This walkthrough assumes you are familiar with operating the game's user interface.
The Dig is not a completely linear game, so this walkthrough is only one order of events while others will also lead to a successful game completion.
An asteroid is on a collision course with Earth. A space shuttle has been commissioned to take Commander Boston Low and his crew to the asteroid to try to prevent the impact. The plan is for the landing party to place nuclear explosive devices on the surface of the asteroid that will redirect its course.
Player control of Boston Low begins on the shuttle when it has arrived at a short distance from the asteroid.
Call Miles on the PenUltimate and ask about the flying pig.
Miles deploys the flying pig. Click on the pig and Boston will take it down to the surface of the asteroid.
Open the flying pig and take the zero-g digger, explosive unit alpha, explosive unit beta, and shovel. Put them in the inventory.
Call up Borden on the PenUltimate and ask him about the nuclear explosive.
Head over to quadrant 2. Clear the target site with the zero-g digger. Then plant explosive unit alpha on the dirt.
Call Borden and ask about the nuclear explosive again. Head for quadrant 3. Use the shovel to remove the boulder. Plant explosive charge beta.
Call Borden and ask once again about the explosive change. Use the arming key to arm the explosive in quadrant 3. Return to quadrant 2 and arm the explosive charge there.
Call Borden to make sure there is nothing more to do, and return to the shuttle. Call Borden one last time and talk to him about the nuclear explosion.
Congratulations! Enjoy your success so far!
You now find yourself at the start of a tunnel. Look at the metallic plate. So the mission is a little more complex than you thought, eh?
Look at the odd projections. Use the zero-g digger on each of the odd projections. Push each of the three metal plates you uncovered. Go down the dark tunnel.
Go over to the pedestal. Pick up the four metal plates and place them in the bottom, right, top and left slots here.
Look at the sky and take a note of the large moon and distant moon. Exit to the canyon and go to the clearing.
From the clearing screen, go to the rightmost '?'. Then return to the clearing. Go the '?' nearest the top of the screen. Use the shovel on the grave and take the tusk. Pick up the jaw bone.
Return to the clearing, and go to the last '?'. Look at both engines then enter the wreck. Open the chest and take the device. Pull the hanging wire and notice the result. Take the wire. Pick up the engraved rod.
Leave the wreck and return to the dais. Use the device and it will point to the dirt ramp. Go to the dirt ramp and use the device again. Use the shovel on the small mound and get the bracelet from the hole.
Return to the dais and use the shovel on the small hole. Brink takes over and falls through the hole.
Maggie and Boston climb down to Brink. Brink is dead. Then Maggie decides they should explore separately and leaves.
Pick up the shovel. Pick up the plate.
Noting the sealed doors, panels, dark tunnel and ramp, go left until you find a purple engraved rod. Take it and look at it and make a note of the symbols.
Continue left back to Brink's body. Look at the alcove and place the plate on the bottom.
Go down the ramp and access the panel. You have to pick up the unattached lens and place it in its proper position. To do this, enter the following sequence: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, purple, orange (take lens), blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, blue, orange (drop lens). This modified picture of the panel with the proper sequence displayed will make this easier to set up.
When you have the proper sequence displayed, push the triangular button. This turns the power on. Remove the loose plate and take the blue crystal.
Go the panel immediately to the left of the dark tunnel and enter the combination of the purple engraved rod on the panel. This should open the door. Go through the door.
Go through the door and push the button on the structure marked as '?'. This is a tram call, and one arrives in response. Board the tram and enjoy the ride!
When Boston leaves the tram, take the path up the spire. When you get to the strange device, examine it. Hold down the pentagonal switch on the display as a line is drawn on the display. When you exit the display, you will see a bright light. Walk over the bright light to the crystal form. Return to the spire across the light bridge.
Go through to the interior of the spire and you will encounter a place identified as the museum. Take the glowing crystals and the tablet. Check out all the displays here.
Take the red engraved rod.
Go through the door and you will meet up with Maggie! She is in a sort of library. Maggie is making progress and doesn't want to be disturbed, so look at the consoles here, then leave.
Return to the tram and enter it to return to the nexus.
Go over to Brink's body and use the glowing crystals on him. Brink is revived and feels somewhat different.
Return to the museum spire, though the open door and via the tram. Open the weakened door.
Put the life crystals in the inventory and pick up the canister.
Head outside and down to the water. Watch the interesting scene. The sea monster will spit out the smaller sea creature and leave behind some loose bones. Brink wanders off. Don't worry about him for now.
You have to rearrange the loose bones back into the skeleton of the sea creature. Follow these instructions:
When you've reassembled the sea creature it will be identified as a dead creature. The picture below shows the reassembled dead creature with each part of its skeleton numbered to correspond with the steps above:
Place the canister, which is an explosive charge, on the dead creature. Then use the glowing crystals on the dead creature. Boom!
