Fool's End

About Fool's End

Fool's End was made by Alan Higgs and published by Pickled Cactus Games on Steam in February 2024. You play an underdressed miner with a pickaxe in caves of rock, ice and lava. Almost everything can be broken, so each level is a puzzle of what to dig through, what to leave standing and how not to bring the cave down on yourself, at a quick, risky pace. The campaign has over 35 hand-made levels across several biomes, with boss fights and time trials.

The Daily Challenge mode was added after launch and gives new levels every day, with a Daily Leaderboard where you compete against other players' high scores. In December 2024 the developer patched an issue that stopped Daily Challenge leaderboards sharing scores, and the one-year post in February 2025 named the mode as a main addition. A Level Editor lets you build and play your own levels.

The developer's next game, Fool's Metal, was announced in August 2026. Fool's End suits players who like short, destructive platform puzzles and chasing a daily score.

How to play Fool's End

1. Choose Daily Challenge from the menu.
2. Dig through the ground with your pickaxe to make a path.
3. Avoid or outsmart the monsters in each cave.
4. Reach the exit as quickly and cleanly as you can.
5. Post your score and see where you rank on the Daily Leaderboard.

Screenshots

Tips

• Look before you dig: breaking the wrong block can drop you into lava or onto enemies.
• Learn the campaign levels first; the daily levels use the same tools and hazards.
• Speed matters for score, but a careful route beats a fast death.
• Use the level editor to practise tricky moves.

Questions