INDIE GAME / PLAY GUIDE
SteamWorld Dig 2: 35 Caves, Cart Puzzles and Mazes
Main-story, Artifact and Secret ledgers expanded · Updated 2026-10-13
Reaching a cave’s exit does not necessarily complete its collection. Check the Artifact, Cog and ore columns, and leave areas requiring tools you lack on your return list.
Archaea | Caves and pickups
This is a list of normal caves. The 7 trials above the surface are covered separately under final trials.
| Region | Cave | Main pickups | Key actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archaea | Patch Wall Grotto | Artifact1 / Cog1 | Upper-left ceiling hole → Artifact. Drop through the cracked floor for the Cog. You cannot wall-jump on metal surfaces. |
| Archaea | Burster’s Station | Pressure Bomb / 1 Artifact / 1 Cog / ore | Obtain bombs from the device at the bottom. Find the Cog in the cracked wall near the wooden floor, and the Artifact in the sand above the 2nd enemy. |
| Archaea | Cave-In Catacomb | Artifact1 / Cog1 | Retreat after breaking the crack’s edge. Find the Cog at the far right and, after the rocks fall, climb high at the far left for the Artifact. |
| Archaea | Mason’s Station | Jackhammer / 1 Artifact / 1 Cog / ore | Drop the rock onto the switch to open the door. Also collect the Artifact in the upper-right false wall and the Cog after the device. |
| Archaea | Mysterious Cave | Jet Engine / Cog1 | Enter Vectron and obtain flight after escaping. Find the Cog in the upper-right opening on the return route. |
| Archaea | Prickly Panorama | Ore | Break the supporting sand and return to the entrance. Reach Azurite above after the cactus chain reaction ends. |
| Archaea | Rupture Rock Hollow | 1 Artifact / 2 Cogs / ore | On the first visit, drop down at the right wall for the Artifact and find a Cog on the normal upper route. Return after obtaining flight for the upper-left Cog. |
| Archaea | Tick Boom Room | Cog1 | After placing a bomb below, retreat to the upper left. Stand on the falling rocks to reach the upper-right sand and Cog. |
| Archaea | Trilobite Bluff | Cog1 | Drop enemies off the ledges in order to make them step on the door switches. Use the final lower-right enemy to open the upper-right door. |
The Oasis | Caves and pickups
This is a list of normal caves. The 7 trials above the surface are covered separately under final trials.
| Region | Cave | Main pickups | Key actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Oasis | Rosie’s Storage | Hook Shot / 1 Artifact / 1 Cog / ore | Obtain the Hook Shot from the lower device. Climb above the right wall of the first low bridge. Find the Cog on the left at the end. |
Temple of the Destroyer | Caves and pickups
This is a list of normal caves. The 7 trials above the surface are covered separately under final trials.
