Gold Mining Simulator

This game is awful. I mean beyond terrible. It says I played 21 hours. WRONG. I must have left it on pause or something. I played less than an hours. Terrible.

Very interesting game, Lot of thought and work went into this. Well made. Fun challange , goal to make $$

Unfortunately, never got into the game, the excavator has a sticking point that makes the game unplayable.

That wretched machine is suppose to be the main focus on the game and the arm cant support the machine to help move it around and the scoop cant affect dirt unless you get its fiddly physics to dig by getting the scoop at just the right angle or whatever. Then when you do get the scoop full it gets stuck in the dirt and to free it you have to dump the dirt. AAAHHHHHH!

overall its a mess, I mean its pay to win the way the DLCs are and they dont fix the digging mechanics.

It's a good game for what it is. It doesn't take a huge amount of time to get all the equipment to mine on a large scale, but does take an allot of time to get most of the good DLC stuff (which sucks - I pay real money to buy it, then it takes a massive amount of time & game money to buy them again in the game). So if you buy Gold Mining Simulator, don't worry about the DLC stuff until you progress in the game.

And the game takes a massive amount of time to progress through all the different dig sites, so you'll get your monies worth with game-time buying this game.

On a side note, I totally dislike having to wait 5-7 mins of real time for the blacksmith to smelt my gold into bars. Yes realistic, but totally boring beyond belief. I seriously hope they don't do it again in GMS 2. Make it an option to turn on/off.

This game is so much fun!

DLC for equipment? Lame.

"rEmOVe mINeR gRiLL" How about not glitch out every new save i try, and if Im doing it wrong put some better damn directions

Fun until you get to heavy equipment. They are hard to operate and inconvenient

the game idea is great but the game itself is poorly made

This is an old game, so it has its flaws and didn't age very well (the chunk loading, weird driving, what to do with a gold bar once you have one). But that being said, it is a classic simulator game and some features were really great for the time. You have to shop your material, replacing parts, etc. No gaz? well, you gonna walk! Very relaxing to play somehow (even though some mechanics may be a little hard to get use too). Mining Simulator 2 is on the way. Very excited for that. Will be there for sure

Yeah the game is pretty good graphics are kinda mid but its a decent game with an overall good progression system even if its a little slow at first I am now at tier 2 and I can say it gets far better as you go on.

I have been playing this game for years. I still love it

the controls/power and mechanic of the excavator alone makes me cry in pain. horrible wate of time

cool game, weird mechanics but good machine controls, missing multiplayer for sure!

great game! having a total blast mining away!

Oh... close to 500hours already? Man time sure flies by, eh?
Okay. Time to review this old hunkajunk.

If you want to play a game to relax and enjoy digging up dirt, you won't find anything better. Neither older nor younger than this game. Period.

Buuuuuut, let's hop into our usual process:


We start with Graphics!

Does it look breathtaking and stunning?
Weeeell... yes, in a sense it does. If you expect a title this old to be on par with current gen GPU eyecandy, it sure will take away your breath while you gasp in horror.

For real, way back when it released, it looked pretty decent and even today it looks acceptable.
Sure, you see that it's old but so what? It IS an old game.
You play minecraft and enjoy looking at clunky cubes but complain over seeing edges in another game? Get lost, now will ya.

For how old it is it gets a solid 3/5 Stars in this department.


Next... next... Sound!

Do you love big machines? Yes? Well, you will enjoy them good over here.
Turning the excavator, digging up the dirt, scraping the ground with the teeth of it's bucket, it is all well enough designed to keep you diggin on with glee.
Ambient sounds are okayish, too.

The sounds of the working washplants and water are excellent, albeit too loud if you're too close to them while working.
Well, one could argue "Well, duh! Standing next to a jackhammer IS loud, no?" and indeed, it is a minor grape mostly due to dreaded realism! haha! didn't see that one coming in a simulator.

taking the age into account again...
4/5 Stars.


Off we go tooooo GAMEPLAY!!!

I have a glas of diiiirt! I have a glas of diiiirt!
Jack would jump in endless joy for sure.
The Dirtmechanics are top notch. There are a few problems with how the different layers of dirt work if you dig from the ground up and I dunno if the gripes with that ever got fixed, but overall despite loosing some of the gold because of it, terrain deformation, dirt transport etc all are god damn good.
I mean... I shovelled megatons of dirt for almost 500 hours by now so trust me, It either is god damn marverllous or I'm a bonafide Masochist.
Or both? You'll never know *grin*

Besides playing around with dirt... well... that's it. It is a dig around in dirt and get Gold Simulator. There's nothing else to simulate.

