Blurgh.
There is simply nothing I can say to recommend this game to others considering that better such games exist- say, "Motherload".
There is no strategy to this game at all, and somehow, everything feels random AND 100% linear all at once. You just dig around randomly, get constantly bitten by snakes or run into water or what-have-you- which WILL damage you seemingly at random because there's no way to see them coming or at least be able to predict them, by the way- and eventually either buy or locate the next MacGuffin tool or gem that allows you to progress to the next area where you do the same damn thing over and over again. The danger feels less like danger and more like annoyance, and there is nothing added to the formula that makes things feel any less bland.
I also constantly had the feeling that the fluctuating (at random, of course) prices for the NON-REPLENISHING metal and gems I was collecting would end up screwing me, and I again bring up how you very frequently have to buy your way to new areas.
Add some controls that simultaneously feel stiff (trying to move around in mines, especially during unskippable animations such as snake attacks or draining water) and slippery (your control constantly sticks aboveground, moving you more than you want), and an intensely slow-paced experience, and you have sadly created a game that I would only recommend to people I hate.
Try harder than this next time.