In both modes, the player must choose a real-world location from a world map (like Gettysburg, the Bavarian Lakes in Germany, the shores of Corsica, etc.), and then walk up and down these areas. A tone will sound when an object is detected. Once this occurs, the player must use their metal detector to home in on the signal. Once a suitable relic location is found, the player must then dig up and identify the item recovered. In Story mode, there are also other objectives, like taking pictures of various plants for botanical research and taking pictures of landmarks to fulfill requests from other historically minded clients.

Both modes use the "walking simulator" approach. In this style of play, you will be doing a lot of walking around to fulfill objectives at various historical locations. In between excursions, you have an office where you can take various jobs for pay and prestige. The former allows the purchasing of better metal detectors for finding objects. Prestige will (in the Story Mode) unlock more locations and higher tiers of equipment to purchase.

Graphically, this game uses a realistic first-person perspective view. Many areas are accurate to their real-world locations insofar as I'm aware. There is a bit of aliasing and the Switch port does tend to have a low framerate, likely as a compromise due to the heavy 3D graphics and draw distance it needs to render.

Sounds and music tend to be minimalistic. Since this is set in a real-world setting and music would generally get in the way of listening for your mine detector, this is not a bad thing at all. The outdoor areas do have a lot of ambient sound effects like chirping birds and footsteps. There are some low-intensity ambient music tracks, but these tend to be brief and otherwise not very notable.

The controls are mapped to the analog sticks and buttons of the Switch, with the analog sticks having to be used like a mouse pointer on some screens. The PC version does not support controllers but does come with very intuitive keyboard and mouse controls. I played on a handheld Switch, and the controls were a bit hard on the wrist after a while. The biggest annoyance is how you often have to hold down more than one button in exploration mode. It's not the worst control scheme, just not fun to work with for long play periods. The PC version is much easier on the hands and simpler to manage by far.

Stability is quite good on the Switch version, though the framerate is a bit on the low (30 FPS) side. The PC port runs with a stability tweak and generally has smoother frames and nicer visuals. Do note without the aforementioned stability tweak, this game will crash often on PC. It will run on Linux through Steam Proton and also on the Steam Deck. Be advised that the same annoying control issues common to the Switch version will still apply to Steam Deck users.

Morally, there is very little to complain about.

Violence is not present in the game proper. Some objects you can discover are those of military value, like bullet casings, weapons, and other military gear. This is presented as of historical interest only, with each findable item coming with a brief description of its military uses and value to the time it hails from.

There is no foul language or sexual content. This is set firmly in the contemporary day. Some artifacts may reference religious beliefs from past cultures, but that is all. Morally speaking, you play as someone interested in historical research, doing work to that end.

Overall, I like the concept behind this title. Technically, it's playable enough on the Switch despite some control issues, and the PC port is quite playable after a simple settings tweak. Morally, aside from some references to weapons and religious practices of other cultures, this is a good game for almost any age and is even educational. If you want a relaxed game with a history focus and can tolerate some annoying controls on the Switch, the Switch port (and PC with some stability tweaks) of Treasure Hunter Simulator is recommended.