Gravedigger - Info and Quick Tips!
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With Gravedigger back, I thought I'd write a quick little guide to help those new to the game, or those who need a quick refresher.
Gravedigger is a fun, tactical game where you play a gravedigger trying to plumb the depths of a cemetery. On your way to the bottom, you may uncover spooky ghosts, long-lost skeletons, and unbreakable coffins. If you're lucky, you can even dig up helpful tools and boosts that will help you along your fossorial quest!
Achievements
BOO it's a ghost! Uncover ghosts in Gravedigger (Cumulative)
Prize(s): Ghosts - Ghosthunting Torch; Ghosts - Title: Ghostfacer
Don't Overthink It Uncover Quentin's Skull in Gravedigger!
Prize(s): Cute and Dead Sticker
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough Uncover Disco Skelly in Gravedigger!
Prize(s): Disco Skelly Plushie
Life uh, Finds A Way Uncover the entire mortiking in Gravedigger!
Prize(s): Mortiking Skelly Plushie
This One Looks Familiar Uncover the Winged Skelly in Gravedigger!
Prize(s): Skellyton Plushie
Throw Me A Bone Uncover Kumos Skelly in Gravedigger!
Prize(s): Kumos Skelly Plushie
What Year is This??? Uncover the Wizard's Skull in Gravedigger!
Prize(s): Good Night Wizard Sticker
Tiles
Dig Tiles
Regular Soil aka "the good stuff" - Uses 1 Shovel Point
Tombstone aka "Shovel Suckers" - Uses 2 Shovel Points
Coffin aka "Undergound Roadblock" - Cannot be drilled, dug, or dynamite-d
Tool Tiles
Note: Each Tool Tile (except Shovel Health) also uses 1 Shovel Point
Drill - Digs 4 Shovel Points worth downward starting beneath the drill (even through Tombstones and Dynamite!)
Dynamite - Explodes all tiles immediately surrounding the dynamite, except Coffins
Shovel Health - Restores a small amount of Shovel Points, roughly 2-5 points
Super Strength - For a 5 seconds, subtracts 1 Shovel Point from all diggable tiles. (Soil and Tool Tiles cost 0 points, Tombstones cost 1)
Coin - Adds a bit of sP
Difficulty
Gravedigger is playable in 3 difficulties: Easy, Medium and Hard.
There is no pause (unless you click off-tab).
While not necessarily timed, the screen scrolls upward at an even pace. When the deepest spot you dug reaches the top—whether or not you have Shovel Points left—it's game over!
Thank you, , for the edit!
Easy Starting Shovel Points: 40 Target Depth: 64
Medium Starting Shovel Points: 85 Target Depth: 127
Hard Starting Shovel Points: 130 Target Depth: 198
Special Note: The last row of tiles on any difficulty is always dynamite.
Aside: I noticed there is a specific set of layouts depending on the level you play. If I find myself with a great amount of time, I'll try mapping them to see if they are consistent.
Tips
Please note: These are only my own personal Tips and Tricks that I use to play.
If you have another tip you wish to add, please comment below and I will add your tip and username to the list. Grave Digging!
I prefer to play on Hard. The scroll speed is roughly the same no matter the level. I feel Hard gives a good challenge and more opportunity to uncover the creepies and crawlies that lie in wait. That being said, these tips are applicable to any level. The tips below are not written in any particular order.
Ah, decisions, decisions...(Hint on Hard: For this setup, go left. There's usually a Coin you can pick up, if you're daring)
On Hard, when the drills are split to the far left and right, going right will save you a few Shovel Points downward.
- When beginning any difficulty, sometimes Tool Tiles will be on the first row. These are usually a great jump start to any level when used.
Near the top - Usually a good time to click your Super Strength
When using Super Strength, an orange border appears around the screen.
Thank you, , for the edit!
A common Coffin block
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It's not Game Over when your character reaches the top - it's Game Over when the deepest spot you dug reaches the top. So if a drill dug a long chute for you, that might save your behind! Thank you, , for the tip!
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Clicking in empty spaces does not cost you anything. While this may seem self-evident, I spent many an hour thinking any movement at all cost me points. Let me save you the psychological heartache!
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If your goal is merely to reach the bottom, try to stay in one vertical column. I tend to only use the far left 4 columns. Unless I am blocked or I simply can't pass up a good Tool Tile, I stick to these rows.
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Only pick up Coins if you feel pretty confident in your number of Shovel Points. The bonus is fairly low. If you run out of Shovel Points before the end, you'll be missing out on an even bigger bonus.
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When debating whether or not to dig straight through a Tombstone or go around, it is usually worth trying a tile to the left or right. Tombstones like to group into columns as well.