The Machines work, the mechanics how the machines work are implemented well and albeit a tad bit tedious at times, the process of refining your paydirt into a sellable Goldbar over several Steps in between still feels rewarding after millions of times doing it.

Yupp, I'm doing it. Stop screaming, I'm doing it!

5/5 Stars! For what it claims to be and do, no other game reached a comparable good feeling about it. Yet!


Last but not least: BUGSSSSSSSS! *insert meme here*

Let's be honest folks.
Yes, the game is plagued by some bugs and those are like cockroaches. Is it bad for a several years old game to have bugs since ancient times plagueing it? yes.
But, to it's defense, the game went through several hands by now.
The new Devs try their best to mitigate what they can in a spaghetti code not even the original writer ever wanted to touch again after the game made it into a working version somehow.

So... I give the new Devs 3/5 Stars for their effort to straddle through this code swamp they didn't even produced and bring some QoL and Bugfixes as best they can, while working on the Successor with hopefully better maintained code and features.


Where does that leave us overall?

Well, The game is the best gold mining simulator out there. No pun intended.
It is old, clunky and not without bugs even after all its years in existence, but if you love mining, it is the undefeated King in its field.

We settle at not fully 4/5 Stars.

It is almost constant in a sale nowadays so go and get it.
If you encounter a bug, shrug it off. Happens and compared to current AAA Games, this old clunker is way less bugridden, then those abominations the big publishers call Releases anyways.

the fps is so bad but the game is so gd i like it

Very fun game it has its ups n dwns but so do all games but overall not bad

Ever wanted to ruin pristine landscapes for shiny rocks without going to jail? Then boy, do I have a simulator for you.

Gold Mining Simulator is that weirdly relaxing blend of digging, driving, and desperately hoping the gold scanner isn’t lying again. You’ll shovel dirt, rinse gravel, run machines, and question your life choices after spending 45 minutes lining up a sluice box.

The graphics are solid, the mechanics are surprisingly deep, and there’s something hypnotic about watching gold flakes swirl in the pan. Bonus points for the sheer satisfaction of finally finding a chunky nugget after hours of digital sweat.

✅ Feeds your inner prospector
✅ Machinery chaos = fun
✅ Legitimately educational if you ever want to mine in real life (why tho?)
❌ Your virtual bank account will cry. So will your patience.

Final Verdict:
10/10 – Made me want to buy a pickup truck and scream “THAR’S GOLD IN THEM HILLS!”

This is a simple and relaxing game. Could use more detail. Would also like to see some underground mines and more mining areas. But it is still a great relaxing game.

I really like the game play and how you have to connect so many things but id love tho this game was multiplayer.

Pros:
- Fun game mechanics
- Relaxing
- Satisfying

Cons:
- No multiplayer
- Kinda lonely game-play
- No NPC (Would not count if there was multiplayer)

It a fun game i like it has some bugs but the mining is fun i love it

i mean its alright, looking forward to the second one

It is a perfect balance of feeling like you are making so much progress but then being quickly humbled lol. It is somehow relaxing but stressful at the same time. Cant wait for a #2 to come out!

This game is a solid proof of concept, graphics aren't the best and this would be forgivable if it ran half as well as My Summer Car with similar graphics quality, however the intermittent game world loading is clunky. FPS dips are awful and I run a 4090 and 9800X3D. I gold pan IRL and this is the closest to the real thing you can get until GMS2 comes out. this game is better for simulating the whole mining process than Out of Ore which plays more like minecraft or planet crafter if thats what you're looking for and willing to put up with the bugs, if not stand by for the sequel.

Very realistic and diffuclt in the beginning,but when you get a hang of it, it is awesome and relaxing to play.Just watch the gold rush series and it will make you play this game

If you're a fan of realistic simulation games, Gold Mining Simulator is a must-play experience. This game offers an immersive and detailed look into the world of gold mining, allowing players to operate heavy machinery, refine techniques, and manage resources efficiently. The game does an excellent job of replicating real-world gold mining, from digging and panning to processing and selling gold. The attention to detail makes every step feel rewarding. You get to use different mining equipment, from excavators and bulldozers to wash plants and drilling rigs. Mastering these machines is both challenging and satisfying.

fun game alot of realistic qualities!

