A group of scientists discovers an asteroid that is on its way to a collision with the Earth. Is there any way to prevent the disaster? Boston Low, a NASA veteran, is sent to command a space expedition on the asteroid.

Accompanied by the journalist Maggie Robbins and the archaeologist Brink, Boston investigates the asteroid and finds a strange structure that undoubtedly belongs to an alien civilization. During the course of investigations, the team finds itself on a seemingly deserted planet. They have no knowledge of the planet and no possibility of going back. Will they ever discover the secret of this strange world and find a way to get home? The Dig is a point-and-click adventure game with a simple one-cursor interface and more complex puzzles than usually encountered in LucasArts' adventures. Despite having a serious story, the game follows in many ways the tradition of LucasArts' humorous adventures.