| Region | Cave | Main pickups | Key actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temple of the Destroyer | Combuster’s Station | Ignition Axe / 1 Cog / ore | Defeat the Great Prophet. Move the robot with the flaming axe; find the Cog in the final left wall’s bricks. |
| Temple of the Destroyer | Demon’s Crib | 1 Artifact / ore | Climb ahead of the lava. Wait on the ceiling for it to fall, then collect Fire Token from the sand below-right of the entrance. |
| Temple of the Destroyer | Floor Is Lava | Artifact1 / Cog1 | Cross the entire section without touching floor switches. Check the far Artifact door and Cogs along the route separately. |
| Temple of the Destroyer | Grim Hollow | Artifact1 / Cog1 | Use the caster’s projectiles on the high cracked wall and robot. Collect the Artifact on the left before heading to the right side. |
| Temple of the Destroyer | Infernal Crates | 1 Artifact / 1 Cog / ore | Use stop switches to place crates at belt edges and move them onto floor switches. The separate upper-right puzzle contains the Artifact. |
| Temple of the Destroyer | Lava Shooters | Artifact1 / Cog2 | Avoid lava drips along the walls and climb with belts as shields. Fossil is in the upper-right cracked rock beyond the Cogs. |
| Temple of the Destroyer | Mine Cart Madness | 1 Artifact / 2 Cogs / ore | Move/destroy/respawn carts to place them on floor switches. Use the dedicated steps for the final crate arrangement. |
| Temple of the Destroyer | Roasted Romp | 2 Cogs / ore | Cross the rising and falling lava platforms. Find Cogs in the cracked wall above the protruding fist and in the final descent. |
| Temple of the Destroyer | Ronald’s Treasure Chamber | Long-Range Grappler / 3 Cogs / ore | Climb through the torchless ceiling recess. Collect the device, 3 Cogs and ore. |
| Temple of the Destroyer | Spikes & Conveyors | Artifact1 / Cog2 | Check the Cog reached by heading right beneath the first platform. Find the Artifact in the 1 spike-free tile in the left wall, and a Cog before the exit. |
| Temple of the Destroyer | The Batcave | Artifact1 / Cog1 | Hit the flying insect upward and enter the opened ceiling. Guide the insect upward again, then hit it leftward from the Cog platform. |
| Temple of the Destroyer | The Sun Armory | Ultra Composite Armor / ore | Obtain the armour at the end of the path. Before exiting, climb the right platforms and break the wall above for ore. |
Temple of Guidance | Caves and pickups
This is a list of normal caves. The 7 trials above the surface are covered separately under final trials.
| Region | Cave | Main pickups | Key actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temple of Guidance | Chamber of Arrows | 1 Artifact / 1 Cog / ore | Advance after the 3-shot arrow burst. Grapple above the left launcher side for the Artifact, then survive the bursts in the circular room. |
| Temple of Guidance | Chamber of Secrets | Grenade Launcher / 1 Artifact / 1 Cog / ore | Navigate the maze and door switches. The later switch order is 4 → 3 → 2; the Artifact is beneath the false wall after the device. |
| Temple of Guidance | Chamber of Wheels | Artifact1 / Cog1 | Strike carts onto floor switches. Near the end, break the left sand from atop the 2-tier cart stack for the Artifact. |
West Desert | Caves and pickups
This is a list of normal caves. The 7 trials above the surface are covered separately under final trials.
| Region | Cave | Main pickups | Key actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Desert | Tenacious Trolleys | 1 Artifact / 1 Cog / ore | Secure water for bombs. Destroy and respawn carts to create a foothold to the cracked wall on the left. |
Windy Plains | Caves and pickups
This is a list of normal caves. The 7 trials above the surface are covered separately under final trials.
| Region | Cave | Main pickups | Key actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windy Plains | Rock Falls | 1 Artifact / 1 Cog / ore | Pass the falling rocks while breaking their supporting sand. At the water on the right, grapple above the large rocks before dropping them. |
Yarrow | Caves and pickups
This is a list of normal caves. The 7 trials above the surface are covered separately under final trials.
| Region | Cave | Main pickups | Key actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yarrow | Aeronaut’s Station | Ramjet Vigor / 2 Cogs / ore | Obtain the Ramjet from the device below the junction. On the return route, find Cogs above-right of the entrance and in the sand ceiling above that. |
| Yarrow | Bushwack Beehive | 1 Artifact / 1 Cog / ore | Hitting bees starts an explosive chain reaction. Move away and wait. Return with Sky Assailant for the ceiling Artifact. |
| Yarrow | Hodge-Podge Hang | 1 Artifact / 1 Cog / ore | Reach the high Artifact at the far right from beneath the first platform. Find the Cog at the end of the normal collapsing-floor route. |
| Yarrow | Leaky Lodge | 1 Artifact / 2 Cogs / ore | The Artifact is beneath the first large rock. Find Cogs on the lower route between the 2nd and 3rd acid drips in the regenerating floor, and at the end. |
| Yarrow | Lime Loop | Artifact1 / Cog1 | Use the floor loop to reach the timed door. After the Cog, take the hidden loop on the right for the Artifact. |
| Yarrow | Mushi Mushi Snuggery | 1 Artifact / 1 Cog / ore | Follow the spike-and-bounce-pad route. Guide the ceiling shooter toward the sand along the way for the Artifact; find the Cog before the exit. |
| Yarrow | Sludge River Bend | 2 Cogs / 3 ore | Hit the placed bombs toward the opposite side to open the path. Also check the lower route in the first acid-drip shaft. |
| Yarrow | Swim Swam Sway | 1 Artifact / 2 Cogs / ore | Find the Artifact on the hidden path in the left wall early on. Later, open the cracked wall with the shooter’s projectile for a Cog, and find another before the surface. |
Chamber of Secrets maze and hidden room
The first half is a maze where you open sand at a dead end, return to a junction and take another passage. Distinguish returning to the exit you first passed from heading toward unopened sand.