Now go into the water and Boston will swim through the water and into a cave.
Look inside the chamber and take the plate and an orange engraved rod.
Return to the nexus via the tram.
Go to the alcove and install the plate in the top. Select the panel to the left and enter the combination identified on the orange engraved rod. The door should open.
Go through the door, call the tram and board it. When you leave the tram, go outside. Go through the opening and up the pathway. You now have to cross a gorge. Wait until you hear "Rumble! Rumble!" then immediately click on the far side. The water rushes into the gorge and when it is at it's highest point, Boston floats across to the other side of the gorge. Use the shovel on the boulder to form a bridge.
Continue up to another strange device. Activate the light bridge here in the same way as before except this time note the tone of the sound when you push the switch. The lens is not adjusted correctly. Adjust the lens just below the device. Then push the switch again. You should hear a different tone. Hold down the switch steadily and a line should be drawn on the display.
Go though to the crevice area and pick up the blue rod.
Go outside to the plateau. Look at the cave. Pick up the rod. Pick up the rib cage and cover. It seems there is part missing and there is an annoying critter living in here. Look in all the holes and inspect the wheel hole. Pick up the dowel. Put the dowel in the hole on the wheel. Look at the pole and use it with the pin to make a hook. Place the rib cage on the hook. Prop up the cage with the rod. Make the critter come out by looking in the hole near the floor nearest the sealed door. Then walk down screen, then left toward the clearing, in front of the wheels, then walk right between the wheels. The little critter should walk into your trap. Place the bracelet on the little critter and open the trap. Pick up everything you can before leaving.
Use the shovel on the cave, then go into the cave. Use the device and it will point to a tracker spot. Use the shovel on the tracker spot and take the machine part. Leave and return to the panel. Fix the panel with the machine part and replace the cover. Push the panel and the door will open.
Go through the door. Pick up another plate and the green engraved rod. Pick up the twin scepters and use the gold scepter on the faint light on the ceiling. This is the planetarium. Use each scepter in turn on the ceiling. The gold scepter controls the orbit of the large moon and the silver scepter controls the orbit of the small moon.
Return to the nexus via the tram. Put the plate in the left slot in the alcove.
Go down the dark tunnel. Walk left to the airlock. Go through the airlock by pushing the first button once and the second button twice. Look at the glowing panel and place the blue rod in one of the three holes here.
Select the darkened crystal then operate the three sliding rods until the crystals is bright. You can tell what the correct setting is for each individual sliding rod by watching the tip of the selected crystal. As the tip glows brighter you are nearer the correct setting. As it darkens you are moving away from the correct setting.
When all the crystals are bright, as shown below, exit the screen and watch through the window as a tram rolls through a tube and into a station.
Fully Operational Tram Configuration
Return through the airlock by pushing the button twice. Return to the nexus via the dark tunnel.
Note the sparks coming up from an energy conduit on the floor. Use the tusk on the nearest panel to remove the cover. Attach the wire to the corroded panel. Attach the other end of the wire to the sparks. Use the green engraved rod combination with the panel and the door should open. Go through this door, call the tram and ride the tram to a ledge. Go out to the ledge.
Go into the cavern. Enter the pit. Go through the opening. Look at the panel. Use the combination of the red engraved rod here and you will see a scene of a crypt. Then go though another opening. Activate the light bridge. Repeat adjusting the lens and pushing the switch until you identify a different tone. This means that the lens is adjusted correctly. You will need to adjust the lens a couple of times.
Head back to the cavern and enter the nest. Notice the spider creature then head to the right and go though the doorway to a waterfall. Go up to the falls source and look at the grate. Note how standing on the rock diverts the waterfall.
Return to the nexus. Head for the sealed door immediately to the left of the column. Set the combination on the panel according to the red engraved rod and the door should open. Go though the door. Call the tram and enter it.
You will arrive at another spire. Walk toward the spire and up to a plateau. At the stone plate use the shovel on it to reveal a hole. Go down the hole. Walk across the stone with two crescent shapes on it. Go outside to the path and continue up. Look at the strange device and you will find the controls on this device are inoperative. Open the panel. You have a problem to solve.
It consists of a number of prisms and green, red and blue gems, with a light emanating from the source in the center. All the prisms and gems must be touched by the light and no stray beams should head off the puzzle edges. The red tinted beam must be directed to the red gem, the green tinted beam directed to the green gem, and the blue tinted beam directed to the blue gem as shown below.
When the panel is fixed, activate the light bridge, adjusting the lens as usual.
Look at the engraving nearby.
Go into cave interior. Look at the bat creatures and shine the flashlight on them. Go out to the platform and meet Brink.
Return to the tomb and place the rod on the loose stone. Place the blue crystal in the hole in the wall.
Go outside and look at the dirt. Boston will clear away the dirt and reveal a lens.
