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About Kin and Quarry
Kin and Quarry is an indie incremental mining game developed by The Fox Knocks. Released on January 16, 2026, it’s a single-player PC game where you dig into the earth to harvest essence for a sacred tree. The loop is simple: mine, upgrade tools, drill deeper, and recruit helpers to expand your operation. Set in a minimalist, resource-scarce world, the game focuses on slow progression and efficient planning. Its charm lies in the satisfaction of incremental improvements and uncovering buried artifacts. Think of it as a digging simulator with a focus on long-term strategy rather than action. Best for players who enjoy methodical, low-pressure progression over flashy mechanics.
Gameplay
You start with a basic pickaxe, tapping into the ground to gather raw essence. As you earn resources, you upgrade to drills and explosives to dig faster and reach deeper layers. Each layer has harder-to-mine nodes and environmental hazards like rockfalls. You assign “kin” characters to different tasks, some dig, others collect or repair. The game forces you to balance tool durability, resource allocation, and team efficiency. Sessions feel like a rhythm of short bursts of digging followed by planning upgrades. There’s no time limit, but depth increases exponentially in difficulty. The controls are click-based and unintuitive at first, especially when managing multiple workers. The real challenge is optimizing your setup to maximize output without wasting resources.
What Players Think
PlayPile users rate it 8.2/10, with 62% completing the base game. Average playtime is 18 hours, though 30% of players quit before reaching the midgame. The community moods split between “relaxed” (45%) and “methodical” (30%), with 15% labeling it “frustrating.” Review snippets praise the “satisfying loop of upgrading tools” but criticize the “repetitive early-game.” At $19.99, it’s seen as a mid-tier indie buy. The 32 achievements include milestones like drilling 1 million units or recruiting 10 kin. Completion rates for achievements drop after the first 10, as later goals require extreme depth. Critics note the lack of variety in later layers, with one user calling it “a great concept that plateaus too soon.”
PlayPile's Take
Kin and Quarry is worth playing if you thrive in slow, incremental systems and don’t mind a grind-heavy experience. The $20 price tag matches its moderate content depth. While the later game lacks variety, the first 20 hours offer a solid, relaxing challenge for fans of planning and optimization. Skip it if you prefer dynamic action or dislike repetitive early-game loops. The 32 achievements add replay value but aren’t impressive. It’s a niche hit, ideal for casual players with patience and a love for digging deep.
Game Modes
Single player
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