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Play Gravedigger.io – The Nightshift
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Play on itch.ioWhat Is Gravedigger.io – The Nightshift?
Gravedigger.io is a single-file, zero-dependency first-person zombie wave-defense game that runs directly in your browser. Open index.html and you're in a procedurally generated graveyard, armed with a shovel, facing waves of the undead climbing out of the ground.
Built as an experimental one-shot project with Claude, the game packs surprising depth: six weapons with distinct stats, escalating waves that double forever, auto-regenerating health, and fully synthesized audio — every gunshot, groan, and footstep generated live via the Web Audio API. No install, no server, no asset downloads. Free under the MIT license.
How to Play
You're the gravedigger on the night shift. Zombies rise from the earth near tombstones and path toward you with basic flocking behavior. Your goal is simple: survive as long as possible.
Weapons are scattered around the cemetery. The shovel is always a one-hit kill in melee, but ranged weapons — pistol, shotgun, SMG, assault rifle, and gatling gun — let you thin the horde from a distance. Ammo crates refill every gun you're carrying. Each weapon differs in damage, fire rate, magazine size, and reload time.
Wave 1 throws 5 zombies at you. Wave 2: 10. Wave 3: 20. Wave 4: 40. This doubling continues until you fall. A soft cap limits how many zombies can be alive at once to keep performance smooth, but the total per wave keeps climbing.
You can take 5 hits. Survive a few seconds without taking damage and you start regenerating health.
Controls
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| WASD | Move |
| Arrow keys | Rotate camera (look around) |
| Space | Fire current weapon / swing shovel |
| R | Reload |
| T | Swap weapon (cycles) |
| 1–6 | Select specific weapon directly |
Tips and Tricks
- Shovel early, guns later: The first few waves are manageable with melee. Save ammo for wave 4+ when zombies swarm from all directions.
- Keep moving: Standing still is death. Circle the graveyard perimeter to funnel zombies into predictable paths.
- Weapon priority: SMG for crowd thinning, assault rifle for sustained damage, shotgun for close-range panic moments. The gatling gun eats ammo fast — use it only when absolutely overwhelmed.
- Find the mausoleum: The procedural map places a mausoleum somewhere each run. Its narrow entrance creates a natural choke point you can defend with the shotgun.
- Know the soft cap: The game limits concurrent active zombies for performance. If the horde seems manageable, it's because new zombies are queued, not because the wave is light. Stay vigilant.
FAQ
Where can I play Gravedigger.io?
Play it free in your browser at eons2eons.itch.io/gravedigger-io-the-nightshift, or clone the single-file HTML from GitHub and open it locally.
How many players does it support?
Single-player only. One gravedigger against the endless night.
How much does it cost?
Free and open source under the MIT license.
Is every graveyard different?
Yes. Terrain, tombstone placement, dead trees, lantern posts, and the mausoleum are all generated fresh each run. No two shifts look the same.
What engines or dependencies does it use?
Three.js r128 loaded from CDN is the only external dependency. Everything else — visuals, audio, AI — is built from primitive geometry and synthesized at runtime inside a single HTML file.
Last reviewed by Game How To Editorial. We play each game, verify controls against official sources, and update guides when game mechanics change.