Use the light bridges to go to the Planetarium Spire. Go the planetarium room and move the large moon to about 1 o'clock. Then move the small moon so it is between the planet and the large moon. This should cause an eclipse. When the positions are correct, as shown below, you will automatically exit this screen and see the eclipse and its effect.
Planetarium Eclipse Configuration
Suddenly you are locked in the planetarium. Don't panic! Press the button and the door will open. Leave and return to the tomb spire via the light bridges.
Walk around the edge to the tomb and enter it. Touch the statue and look at the hot-spot labeled 'crypt'
The elevator will take you down to the crypt. Go left to the door. Unfortunately a life crystal drops onto a dead creature guarding the door and brings it to life. Use one of your life crystals on the other broken bones...and your problem is solved!
Use the engraved rod on the slot and go though the door. Walk along a long walkway to a pyramid. Use the engraved rod on the panel. Then use a life crystal on the alien corpse. You have a slight communication problem now, so stop trying to talk to the alien. Boston calls Maggie.
Just as Boston contacts her and hears about her breakthrough, she is attacked by a terrible monster spider and he loses communication with her.
You must find and save Maggie, as you need her to be able to communicate with the alien!
Head for the map spire and go to the nest. Assess the situation. You need Brink. So head back to the tomb spire. Go to the cave interior and use the flashlight on the bat creatures. Head out to the platform and steal Brink's crystal stash.
Brink now cooperates with Boston. Return to the nest and Brink will accompany you.
Talk to Brink about the monster and he suggests a plan.
Go up to the falls source. Push the rock. Return to the nest and Boston explains what he has done. Talk to Brink about the grate. This invokes the sequence that rescues Maggie.
After this, Brink demands his life crystals back, takes all of them and runs off.
Lead Maggie back across the light bridges to the museum spire and fetch more life crystals from behind the weakened, now broken, door.
Then go across the light bridges to the tomb spire.
Return to the pyramid in the crypt and use the engraved rod on the panel. Use life crystals on the alien corpse again. Maggie takes over communication here, but you control what she asks about. Ask about everything and you will learn a great deal about this planet and its society.
Return to the map spire. Go through the opening from the ledge screen. Look at the strange field. Ask Maggie about the tablet. She will then operate the strange field and an island will appear. Go to the island and go though the opening. Take the plate.
Boston wants to talk to Brink, so head back toward the light bridge. You feel an earthquake, then Brink contacts you and describes where he is trapped. Go to the planetarium spire and enter the crevice.
This may shock you, but yes you have do as suggested and cut off Brink's hand. Use the jaw bone on Brink.
After discussion, they all return to the alcove at the nexus. Install the last plate in the right slot. The final sealed door opens but Brink storms off.
Go though the door that just opened. Call the tram and board it. Leave and go though a door to a room full of control panels and alien machinery.
Look at the lower console. There are three gaps. A machine part is missing. Fill the two empty slots with life crystals.
Go up and outside to the strange device. Clear away the nest. Look at the lens and activate the light bridge.
Go to the tomb spire, down to the crypt and revive the alien inventor again. Ask him about the alien device and keep doing so until you can ask about the eye part. Then keep asking about the eye part while it is an available topic. When you have stopped talking, pick up the creator's engraving.
Go to the map spire and use the combination given by the creator's engraving to operate the panel. You will see a beach scene. Go to the nest, though the door and up to the beach. Take the eye part. Return to the cathedral spire and go down to the lab. Brink arrives and Boston hands over all the life crystals. Make sure the eye part is in your inventory.
Go to the tomb spire again and head for the platform where Brink is working. Talk to Brink about the eye part. Boston and Brink will make a deal.
Put the eye part in the relic's slot. Boston then claims the two life crystals. Take the eye part.
Brink is furious, jumps Boston then falls over the edge of the cliff. Brink is dead again!
Put the eye part back in the relic's slot and take two more life crystals. Take the eye part.
Return to the cathedral spire and go into the lab. Go down to the lower console and insert the eye part into the gap in machinery. Place a life crystal in each empty slot. Consult Maggie about the alien device. Maggie and Boston make a deal then Maggie proceeds to operate the machine. Maggie is killed!
Save here. You can either revive Maggie against her wishes or let her be. The results are a little different, so you can restore to this point later on and revive Maggie with the life crystals to see what happens. This time don't bother.
Head for the eye at the center of the light bridges. A nasty beast is blocking your way. Activate the strange device, push the button and the line will disappear. This makes the light bridge disappear and the beast plummets to the ground! Reactivate the light bridge.
Go to the eye and enter the portal. Enjoy the triumphant conclusion!
Restore the save game made just after Maggie dies and revive her with a life crystal. Proceed as before.
This walkthrough is copyright © 1996 by Diana Griffiths (email: ggriffit@icons.net). All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.
