Hold The Mine guide

Hold The Mine Beginner Guide

By Juda H

Last updated: June 23, 2026Early AccessBeginner
Hold The Mine official store cover
Hold The Mine ยท Official game image

Start Hold The Mine by treating every day as preparation for the next night. Mine resources with a purpose, build only what helps the next wave or your next mining route, use heroes to cover the weakest part of your defense, and stop pushing deeper when the surface cannot survive until sunrise.

When a Long Mining Day Leaves the Surface Weak

The first bad habit is digging because the day still has time left. That feels productive, but Hold The Mine is not grading the size of your backpack. It is grading whether the mine entrance is still standing when the wave ends. If you have played tower-defense roguelites, this is the same basic trap: economy is only good when it becomes power before the pressure arrives.

Mining underground in Hold The Mine.
The underground view shows the resource-gathering half of the day-and-night loop. Steam

Your run is not dead because one day was inefficient. It starts dying when you repeat a day that does not answer the last night. If the wave broke through early, stop chasing depth and buy an immediate answer. If the wave started fine but collapsed late, then you can think about scaling, relic direction, or a cleaner hero plan.

Leave the Mine with Time to Spend

The cleanest beginner habit is leaving the mine before the run becomes heroic. A good day brings back resources that become a building, hero upgrade, or survival tool before night. A greedy day brings back a pile of plans that cannot stop the next wave. Spend for the wave you are about to face, not the build you hope to have later.

Day and Night Priority Table

PhaseWhat to decidePanic signRecovery move
Day startChoose one target for the day.You start digging without knowing the next spend.Name the wave problem first, then mine for that answer.
MiningCollect resources that feed the next building, relic, hero plan, or survival check.The route is deeper, but the surface still has the same weakness.Stop one layer earlier and convert resources before night.
SpendingBuy or build for the next wave first.You are saving for a cool plan while the next wave has no answer.Take the boring survival spend now; greed can wait.
Hero setupUse hero powers to cover a clear weakness.The hero looks strong, but the board still fails in the same place.Pick the hero plan that fixes the weakest phase, not the flashiest effect.
NightWatch what actually breaks.You restart without changing the failure type.Classify the loss before changing the next day route.

First Run Route

Hold The Mine mixes mining, resource management, unique buildings, heroes, relics, perks, and night waves. That makes early runs noisy. The safest beginner route is not to memorize a perfect build; it is to keep the day and night connected. Mine for the thing that improves the next wave, spend before you greed for depth, and use each failed night as a diagnosis.

  1. Start with survival, not depth. A deep mine does not matter if the monsters break through before sunrise.
  2. Pick one build direction per day. Decide whether the current day is about resources, buildings, hero power, relic value, or recovery.
  3. Convert mined resources before night. Unspent resources are potential, not defense.
  4. Let hero powers support the board. If a hero power does not cover your weakest point, delay that plan.
  5. After a failed wave, name the failure. Damage, control, economy, timing, and bad spending require different fixes.

First Night Readiness Check

Before the first night, do a short readiness check instead of judging the day by how deep the mine route went. A beginner-safe day ends with one answer already converted into surface power.

CheckReady signIf missingWhy it matters
Spend targetYou know which building, hero job, or upgrade the day funded.Stop digging and convert resources before night starts.A vague mining day usually becomes a night with no answer.
Early pressure answerThe first enemies have a clear damage, control, or blocking answer.Buy the boring survival fix before chasing deeper resources.The run cannot reach scaling if the first pressure point breaks through.
Hero roleThe hero supports the weakest part of the board.Use the hero to cover the wave problem, not the flashiest effect.Hero power is easiest to evaluate when it has one job.
Next-day lessonYou know what to watch during the wave: early break, late collapse, or unused resources.Pick one failure label before changing the next route.The first night is also a scouting report for the second day.

Mining Route Rules

Mining is the engine of the run, but it should not be treated as separate from defense. Before digging deeper, ask what the next layer of mining is supposed to buy. If the answer is unclear, use the day to improve the surface plan instead. The mine route must always lead back to wave survival: resources by day only matter if they become structures, heroes, or recovery before the next night punishes you.

QuestionBeginner answerWhy
Should I keep digging?Only if the next resources solve the next wave or upgrade plan.Depth without conversion makes the night harder to recover from.
Should I spend now?Spend when the upgrade answers a visible weakness.Hold The Mine rewards run direction more than random purchases.
Should I chase relics or buildings?Choose the option that changes the next two nights, not only the current screen.Unique effects matter most when they fit the run you are already building.
Should I use perks as the main plan?Use perks as support until you know which failures keep repeating.Meta progression helps future runs, but it does not replace wave diagnosis.

Buildings, Heroes, Perks, and Relics

The Early Access version has enough systems that a beginner can lose by spreading resources too widely. Buildings can create unique effects, heroes bring powers, relics can reshape a run, and perks affect future attempts. Treat these as layers, not as separate shopping lists. First choose the immediate problem, then pick the layer that solves it with the least waste.

SystemUse it forBeginner ruleAvoid
BuildingsSurface defense, economy shape, and run synergies.Build around the next wave first.Collecting effects that do not work together.
HeroesCovering gaps with powers and battle pressure.Choose the hero plan that fixes your weakest phase.Changing heroes or powers without knowing why the wave failed.
RelicsPivots and stronger long-run identity.Take relics that reinforce your current route.Taking every unusual relic because it looks rare.
PerksMeta progression and future-run direction.Spend perk points after identifying repeated failures.Assuming perks will fix bad day/night decisions.

Wave Survival Failure Checks

ProblemLikely causeFixNext page
You die with resources unspent.Mining was not converted into survival before night.End the next day with one clear defensive spend.Game guides
The same wave type keeps breaking through.Your buildings or hero powers do not answer that pressure.Change one layer of the plan instead of restarting the whole build.Upgrade Priority
Runs feel strong early but collapse later.You pushed depth or economy before your wave plan scaled.Spend one day stabilizing defense before going deeper.Mining Route
New perks do not improve results.Meta progression is supporting an unclear strategy.Pick perks after writing down your most common failure.Upgrade Priority

FAQ

Should I mine deeper on the first run?

Only if the next resources become useful before the next wave. If you cannot name the spend, deeper mining is usually just a delayed loss.

What should I fix after a failed night?

Fix the failure type, not the whole build. Early breakthrough needs immediate pressure. Late collapse needs scaling. Losing with resources unspent needs earlier conversion.

Are perks enough to carry weak runs?

No. Perks help future attempts, but they do not replace a day route that prepares for the next night. Use perks after you know what keeps killing the run.

Keep Mining, Spending, and Wave Prep Connected

A useful first-run route turns each mining day into a building, hero upgrade, or survival tool before the next night. When balance changes, keep that connection intact and adjust the spend that answers the failed wave.

Related Guides

Use the Hold The Mine guides. Read the Mining Route Guide for limited expedition decisions. Read the Buildings and Heroes Guide when your structures and hero powers are not supporting the same plan. Read the Upgrade Priority Guide for spending decisions. Read the Wave Survival Guide for diagnosing failed nights.