NEW ON STEAM
Dataminers
At a glance
Dataminers game facts
Steam store information checked 2026-09-15。- Studio
- Electrocosmos Published by Application Systems Heidelberg
- Release
- Sep 7, 2026 Released
- Official genres
- Indie · Strategy
- Play mode
- Single-player
- Desktop platforms
- Windows · macOS · Linux
- Steam Deck
- Verified Verified for Steam Deck
- Controller
- Full support
- Steam features
- Achievements · Cloud · Family Sharing
- Languages
- 8 listed languages English, German, French, Italian
What that means for your setupDataminers is developed by Electrocosmos and published by Application Systems Heidelberg, and it is listed as Released on September 7, 2026 on Steam for Windows, macOS and Linux. It is a single-player-only Indie Strategy title, with Achievements, Cloud saves and Family Sharing listed, and the page reports full controller support alongside a Verified for Steam Deck badge, so the buy question is really about taste, not platform fiddling. The supported languages for full audio listed on the page include English, German, French, Italian, Spanish (Spain), Portuguese (Brazil), Japanese and Simplified Chinese. As a small studio, Electrocosmos is putting its weight behind a single focused idea, and Application Systems Heidelberg is the one handling the store presence, which is useful context if you care about who is shipping future updates.
If you ever lost an afternoon to Minesweeper, Dataminers is the same number-deduction itch retooled into a vertical, cyberpunk-flavored tower infiltration. You read number clues to find datamines, choose when to spend items and upgrades, and outmaneuver a firewall that is always rising from the floor below, so every step up the tower is a small, tense decision rather than a reflex check.
What the game actually feels like
Number-deduction climbing that turns Minesweeper into a vertical, turn-based tower infiltration, where each floor gives you a fresh grid of clues to interpret before you commit to a tile.
A real roguelike campaign mode with procedurally generated missions, enemy guards to dodge, a firewall crawling up from below, and a steady stream of items, upgrades and unlockables that slowly reshape how you approach each run.
Multiple modes that give the same core mechanic different personalities, including a Time Trial chase for personal bests and online leaderboards, an Odyssey endurance run where one mistake ends the run, and a Zen mode where mistakes simply have no consequence and the scenery is the reward.
A Training Center that gently walks Minesweeper newcomers through the rules before they touch a real mission, which makes the learning curve feel intentional rather than trial-and-error.
What early players are seeing
What is landing
- A Puzzle Lovers review frames Dataminers as a surprisingly brilliant translation of Minesweeper into a procedurally generated sci-fi roguelike, praising how the cyberpunk and tactical tension of Invisible Inc. sneaks into a pure logic game.
- Several Minesweeper fans describe the moment the tutorial clicks as the moment the game becomes hard to put down, with one longtime player noting that two hours vanished while climbing a leaderboard, and another calling it the best adaptation of Minesweeper they have seen.
- Players highlight the variety of modes as the thing that keeps the formula from going stale, singling out the daily Time Trial leaderboard for its flow state, the Odyssey for personal-best tension without a clock, and Zen mode as almost poetic in how relaxing it feels to clear a map and reveal the whole environment.
- Reviewers consistently mention the visual style and sound design as a strong part of the appeal, with specific love for maps like the cherry blossom Zen environment, and at least one player reporting a completely bug-free playthrough at high quality on a laptop.
What still needs watching
- Several reviewers warn that the controls feel awkward at first and only click after you push through the tutorial, so if you bounce early you may never see the design the rest of the praise is built on.
- The strongest feedback so far is concentrated in a small number of reviews from self-described Minesweeper fans, so if that core number-deduction loop is not your thing, the cyberpunk dressing and modes are unlikely to be enough on their own.
Is Dataminers worth buying now?
Current decision
Worth tryingAcross the available reviews, the praise is unusually consistent on a very specific point, which is that Minesweeper's number-deduction loop becomes something fresh when you climb a tower, manage a firewall, and choose from real upgrades, and the page lists Steam Deck Verified plus full controller support and a single low entry price, which lowers the cost of finding out for yourself.
Who this is for
A good fit if you…
- Minesweeper fans who want more than a static board and are curious about a vertical, 3D take on the formula
- Puzzle and logic players who enjoy roguelike runs with items, upgrades and permadeath pressure
- Zen-mode appreciators who like unwinding with beautiful maps and zero-consequence mistakes
- Steam Deck and controller players who want a Verified, mouse-optional experience they can comfortably play in handheld
- Players looking for a short, affordable single-player game that respects their time and does not require a multiplayer schedule
Wait if you…
- You strongly prefer action, real-time combat, or co-op, since this is a single-player, turn-based logic game with no multiplayer modes listed
- You dislike puzzle games built around permadeath and leaderboard pressure, since several modes lean on one-mistake runs and time-based competition
- You are not in the mood for a tutorial, because multiple reviewers say the controls only feel right after you finish the Training Center section
If Dataminers is not quite your game
SIMILAR OPTION
Risk of Rain 2
Choose it ifPick Risk of Rain 2 if you want co-op gunplay and twitch reflexes, and pick Dataminers if you want the same satisfaction of reading numbers and weighing risk, but as a quiet, hands-on puzzle you can play on the Deck
How it comparesMinesweeper-meets-genre-reskin design Risk of Rain 2 is a real-time co-op third-person roguelike shooter built around action combat and loot stacking, while Dataminers is a turn-based, single-player logic puzzle that rethinks Minesweeper as a vertical tower hack with no real-time combat
SIMILAR OPTION
Project Zomboid
Choose it ifPick Project Zomboid if you want a large, mod-friendly survival sandbox to live in, and pick Dataminers if you want that same careful-decision pressure in a quick, focused logic format
How it comparesTense single-player survival and resource-pressure loop Project Zomboid is a hardcore open-world zombie survival RPG with crafting, base building and long-term sandbox play, while Dataminers distills that same feeling of one mistake costing a lot into compact, puzzle-sized runs with no crafting or open world
SIMILAR OPTION · 20% OFF
RimWorld
Choose it ifPick RimWorld if you want a sprawling sandbox where a single run can last dozens of hours, and pick Dataminers if you want a tighter, cheaper logic game you can finish a session of in a sitting
How it comparesSingle-player, depth-heavy strategy with long-term progression RimWorld is a deep colony simulation where you manage colonists, relationships and stories over long timelines, while Dataminers focuses its depth entirely on the Minesweeper loop across several short modes, with current price near $20 discounted versus Dataminers' much lower entry
Share this article