Love this game can't wait for gold mining 2

Tons of bugs and poor optimization.

Hope the NEW ONE is better this is so bad cables snap you fly 100 feet one way and your item fly's the other takes 4 hours to set up your mine just to mine worst set up ever played on any game ever no upgrades for pick ups other then skin nothing should take 10 hours real time to set up just to play so many glitches for a game that should be relaxing I'm going back to farming sim thought this would be cool to play do to the show.
STAY AWAY FROM THIS GAME WAIT FOR NUMBER 2

This is a great game from 2017. It has a bit of a learning curve but pretty easy once you get going. It's in need of a 2025 upgrade and multi-player but that's what we are getting with Gold Mining simulator 2. This is always on sale and the DLCs are worth it.

This game will require a grind so if you expect to have millions of dollars after one cleanout, you might want to go play something else. It's pretty much everything you could ask for in a gold mining simulator, minus some extra help from your friends!

Trying to upgrade from a tier 3 to tier 4 wash plant has me ready to quit the game entirely.
All that time and effort just to have the "strongest cables" constantly snap like twine while trying to move around all the other pieces just remove a shaker, trommel and two jigs AND then haul in the new stuff and reconnect it all isn't worth it. Should have a sell or reset button like the vehicles do. Upgrading should be an exciting mechanic. Not one that is so arduous and touchy that you don't even want to play because you loathe the idea. FFS Devs.. What an oversight.

I just can't believe that I paid money for this game. I like games that are a little realistic, but this is on another level—you need to go through 20 steps just to pick up a bucket! And why do I have to drive for 6 minutes every time I want to buy or sell something? Unbelievable. Plus, the bugs and graphic glitches make it even worse.

i recommend this to the ppl with no live 4/10

OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH my god this game is so good i have decided to set up a gold mining company and annexed my neighbours pond to pan for gold. Brillant game looking forward to playing this game for a long time to come.

very fun i was playing for 20 hours and didnt notice i would recomend mini machines and orange beast dlc s

Me personally i would say it is a very good game you are out in Alaska you can have it to where you can have everything $1 but you need to be on beginer. but overall it is a very good game for starting from scratch and build up.

Wish I never found and spent money on it. Poorly made game, waste of time and money.

graphics look like cod 1 even on ultra, tutorial broken all to hell, would be fun if the tutorial missions didn't get stuck and stop me from progressing, im not a gold miner IRL, idk how these machines work, i need a functioning tutorial AT LEAST

game still sux can't even start the P.O.S. pickup to get going !!!!!have no time for this game, going back to farm sim, WHERE EVERYTHING WORKS AND YOU KNOW HOW TO USE THE EQUIPMENT. THIS IS WHY I QUIT THIS GAME BEFORE..TOOOOOOOOO MUCH BS

great game i really like it i grew up around big machines on a coal mine so i really like it i have alwaysloved heavy equitment always will also has some cool machine skins for caterpillar would recomend

it is ok, but the eqipments mechanics and the way they are handling different terrain is totally dogshit. i almost threw my mouse into the screen because i got stuck i some pebbles for an hour. the only thing drivable is the starter car.

this game overall is good, but for beginner is quiet hard, because lack of hint what things must to do

Tedious and not very fun. Needs massive QOL changes to be at all fun.

i love the idea of this game but, would be better to have a mutiplayer

realy fun to play, even though its a little grindy and kinda hard to run for my laptop. (I have to say i miss the game being called "gold rush: the game" ): )

I hit play and was overwhelmed and exited. didn't even try it. This is not user friendly.

Had the sudden urge to play Gold Rush after 7 years, learned it's now Gold Mining Simulator, installed it, played it for half an hour and voila, still the same shit as 7 years ago.
Graphics look like CoD 1, not on lowest settings but on ultra, gameplay is still janky and repetitive which is not up my alley and I love Factorio, and bugs got better but it still has them: it went from getting your pickup stuck and reaching 7.7 million km/h (look in my screenshots, shit was whacky) down to put stuff X in Y and X cant go into Y, but its still anoying.
So in short: get yourself the series for the same prize and have more fun laying on the couch watching that

Very good game. Definitely needs better optimization, but overall the game is solid and simply enjoyable. Also, the premium downloadable content in my opinion is good and priced fairly.

The gameplay is great, graphics are decent only issue is preformance.