Diamond Dan

Interesting Concept, Lacking Excitement. Diamond Dan presents an intriguing idea, but unfortunately, it didn't manage to hold my attention. I found the gameplay to be somewhat lackluster and wouldn't recommend it wholeheartedly.

That being said, tastes differ, and what doesn't work for me might work for you. If you find the concept appealing, give it a try and see if it captures your interest. But be aware that it may not be as engaging as you might hope.

One of he first games I purchased on steam, back in 2010. It was fun at the time.

Unfortunately it does not support gamepads, and does not work on steamdeck. Menu inputs work but in-game inputs don't seem to work with steam input.

So I can't recommend it.

I think this has to be one of my favourite games of all time. Why can't you buy it on steam anymore?

Edit: I whined so hard on several of their social medias that they fixed it. Rejoice Australians! You can buy Diamond Dan again.

Considering the price it is definitely a worthy game if you like to go for the achievements.

genially idea, good playable, interesting graphics, only i can recommend this mini puzzle game.

This game is not so easy to master but once you get a hang of it, you will certainly feel like not to quit until the verdict. Ann and dan are presumably brothers and sisters or maybe girlfriend and boyfriend or maybe husband and wife or just random girl and boy. You only choose one player among them to proceed with the level, BUT its not the only difference. Both are poles apart in their powers (I don't call it power though or maybe characteristics) . So, Dan can push blocks in all directions if only that block isn't blocked by another block whereas An can hammer pick any block she encounters but only left and right. For the purpose of achievements, you have to be comfortable using both. You start the game on top of the tower, and with their powers, push or destroy blocks along the way to proceed all the way down the tower (Save points can become quite handy so get as much checkpoints you can) to pick the map and then the door , and then the next level. Easier said than done, but it becomes terrifyingly difficult and all those hidden traps may seem too frustrating. Honestly, after mid way of the game, I took about 100 turns per level to get done with one. So, you could imagine the amount of damage I did to my property and personal belongings out of rage of either dying just before finish and then going back to start or just dying over and over. Not just that, I picked all my hairs and now, I am as bald as Vin diesel. I found this game the most difficult I ever played but equally enjoyable on the other side.

Dan and Ann, the Diamond Clan!

PROS: The game is quite simple to control, and pretty much lays everything out right away. Hit detection is almost always spot on, allowing one to dodge blocks and traps fairly easily. There's a fair number of stages, raising the challenge in an appropriate curve.

CONS: As the game presents everything right away, it leaves little to the imagination as the stages progress, simply becoming longer and more difficult. The hit boxes on moving traps is the only real frustration, as it can be difficult to judge as they change locations.

ACHIEVEMENTS: A balanced list of simple tasks and more intuitive puzzles that can force you to think carefully on how you want to play a stage. The one exception is a single achievement that requires 3 of your friends to both have owned and played this game, something not too common with a game this old.

FINAL: A fun little brain twister, even coming back years later to complete the achievement list. It has it's ups and downs, but overall, it's worth a look, especially with it's current price.

For a platform/puzzle game I give this a 8/10.

Animations 5/10, sort of slow.

Sounds 2/10.

Music 10/10 great theme. Was definately mae for this sort of game. Mario-ish, and yet sort of creepy like Pitfall 2.

Controller support, 0/10 You need Xpadder or Padstar.

I realize that it is one of my favourite games on Steam. I didn't play it as much as some other games, but I think they made something timeless. I love the pace, the gameplay, the traps, the fact that every tower is randomly generated. It's the kind of game you could play anytime when you got no idea what to play else. It is very enjoyable to any kind of player I think, as there are 4 difficulty modes (easy is a strall if you just want to play it cool, normal gives you a fluid pace yet asks the player to stay alert, hard adds tension and adrenaline, and nightmare is for masochistics but stays fun despite being unfair sometimes, thanks to the checkpoints). I think what I like the most is that the gameplay is very simple (move, jump, push, use), but as the blocs of the tower are always moving and changing, the playground is modified every couple of seconds and it forces the player to be watchful. This transforms the game into something that is not only a puzzle game, but also an action/platformer game, and if everything is ruled by simple mechanics, all things piled together makes for something complex and satisfactory for the player.

Decent puzzle game nothing special. There is not enough bad with it for me to not recommend but there are better things you could spend your money on. If I could give this a neutral rating I would.

I didn’t really know what to expect with Diamond Dan. For whatever reason, this game always caught my eye whenever it became discounted during the big steam sales. So I finally picked it up. Lo and behold, the game isn’t terrible. It’s not even half bad. It may be one of the uglier ducklings of the bunch, but underneath a lacking appearance is a surprisingly entertaining puzzle-lite platformer.

