Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope

Each stage is a side-scrolling course. Jump between platforms, swing the Shovel Blade to hit an enemy or break a dirt pile, and press down while airborne to bounce off a target. The map links stages, villages and other stops. Gold can buy helpful upgrades, while Relics are extra tools powered by magic. The top of the game screen tells you how much gold, magic and life you have. Checkpoints let you restart further into a stage after a fall; breaking one gives treasure but removes that safety point. If a stage feels too hard, a better route is often to keep the checkpoint and spend gold on life or magic first. Our linked beginner guide shows these parts of the screen and explains the first actions step by step.

Yacht Club Games first released Shovel Knight on June 26, 2014 for Windows PC, Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. The original campaign is now called Shovel of Hope so it is easier to tell apart from later campaigns. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is a collection that includes Shovel of Hope and other stories; Shovel Knight Dig and Pocket Dungeon are separate games. This profile uses the official Shovel of Hope cover, not a Treasure Trove cover, and its gallery shows the actual game, map and village.