Diamond Quest joins MLB The Show 25 as a new single-player mode within an updated Diamond Dynasty that Forbes calls “the epitome of smart game development.” San Diego Studio created this offline experience that combines baseball gameplay with fun board game elements. It offers a different approach for players tired of the usual grinding but with the ability to win Rare and Epic tier rewards.
You navigate an old-school, rouge game-type game board by rolling dice, earning rewards as you progress. You’ll roll to get a perk but might get a nasty little penalty. Each side quest begins with selecting a challenge that restricts your team composition—perhaps limiting you to bronze players or removing starting pitchers. These constraints push you to build out lineups you wouldn’t normally even think about.
Baseball In Bite-Sized Chunks
As you move around the board and avoid the Zone Sweeper monster, you’ll have a bunch of mini-challenges testing different baseball skills. You might need to strike out three batters in an inning, overcome a deficit in the ninth, or hit a home run with a low-power batter. These short scenarios juice up the action without full nine-inning games.
Getting these challenges done increases your chances of earning Rare/Epic player cards when you reach the Stadium Challenge at the end of your quest—more on this in a second. Each win builds toward better potential rewards.
Peanuts And Perks
This mode appropriately uses “Peanuts” as its in-game currency. You spend these at cartoonish Coach’s Cart spaces to buy perks that boost attributes like contact against lefties—bunts, even bad ones, work—or infielder reaction time. Since the perks go away when your run ends, there’s a built-in, natural encouragement to go ahead and use them up before finishing your quest.
The fiery Zone Sweeper baseball villain moves around the board in set patterns. If you cross its path, you face a Legend-difficulty game. Winning brings premium rewards, but losing costs you half your Peanuts.
Why It Works: Variety Without Commitment
The mode thrives in its compact, playful design and ability to have fun without strings or too much time attached. Unlike Conquest’s yawn-inducing map-clearing or Showdown’s all-or-nothing format, this mode offers diverse gameplay in short segments. You’ll play a challenge, pick perks, and then move quickly to a new situation if you want to continue.
Difficulty options make the mode accessible to everyone, but there is a big kicker. The Stadium challenges on higher difficulties — for a rare Travis Bazzana card, for example — present a tricky conundrum because losing them means not winning anything for the time played. Newcomers can play on Rookie difficulty, while experienced players can select Hall of Fame, Legend, or GOAT modes for (naturally) better rewards.
While online players focus on competition with friends or strangers, Diamond Quest encourages experimentation which will likely help you in other modes of the game. The unusual lineup requirements often highlight overlooked players who perform well in extremely specific situations.
A Home Run For Offline Players
No two games/situations will ever play the same, thanks to random board layouts with dice rolls, challenge placements, and perk offerings. Variety keeps the experience fresh and fun even after many plays. You’re in, and you’re out.
Diamond Quest offers a charming, low-pressure experience worth trying this season in MLB The Show 25, embracing spontaneous elements while giving players transparent choices, creating something singular from other modes. The balance of baseball play and planning makes it respect both your skills and (more importantly) time.
Published: Mar 24, 2025 2:13 PM UTC