by Since Shovel Knight’s original release in 2014, Yacht Club Games’ 2D adventure title has since blossomed into a bona fide franchise thanks to the inclusion of spin-off titles Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon and Shovel Knight Dig. The latter is the latest release from the franchise and is now available on the Switch eShop. be sure to check out our full review for all our thoughts on the roguelite platformer.
Of course, in addition to the three downloadable story campaigns for Shovel Knight, the introduction of Shovel Knight Dig means that the overall narrative and lore for the franchise has also expanded significantly. It begs the question: when does Shovel Knight Dig take place and what is the full schedule of Shovel Knight?
Well, we spoke to Yacht Club Game Marketing Manager Celia Schilling to get some much needed answers. We delve into the aforementioned timeline of Shovel Knight, the Hexcavators and the Order of No Quarter, and the stories of Mole Knight and Tinker Knight.
Nintendo Life: Since Specter of Torment was also a prequel to Shovel of Hope, where exactly does Shovel Knight Dig fit in?
Celia Schilling, Marketing Manager, Yacht Club: Historically, Shovel Knight Dig is the first game in the Shovel Knight series. This makes it a prequel that takes place even before Specter of Torment! You might remember the intro line from the first Shovel Knight game – “Long ago, the lands were unbound and roamed by legendary adventurers.” Well, Dig takes you back to those good old days when Shovel Knight and Shield Knight quested together, fighting villains and searching for treasure! We hope fans will be interested in playing out the events leading up to the original saga.
Aside from the obvious fact that they are new creations for this game, is there a canonical reason why the new knights weren’t in Order of No Quarter?
First up is Drill Knight, the leader of the Hexcavators – as a renowned criminal mastermind, he’d likely see the Order’s job as an entry point. Besides… once he formed the team for Dig, I’m sure he learned that being part of a bigger team means a smaller share of the riches.
As for Scrap Knight, Hive Knight, and Spore Knight, they likely have their reasons for not joining the Order later down the line – reasons you’ll discover by playing Dig! Regardless, I don’t think the Enchantress would appreciate all the junk, trash, and stents littering the Tower of Fate.
Conversely, is there a reason the other members of the Order of No Quarter didn’t join the Hexcavators?
Hmmm, normal reason? They haven’t met yet! Specter Knight is still Donovan! Well, he’ll be doing thieving things with Luan in the land of the living. Treasure Knight is busy being a pirate. King Knight is still freeloading at his mom’s house eating pies etc. You might learn more at Dig…
As developers, Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove already featured the story of Plague Knight, Specter Knight, and King Knight. While creating Shovel Knight Dig, we wanted to highlight some other members of the Order! From there it was a process of elimination. Propeller Knight flies in the sky, so there’s no point in being underground. Maybe the Polar Knight was too toasty underground… and so on. We chose Mole Knight specifically because we thought it was really funny to change his outfit to a different element. His internal name was “Aqua Mole Knight” for the longest time. Maybe in the next game, he’ll have an electric or grass themed suit! As for Tinker Knight, the tiny tech assassin fit the bill. All heists need brains behind brains! We are sure to introduce more of our colorful characters at some point in the future. Who do you think would be fun to see next?
How will this game dig into the stories of both Mole Knight and Tinker Knight since they’re both Hexcavators at this point?
Shovel Knight Dig gave us a chance to understand who Tinker Knight and Mole Knight are as characters. Tinker Knight has signed with Hexcavators as an engineer! The little engineer found interest in their interesting problems to solve underground. Mole Knight, on the other hand, joined the team after being charmed by Drill Knight’s prowess in the tunnel! We don’t want to spoil too much, so you’ll have to play the game to learn more about the deep interpersonal dynamics of the Hexcavators!
Many thanks to Celia Schilling for taking the time to chat with us. Shovel Knight Dig is out now on the Nintendo Switch eShop priced at $24.99 / £22.49.