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Uncovering ghosts counts towards the BOO it's a ghost! achievement, even if you do not send your score or reach the bottom. Dig away!
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While the Mortiking Skeleton can be found on Easy, it is rather large. Unless you are extremely conservative with your Shovel Points, the risk of running out of Points while trying to uncover it is high. I would recommend Medium difficulty at the very least.
Discoverables
Skeletons must be completely uncovered to count for the achievement (ladders do not count).
Thank you, and , for the edit!
Discoverables can appear on any difficulty—and sometimes not at all. If you haven't seen any yet, don't fret; just keep digging! Thank you, and , for the edit!
Will add as we get more screenshots. If you have a screenshot without ropes to replace mine, I would be much obliged. Also in need of a Winged Skelly!
- Ghost - Size: 1 Tile
- Quentin Skull - Size: 1 Tile
Credit:
- Wizard Skull - Size: 2 Tiles
Credit:
- Kumos Skelly - Size: 2 x 2 Tiles
- Disco Skelly - Size: 2 x 3 Tiles
- Winged Skelly - Size: 2 x 3 Tiles
Credit:
- Mortiking Skeleton - Size: Approx. 6 x 6 Tiles
(To get the screenshot, I could not uncover it all the way. It is fairly large, so hopefully you discover it near the bottom. I would suggest clearing the skeleton horizontally and work your way down as the screen scrolls.)
Last edited: 4/27/2017
Regular Soil is free digs with Super Strength from what i see.. the Tombstone costs one dig with Super Strength
do you know how big or small the full mortiking is??
Thank you so much. I'll edit immediately. Looks like Super Strength subtracts 1 Shovel Point from each tile. How did I never notice this? I've played many times!
I can't remember off the top of my head how big each skeleton is. It's been a long time since I played the game. I'm looking to capture screenshots as I play, so I can add these.
If anyone has screenshots already, please feel free to share and I will add it above!
[=8] Thanks for the guide! I'm sure it will be helpful to many :)
I don't have a screenshot or remember exactly how big it is, but it is pretty big. Like it takes up almost the whole screen area when uncovered.
any tips to find skeletons? I've been trying for some time now and nothing... I try to dig in the center and to go to the sides a lot, but its not working
art by YURA
As far as I know it is completely random and based on luck, but maybe we'll notice some coincidences or pointers as we play more again.
Also, I'm not sure whether or not certain skeletons are limited to specific levels or not. It is something that must be tested to be sure.
To find the skeletons, it's just random when they show up. You have to try and conserve dig points though, especially for the mortiking. And you have to be fast and uncover them before they move up too high and you can't reach them anymore.
[=8] I'm pretty sure the skeletons are available on any level. I've seen all of them in easy mode so far except Quentin, who I haven't seen at all yet.
[=8] Thank you both! I'll keep trying
art by YURA
No problem, you'll probably have to play a lot of games to find all of them. But if you play enough, they'll show up eventually.
[=8] Also I saw you have mentioned to save 1 shovel point for the last row, but maybe you should amend that tip to save 1 shovel point to open the treasure chest at the end. I can confirm it won't let you open it if you're at 0 shovel points.
Done and done. Thank you so much. With help from users like you, this will be a fantastic guide for new and veteran players alike!
Do certain skeletons only show up at specific depths? I've been trying a strip-mining tactic that usually leaves me dead just before depth 100 and I'm wondering if it's a viable strategy.
I haven't noticed anything like that, they seem to just show up randomly. And I've found all of the skeletons except Quentin on the easy level which only goes to 64, so I don't think depth has anything to do with it.
[=8] Got a screenshot of the Wizard Skull for you. I've been trying to find the others, but they've been pretty elusive since I'm actually looking for them. :P
Wizard Skull
- Wizard Skull - Size: 2 Tiles
=8 I found Quentin!
Quentin Skull
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Fantastic and what a lucky find! I have yet to see one, myself. Thank you so much for the screenshot. Added the skull, credit to you, of course ^_^
I'll have to reacquaint myself with this game. Was a lot of fun when it first came out!
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Thanks for the guide :) The mortiking is going to be a pain to uncover @
2025 Stalacbite, Focused (7)
This One Looks Familiar Uncover the Winged Skelly in Gravedigger! i just got that one :D thank you for tips for the game :)
[kiss=jk1984]
I wasn't around when this game first came out, and I struggled a bit. But now I feel more confident after learning more from this guide (e.g. I never thought about getting the coin would take a shovel point, i'll pass on them from now on!), so thank you! :D Now where's my shovel, there are achievements to achieve! :)
This is super helpful, thanks! I wasn't around when the game was first added so this is my first day playing it and I really appreciate this info <3
