensive turrets, which can turn your foes into a fine paste without so much as a thought. With unpredictable wildlife, changing requirements, and new technologies coming your way, Drill Core is easily one of the best roguelike games around right now.

As a part of the new 1.0 update, developer Hungry Couch Games has introduced more ways to play. The new Swarnid Platform utilizes a native species of bugs and critters, and comes with plenty of extra ways to upgrade your mining efforts. The platform even has a 20% damage bonus to night enemies, which is perfect for your defensive measures.

Speaking of night time, Drill Core's turret technology has also been overhauled. You can now select the Improved Turret Assembly upgrade, which grants you access to a whole heap of modules. Each gives you an upgrade tree for your turrets, which you can invest into for a range of bonuses.

That's not all, though, as there are also some quality of life changes that should help your overall rate of success. New resource management options during contracts help you prioritize what you want your workers to collect. The new Drill Core wiki can also tell you all about any unfamiliar blocks or enemies you encounter, which can help you formulate a strategy on the fly. You can even show damage numbers as well, which means you can see just how effective your defenses are and the best way to invest what little you have into them.

Hungry Couch Games has released Drill Core 1.0 on Steam. You can snag the game at 20% off until Thursday July 24, so expect to pay $15.99 / £13.40 until then. Just go here.

We've also got all the best strategy games and single-player games if you want more to play.

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