I am continually betrayed by Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor’s shiny snail

polygon.com:

I play as a solo dwarf in Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, armed with weapons, running around the mines of Hoxxes IV in search of valuable minerals. I gun down hordes of monsters, dig out supply caches, and upgrade my weapons so they fire even more hot death. But there’s one thing that always catches my attention and turns me into a homing missile. It’s a goofy little snail, and it brings me so much joy.

Known as the Huuli Hoarder, the snail operates much like the Treasure Goblin from the Diablo franchise. It shows up without warning and its presence can be the highlight of a run. The snail, upon spotting a dwarf, gives a high-pitched little shriek, wiggles its butt, and flees off-screen. There’s a built-in risk/reward ratio here; chasing and killing the snail rewards a huge chunk of experience and a random upgrade. But the snail flees where it pleases — often towards environmental hazards, big masses of monsters, or a tiny corner of the map.

Each level only lasts so long; the time spent chasing down a snail could be worth it… or it could lead to an overall loss in resources as you leave mining nodes and experience around the map. You are, after all, a corporate worker delving beneath the crust of a hostile planet to kill aliens and make profit. It’s a fairly confined situation, and positioning is very important if you want to stay out of reach of the endless alien swarms.

This video by YouTuber RubyWeapon shows the Hoarder in action, and I hope its little scream and wiggle brings you as much delight as it does me. It can’t even attack! It’s just a scared pacifist in a lonely cave who endlessly tries to run away.

Players have been bullying this little snail for years in Deep Rock Galactic, but I find the solo nature of Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor makes the process of hunting a snail more personal than the original, four-player game. Sorry, buddy, I’m not trapped in here with you — you’re trapped in here with me.

Sometimes, it’s tactically viable to prioritize chasing