Dig Tunnel Screensaver
The Dig Tunnel screensaver is a self-playing, attract-mode tribute to the classic underground-digging arcade genre. It is free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.
Live preview
Press ESC to leave fullscreen. Settings are saved in your browser only.
How the Dig Tunnel screensaver works
A self-piloted digger tunnels through a grid of earth, clearing paths as it goes.
Pursuing creatures chase through the cleared tunnels; loosened rocks periodically fall to clear them.
The pace gradually escalates, exactly like the arcade original's wave-based difficulty curve.
All art and names here are original, in the spirit of the genre rather than a copy of any one game.
The idea behind Dig Dug
Dig Tunnel borrows from Dig Dug, an arcade game developed by Namco and released in 1982: in Japan in February, in North America (published by Atari, Inc.) from April, and in Europe in April. It was planned and designed by Masahisa Ikegami, with help from Shigeru Yokoyama, creator of Galaga. Unlike many arcade games of its day, where the maze was fixed, the player makes the maze by digging through packed earth, so the shape of the level changes with every move.
In the original, you defeat underground monsters by inflating them with an air pump until they burst, or by dropping rocks on them. The monsters can turn into ghostly eyes that pass through dirt; in that form they are slowed, invulnerable and unable to attack, and they become solid again when they reach open space. One enemy type, the Fygar, breathes fire and can burn the player.
The risk-reward loop is what makes the genre work: digging away from enemies gives you control, but trapping yourself in a dead end leaves you exposed. The self-playing digger here follows the spirit of that idea with original characters rather than Namco’s.
A worked example
A pursuing creature is caught beneath a falling rock just as it enters a narrow tunnel, clearing the path for the digger to continue.
Settings & tips
- Accent recolours the digger and tunnels.
- Runs in self-playing attract mode, like a classic arcade cabinet's demo screen.
- Original art and names — an homage, not a copy.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I play this myself?
- It runs in self-playing attract mode, like a classic arcade cabinet between games.
- Is this an official game?
- No — it is an original tribute inspired by the classic underground-digging arcade genre.
- Is a key needed?
- No — it runs entirely locally.
- Is it free?
- Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
- Why can the creatures cross solid earth?
- In the original they can turn into ghostly eyes that move through dirt. While in that form they are slowed, cannot attack and cannot be hurt, and they turn solid again when they reach open space.
- Who made the original Dig Dug?
- Namco developed it and released it in 1982. Masahisa Ikegami planned and designed it, with help from Shigeru Yokoyama, creator of Galaga.