Descend Into the Depths

Mining is working. I've been playing it nonstop in dev builds, and there's something about going deeper into the mines that just makes you want to take one more walk. Here's how it all works.

The mines

The mines are a multi-level dungeon beneath the village. Each level goes deeper, costs more steps to enter, and holds better loot.

Deeper levels require higher Mining mastery to unlock. Level 2 opens at mastery 2, and it scales up from there. You'll naturally unlock them as you mine. More levels are planned as development continues.

The minigame: hold and release

Mining isn't just tapping a button and watching a progress bar. When you enter a level, you see a rock and a power gauge.

Hold down on the rock to charge your pickaxe. A cursor moves up and down the gauge. Release it inside the sweet spot for a successful hit, or nail the narrow perfect zone in the center for maximum impact. The gauge moves a little faster at deeper levels, so there's a nice sense of progression as you get more comfortable with the rhythm.

Each level demands a different number of strikes to break through - though upgrading your pickaxe can bring that number down. You'll watch the rock crack and fracture with each successful hit until it shatters and reveals your loot. And you're not alone down there - you can see other players mining in real time as you swing. It's a nice reminder that the mines are a shared space, not a lonely cave.

Good timing gets rewarded. Land your hits in the perfect zone and you'll walk away with bonus loot. The better your rhythm, the more treasure you pull from the rock. It's satisfying when you nail it - like cracking open a piñata.

What's in the rocks?

Every mining run can turn up three kinds of treasure:

Ores

The staples. Each depth has its own native ores - copper near the surface, iron a bit deeper, and eventually luminite way down in the glow. You'll use these for smelting, crafting, and selling. There's something nice about watching your ore collection grow.

Gems

A lucky bonus from any run. Amethyst can show up as early as Level 1, and the deeper you go, the more likely you are to find something sparkly. The legendary Aurora Crystal hides in the deepest levels and is incredibly rare - finding one is a moment. Higher mastery improves your chances and the quality of what you find.

Materials

Coal, stone, cave mushrooms, cave insects, and the coveted crystal node. Everything has a use - coal fuels smelting, cave insects make great fishing bait, and crystal nodes are their own little surprise box you can bring to Flint to crack open.

Flint's forge: smelting

Raw ore is useful. Bars are where the real money is.

Visit Flint the Blacksmith in the village to smelt your ore into bars. Each recipe requires ore, coal, gold coins, and a small step cost:

Higher-tier recipes unlock as your friendship with Flint grows. Luminite smelting requires 6 hearts - so bring gifts and buy from his shop to build that relationship.

Bars are essential for tool upgrades, crafting recipes, and fetching premium prices at the marketplace. A single Luminite Bar is worth significantly more than the raw ores that went into it.

Crystal nodes: crack open a surprise

While mining, you may find crystal nodes - mysterious rocks that start appearing from Level 2 onward. You can't open them yourself. Instead, bring them to Flint.

For a bit of gold and a few steps, he'll crack one open and reveal a random gem inside. What you get depends on a little luck - and your mining mastery. The more experienced you are, the better your chances of finding something really special tucked inside.

See it in action

Here's a quick look at the mining system so far.

People in Discord have been sharing their thoughts on the mining system as it's being built. If you want a say in how this shapes up, that's the place.

Mastery makes everything better

Every mining run earns XP, with deeper levels giving more. As your Mining mastery grows:

• Unlock deeper levels. New depths open as you gain mastery.
• Reduce step costs. Mastery discount applies to mining runs, smelting, and crushing.
• Better quality rolls. Higher chance of silver, gold, and pristine quality items.
• Higher gem chances. More mastery means more sparkle.

The step cost reduction applies everywhere mining is involved - entering the mines, smelting at Flint's forge, and cracking crystal nodes all get cheaper as you level up.

The loop

Walk in the real world. Spend steps to mine. Smelt ore into bars. Crack open crystal nodes for gems. Craft items or sell to other players through the marketplace. Level up mastery to go deeper. Repeat.

I've been running this loop in testing and it genuinely feels good. The minigame keeps each run engaging, the loot keeps you coming back, and the smelting gives you something meaningful to work toward between mining sessions.

The music and sound effects in the video were created by a talented member of our community. Check out his work at music.glyph.cafe.

If you want to follow along with development, the Discord is where the action is. Come hang out.

Next up: foraging.