ActionFit check
Is SHOVELBOY worth it for you?
We tell you who should skip it, too.
Play it if you…
Good fit- Retro platformer fans who want compact, predefined stages
- Speedrunners seeking timed levels and leaderboard competition
- Players who enjoy jumping challenges with limited lives and rising difficulty
Skip it if you…
Saves you a refund- Players seeking exploration across large or open-ended areas
- Players who prefer forgiving progression instead of lives, hazards, and restarts
- Players looking for role-playing systems, character development, or branching choices
Our take on SHOVELBOY
Every stage contains one shovel that opens the route forward, making the fixed 21-level sequence a timed race built around collecting a single item per level.
What is SHOVELBOY?
SHOVELBOY is a retro-style platformer with 21 small, predefined levels.
Each level contains one shovel, which opens the way to the next stage. Players start each new game with three lives and can lose them by falling into spikes or being hit by enemies. One mode allows the run to continue after all three lives are lost; the other sends the player back to the beginning. The game also includes a timer, a speedrun leaderboard, double jumping, five platform types, and three enemy behaviors.
How SHOVELBOY plays
- 01Two Game Modes
- One mode permits continuation after all three lives are lost, while the other requires restarting from the beginning.
- 02Platform Variety
- Levels use solid, breakable glass, rectangular, vertically moving, and horizontally moving platforms.
- 03Enemy Behaviors
- Opponents include randomly moving enemies, fixed shooters, and enemies that follow the player.
- 04Speedrun Tracking
- A built-in timer records run times for comparison on a leaderboard.
Games like SHOVELBOY
Action
ActionHot Dog Reporter
Exquisite Trash ClubFor:Platformer fans who want short stages built around speed and movementSkip if:Players seeking a finished, large-scale adventure rather than 12 current linear levels
ActionAngry Penguin
PAIN PEPPERFor:Platformer fans who want demanding obstacle coursesSkip if:Players seeking a forgiving platformer, since the standard game is presented as very difficult
ActionRobot-X
Isaac KasdorfFor:Fans of retro platform shooters who want boss battles and speedrun attemptsSkip if:Players seeking an elaborate story may find the plot too simplePicked by overlapping fit notes and genres, not an editorial comparison.
SHOVELBOY: platforms & release
Is SHOVELBOY worth it?
It is worth it if: retro platformer fans who want compact, predefined stages. Skip it if: players seeking exploration across large or open-ended areas.
Where can I download SHOVELBOY?
Use the Download Now button on this page: it opens SHOVELBOY's store page, where you can choose how to get it.
What platforms is SHOVELBOY on?
Windows only.
