Fool's End
Rate itDig and smash through caves in a pixel-art mining game, with a daily challenge leaderboard.
on store.steampowered.com
Fool's End is a fast single-player mining game in pixel art. You dig and destroy everything in your path, dodge or outsmart monsters and break your way to the exit of each level. A Daily Challenge mode adds new levels every day and a Daily Leaderboard to compete on.
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 arrived in April 2024: each day one level is generated for everyone, and you score points by picking up gold and gems before you reach the exit. Your score goes to a daily leaderboard on Steam, and the day turns over at your own local midnight. The Steam leaderboard list shows daily boards from late April to mid August 2024 only, so the shared ranking looks quiet since then. In December 2024 the developer still 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
- Choose Daily Challenge from the menu.
- Dig through the ground with your pickaxe to make a path.
- Pick up gold and gems along the way: they are your score.
- Avoid or outsmart the monsters, and knock them into lava or bombs.
- Reach the exit to finish the day's level and see your score against other players.
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
Is there a daily challenge?
Yes. One level is generated each day for every player, scored by the gold and gems you collect, with a daily Steam leaderboard.
When does the daily level change?
At your own local midnight: the developer tied the Daily Challenge to each player's local date.
Who made it?
Alan Higgs, published by Pickled Cactus Games, in February 2024.
Which platforms?
Windows PC on Steam, with full controller support. It costs a few euros or dollars and has no ads.
Ratings and reviews
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