Gold Rush: The Game Reviews

Terrible. I was struggling with the tutorial where you have to hit 50 buttons and switch between driving the excavator and turning it. It was so frustrating. I couldn't even get past the tutorial. Waste of money.

not playable due to the way you build a washplant it will take you 40 hours of picking the game up driving it two feet over quitting, uninstalling and then doing that every two-three months

mid at best game not worth it after the rebranding and terrible graphics

This game is one of the cases where I'd like to have a "mixed" option instead of a yes or no. TLDR: Stay away unless you love tedious busywork and can endure a continuous struggle against the game itself. Long version: While there seems to have been dedication to create a (somewhat) realistic gold mining experience, there are just too many negatives that drain the fun out of the (already niche) experience. Pros: The balance between realism and gameplay is quite enjoyable and the gameplay can be quite addictive. Cons: Bad tutorial (seriously), weak machines and glitchy environment, confusing controls and low performance --- First, I'd like to address the tutorial for the easiest difficulty, which seems to be aimed at people who play the game for the first time. Sadly, its basically a to-do list of various tasks that don't really explain the underlying game mechanics. For some reason, it also doesn't explain the Repair, Drilling and Worker systems which are essential for anything that goes beyond the "maximum handholding" experience. --- My biggest gripe lies with the vehicles and how they (poorly) interact with the environment. For some reason, every one of the big machines i've driven in this game lack the torque to traverse the smallest bumps without severely slowing down. This is especially painful while driving the drilling vehicle, which is portrayed as a small drill attached to some sort of giant tractor thats essentially a huge engine on tracks but for some reason can't even properly turn around on even terrain. Seriously, are those huge machines powered by anemic lawn mower engines? They also have problems interacting with the "paydirt", which is the stuff you scoop up and run through the washing plant. Sometimes my excavator gets its bucket stuck in the ground and can only be freed by frantically wiggling all the available controls. There are also times where individual machines (like car + trailer) just spasm out of control while attaching each other or during movement which results in glitching those machines out of existance which will (hopefully) reset them to specific points on the map. --- At last, I also want to warn about the rather crammed control scheme and the overall performance. Some keys cannot be unbound (like J for journal) and I really recommend to rebind all the controls unless you have 10 fingers on each hand. Its not a big negative but took me a while to make my machines somewhat controllable. As for performance: While its an open world, its actually split into chunks that require seperate loading when crossing each invisible border, resulting in a short freeze of the game (the same while auto save, even on a fast NVME drive). Its a bit annoying and can sometimes result in crashing your car due to oversteering. The engine also lags behind in rendering the environment, even on a good PC. Honorable(?) mentions: Fast travel has to be unlocked before you can use it and if you pull a trailer, it always has to be re-attached to your car. Its also not so uncommon to find your vehicle (and trailer) facing random directions upon arrival. I like that gathering the story pieces give a little discount. The Handbook is a great way to provide information but the included "tutorial" videos (digtube) are often just a worthless clip on how to buy the equipment (go to store, click the thing, go to checkout) instead of actual information. --- As the successor of this game is in the works (and even advertised ingame), there is little hope for improvement in this one. I just hope that the next iteration tries to fix all the stuff thats wrong in this one.

its a pretty good game and I love the grind, didnt play very long, and requested a refund as I had fps issues (would run at 100-120 but then die and go to 1-5 fps every 10 or so seconds) and a couple other bugs. I tried changing the graphics and making sure its working on my gpu rtx4050 and not my cpu ryzen 7000 series, but maybe it still isnt strong enough, I wouldnt know, and didnt really care enough about the game to dig deeper after setting everything to low/off and still having issues. I will deffos hop back in the game once those issues are sorted, this time I just couldnt deal with it but would recommend the game still, maybe your pc is better than mine. Dev's im keeping an eye on those reviews, ill be back once I see them picking up.

Really fun game good graphics all around great time playing this game

39 minutes and got a refund. One of the worst games I have played with such a massive tutorial and all the info but can't even find basic information. Movement is over drastic in vehicles, driving a pick up truck, not a F1 racing vehicle. I do not see many positive reviews but is listed as Mostly Positive and I have no idea how or why it would be.

Yeah. It was pretty fun until I got to tier 3. Once I got everything setup and moving there was no real point in gaining more gold. Still 83 hours. Pretty fun.

Gold Mining Simulator is a slow-paced, methodical simulation that places players deep in the heart of Alaskan gold country. Starting with basic tools like a pan and shovel, the game challenges you to build up a full-scale mining operation, complete with excavators, wash plants, water pumps, and generators. What begins as a simple dig in the dirt quickly turns into a complex operation that requires careful management of both equipment and natural resources. It’s a deliberate experience, meant for players who enjoy investing time into mastering heavy machinery and squeezing every ounce of gold from the terrain. The mechanical realism is the core appeal here. Each vehicle and piece of equipment operates with its own controls and quirks, demanding attention to detail and a strong grasp of how different systems work together. Whether you're running a mobile wash plant or positioning a massive excavator, there’s a tactile satisfaction to the work. The terrain is fully deformable, and environmental conditions—like weather and seasons—introduce real obstacles. Winter can shut down operations entirely, while rain might bog down equipment or affect your fuel and power efficiency. Every decision has weight, and the constant balancing of power, fuel, water, and maintenance keeps things engaging. However, the pacing can be punishingly slow. Gathering gold takes time, and the repetitive nature of digging, washing, and refining becomes apparent after extended sessions. It’s a grind-heavy experience by design, but one that lacks dynamic variety or narrative structure. The reward loop hinges on unlocking better machines and refining your process, but the lack of more diverse challenges or events can make the mid-game feel stagnant for players looking for a more varied experience. Visually, the game presents a rugged, realistic Alaskan wilderness with a functional, if not overly detailed, art style. The changing seasons, day/night cycle, and weather effects add immersion, but graphical fidelity and polish vary. Performance issues are not uncommon, especially in larger operations—frame drops, glitches, and memory leaks are frequently reported by players. Despite multiple updates, these technical rough edges persist and can detract from the immersive quality of the game. Audio design is minimal and mostly ambient. The sounds of machinery, rustling trees, and distant wildlife contribute to a grounded atmosphere, but it lacks the kind of auditory richness that could elevate the immersion. In many ways, the sound design mirrors the gameplay—utilitarian, serviceable, but not particularly compelling. While the core simulation is impressively detailed, the lack of multiplayer and mod support holds the experience back. Many players have expressed a desire to work cooperatively in multiplayer scenarios or to mod in new content like maps, machines, or economic systems. These features are notably absent, with developers confirming that they won’t be implemented in the current version. Instead, these elements are expected in a planned sequel, which leaves the current iteration feeling a bit constrained despite its potential. Overall, Gold Mining Simulator is a niche but rewarding experience for those who appreciate realism, patience, and the gritty details of operating heavy machinery. It's more of a simulation sandbox than a traditional game, prioritizing process over action. For players who enjoy digging deep—literally and figuratively—it can be a satisfying and meditative journey. But for those looking for fast-paced gameplay, variety, or a polished, bug-free experience, it may feel more like work than play. Rating: 7/10