Each level is comprised of a cubic tower, itself filled with constantly shifting cubes that you must traverse to reach the bottom. You have the option of two playable characters, the first being able to move nearby blocks, whilst the other can outright destroy them at the expense of losing the ability to double-jump. While the beginning levels contain little challenge, further levels become longer, and introduce new types of traps that become increasingly difficult to avoid, both due to your own incompetence and slow transitioning speed of the screen while you transfer between the different sides of each tower.

The platforming itself is tight, and it’s satisfying leaping between booby trapped walls and floors. There is no time limit to each level, and your performance in each is based on how many jewels and coins you can collect, all of which add to your end score. Activating and narrowly escaping traps goes towards earning a score multiplier, though aside from leaderboard and achievement junkies, there’s no real incentive to pursue higher scores beyond personal gratification. However, there are higher difficulties, and beating each earns you a shinier medal, so that provides some longevity for those who enjoy a challenge.

I’ve actually enjoyed what I’ve played of DD. Visually, it can be pretty unappealing, especially the character models, though the in-game aesthetic looks alright, if a bit dated. One thing I am fond of is the menu; it’s all set up at a desk, with each option being one of a series of items lying on it. Your view follows your cursor, so it’s almost like you’re actually sitting at the desk, and it’s neat to see things added to it after you complete each level. It’s a nice touch, and it adds a bit of charm to the experience.

Diamond Dan is surprisingly alright, given its budget price and lack of fanfare. It may be lacking visually, but the gameplay is tight and even challenging in later levels and on higher difficulties. It’s not terribly long, and can likely be beaten in several short hours, either on a lazy afternoon, or as a break between larger adventures. I wouldn’t call it a diamond in the rough, but after a few strokes from a shirt sleeve, even this jewel shows off a modest gleam.

A prime example of when an indie game shines in the less is more style... And for some odd reason this reminds me of Montezuma's Revenge... And the funny part is, these two games are different...

Does this warrant a purchase? Most definitely... Try it you won’t be disappointed.

Diamond Dan is a quality indie platformer / puzzler hybrid that's whole family friendly. You are Dan and Ann and you are Indiana Jones style archeologist explorers in search of treasure and adventure.

You explore temples across the globe. As you make your way down to the bottom of each, you need to be smart about planning a route and you need to use quick reflexes to avoid various pitfalls.

Each temple is made up of blocks that can drop, push, crush, block, burn, jab, drown, and snatch you. The movement and spawning of the blocks differ with each playthrough and each continent provides its own look and feel for the temples. Dan can shove blocks and Ann can break them with her pickaxe; providing two distinct gameplay styles.

The difficulty ramps up smoothly and prepares you well for the chaos inside the later temples. There are also checkpoint style doors located at various depths. Great Steam achievements. OS X and Windows.

A interesting little game I guess, not too much to say about it as I got it with a bunch of other games for cheap. The blocks constantly move around, some are trapped and others give out gems or coins, though I've yet to find out what to use them for besides scores.

I'd only recommend this if you just want a simple game with no complex story or gameplay, just something to pass the time.

Diamond Dan is a puzzle platformer based more on quick reflexes than logic. You must descend towers of ever-shifting blocks to find a map at the bottom and escape. Sounds simple, but you can be crushed or thrown from the tower, and many of the blocks contain traps such as water or spike pits, projectiles, or enemies living inside the walls who will pull you to your death. Checkpoints are created by opening shortcuts with keys.

Traps can be triggered without harming yourself, if you do it quickly, and doing so rewards you by increasing your multiplier, which adds to the value of any treasure you pick up. Your score at the end of the level is then multiplied based on the difficulty you're playing on. Difficulty affects density of traps and how quickly the blocks shift (it can get insane) and can be changed at will for any level.

You can play as Dan (pushes blocks) or Ann (shatters blocks) on any level and there are separate leaderboards for each. Friend and global leaderboards and tons of achievements.

I loved this game, the achievements could've been a bit harder, I only needed ~19 hours to get them all, but the game is really fun. Though I played with Ann a lot more than Dan.

This was a fun game. Got it during a huge Steam sale, but there's a lot of content for $10. It took me about 4-5 hours to beat on medium difficulty. The game involves reaching the bottom of the cave or whatever it is while collecting treasure and avoiding different traps. You traverse square blocks that move around. Basically, it was fun to play while I had no internet. Not a great game, but if you want something different than shooting everything that moves, I recommend it.

A strange game. My first reaction, after playing for an hour or so, is that the game is, well, bland. There's only one goal for each level and that's to find a scroll and then get to the exit.

There's no charm to it and the random levels and sluggish platforming provide more frustration than delight. Worth the $1 I paid for it in the Xmas sale.

Another great game from the indie genre. A nice and unique platformer. Indie fans you should check this out!

Surprisingly fun. Sort of like Indianna Jones meets Cube meets Bejewelled.