- From the entrance, head down → right → right and break the sand at the dead end.
- Return to the previous junction, then go up → left to return near the entrance.
- Take the newly opened right path, then turn right at the next junction too.
- Use switches 4 → 3 → 2 for the later door. Check their numbered positions against the whole mechanism.
- Beyond the Grenade Launcher, avoid stepping on floor arrow switches; pass above the false wall from the air and reach the Artifact below.
No coordinate diagram reproducing the numbered layout is provided. The switch order and the collection condition of avoiding floor arrows are kept separate.
Stack carts in Chamber of Wheels
Carts move in the direction you strike them and return to their original spawn positions after destruction. The final 2-tier foothold for reaching the Artifact and the action of pressing the lowest switch are separate tasks.
- Send the upper-left cart leftward, then send the fallen cart to the right.
- Move the lower cart leftward.
- Drop the upper-right cart to the right, then send it left to make a 2-tier stack.
- Open the left sand with a bomb from the upper tier and collect Wagon Wheel.
- Send the lower cart rightward into the hole, then check the final upper-right switch and Cog.
Resetting Mine Cart Madness and Tenacious Trolleys
Rather than moving distant carts at the same time, choose the platform/floor switch you need, destroy unnecessary carts and use their respawns. You cannot open walls without enough water, so refill before entering Tenacious Trolleys.
| Cave | Intermediate goal | Check before finishing |
|---|---|---|
| Mine Cart Madness | Move the final cart to the lowest switch. | Bag of Rubber Chickens and 2 Cogs |
| Tenacious Trolleys | Build a cart foothold reaching the cracked wall on the left. | Preserved Banana Peels and 1 Cog |
Coordinate diagrams of every cart move remain incomplete. Distinguish a walkthrough reproducing every arrangement from this explanation of intermediate goals.
Avoid increasing Vectron’s alarm count
For Solid Sneak, aim to avoid any alarms beyond the 2 story alarms. Instead of running straight past lit surveillance, wait behind cover or platforms for the next patrol.
The alarm-count achievement and Sequence Breaker’s “do not enter Vectron” are separate challenges. Do not treat normal main-story progression as a way to obtain both simultaneously.
Check order when your Secret percentage is short
Even rooms where you already collected the Artifact may still contain Cogs and ore beneath cracked floors or in the ceiling above. Compare cave completion displays and regional percentages in order.
| Check | Specific return location | Preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Cog unreachable on the first visit | Upper-left Rupture Rock Hollow, for example | Jet Engine |
| Walls broken with enemy projectiles | Grim Hollow / Swim Swam Sway / Mushi Mushi Snuggery | Do not defeat the shooter first. |
| Upper area after falling rocks | Cave-In Catacomb / Leaky Lodge | Check the order of rocks and sand. |
| Sand in a high ceiling | Bushwack Beehive, for example | Sky Assailant |
| Hidden ore | Beside normal exits / upper wall of The Sun Armory | Collect cave resources too. |
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