Dig to Escape beginner guide
Dig down, sell everything to the seller inmate for Rolls, take the free lunch at the cafeteria, and bank 25 Rolls for the shovel before buying anything else. Close your own cell door before the night guard starts his rounds.
The first hour, phase by phase
A Dig to Escape day runs on a clock in the corner: morning, lunch, afternoon, then night with the guard. The shape of a first session, phase by phase:
| Phase | What you do | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Dig the floor, pick up whatever drops, mind your energy bar | An empty bar digs nothing — eat before you run dry |
| Lunch | Take the free meal from the cafeteria chef | One meal a day; spend energy first |
| Afternoon | Sell, buy the next shovel, keep digging | The trade inmates restock daily |
| Night | Close your cell door and keep digging inside | The guard patrols the halls — caught outside, the run ends |
Energy and food
Digging drains energy; an empty bar digs nothing. Refill it three ways:
- The free lunch at the cafeteria, once a day. It is the cheapest full refill in the game.
- Food from the trade inmates — chicken legs, pizza, apples — a handful of Rolls each. Buy two or three while waiting on a tool.
Rolls and the seller
Everything you dig up sells. Rarity colours the payout — a common plate is pocket change, a legendary gold bar is a windfall — and the seller inmate by the cafeteria buys it all, no haggling. Two habits pay for themselves immediately:
- Sell every trip back up. A full sack is dead weight; an empty one asks to be filled.
- Never dig straight past an item. The floor regenerates per run, so a skipped item is genuinely lost.
Your first purchases, in order
Buy in this order — each line makes the next cheaper:
| Order | Buy | Price | Why it comes first |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shovel | 25 Rolls | Doubles dig speed on the second layer; pays for itself in one lap |
| 2 | Spatula | 45 Rolls | Required for the next dirt layer |
| 3 | Trowel | 80 Rolls | Covered later layers, including rock — this is the last mandatory tool |
| 4 | Storage upgrade | a few dozen Rolls | Fewer trips, faster Rolls — buy from the trade inmates |
| 5 | Dynamite | a few dozen Rolls | One charge opens rock pockets fast |
That ladder costs 150 Rolls in the tools alone. Food and the odd dynamite come after — never before.
Night rules
- Close your own cell door before the guard reaches it. He does not open it, and he cannot see you digging behind it.
- Stay out of other cells. He does check those — plenty of runs end hiding in the wrong room.
- The vent beside your cell connects to the sellers' side without crossing a hallway. It is the only safe way to shop at night.
Five mistakes that end runs early
- Buying food first and the shovel last — the shovel is the income.
- Digging a one-block needle straight down — side pockets carry the good loot.
- Attempting an ending before 200 Rolls. The keypad routes want a keycard; dig money first.
Where to go next
Ready to leave? The all-endings comparison picks the route for your budget.
