Haspelknecht: The Story of Early Coal Mining

Haspelknecht is the first game in Thomas Spitzer's Coal Trilogy, set in the southern Ruhr region of Germany back when forests covered the land and roads were rare. You play farmers who discover coal just under the surface and learn to exploit it. You extend your farm, gain knowledge of the new material, and dig deeper to extract more, while pit water keeps rising and can stall your efforts. The unusual action selection is the heart of the game, and you have to pick the right action at the right moment. There are many routes to victory, which is part of its appeal, and the setting is an unusual and rewarding corner of history.