📖 Don't Mine Alone: Rocks, Regrets & Survival Secrets

Mining Guide: Don't Starve & Don't Starve Together

Everything you need to know about mining for resources to survive the constant

📌 Essential Tools and Gear for Mining

Pickaxes and Multi-Tools

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Pickaxe

Basic mining tool crafted from 2 Twigs + 2 Flint. Has 33 uses and deals 27.2 damage to creatures. Mines boulders in 6 hits.

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Opulent Pickaxe

Golden pickaxe requiring 2 Twigs + 4 Gold. Lasts twice as long (66 uses) and mines slightly faster. Worth crafting once you have a Science Machine.

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Pick/Axe (Ancient Multi-Tool)

Dual-purpose tool from the Ancient Pseudoscience Station in the Ruins. Costs 1 Luxury Axe + 1 Opulent Pickaxe + 2 Thulecite. Combines axe and pickaxe with high durability.

Lighting Options Underground

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Miner Hat

Hat slot item (1 Straw Hat + 1 Firefly + 2 Gold) providing hands-free light. Lasts 2.5 minutes per fuel unit and frees your hands for tools.

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Lantern

Crafted from 2 Twigs + 2 Light Bulbs + 1 Rope. Hand-held light that can be placed on the ground while lit. Provides 360° light and easily refueled with Light Bulbs.

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Torch

Hand-held light lasting only 1 minute (2 Twigs + 2 Grass). Occupies your hand, requiring you to swap to pickaxe to mine, plunging you into darkness momentarily.

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Moggles

Magical goggle item that lets you see in the dark without hands, but in monochrome. Runs on Glow Berries for ~1.5 minutes each.

Protective Gear and Inventory Aids

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Armor

Football Helmet (80% damage reduction) or Log Suit (80% reduction) for protection. Armor prevents most damage from cave-ins and protects during fights.

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Backpack vs. Armor

Backpack increases carrying capacity but takes up body armor slot. Consider Thulecite Crown as head armor to maintain backpack use, or switch to armor when danger appears.

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Chester and Hutch

Friendly mobile chests that follow you. Chester (surface) and Hutch (underground) each hold 9 items. Use them to store heavy minerals while keeping your inventory free.

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Beefalo Mount (DST)

Domesticated Beefalo can be ridden into caves for speed and safety. Provides fast movement, frees your hands, and can tank some damage for you.

🪨 Mining Targets and Resources

Surface Boulders and Rocks

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Regular Boulders

Drop 3 Rocks, 1 Flint (60% chance for a second Flint), and 1 Nitre (25% chance for a second). Primary source of Rocks for early construction.

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Gold Vein Boulders

Have gold streaks and yield 3 Rocks, 1 Flint, and 1-2 Gold Nuggets. Critical for Science Machines, gold tools, and various crafting recipes.

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Flintless Boulders

Drop 4-5 Rocks and no flint. May drop Nitre instead. Found in Desert or Mosaic biomes, useful when you need more rocks than flint.

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Meteor Boulders & Moon Rocks

In DST, meteor showers create special boulders that drop Moon Rocks. Used for portal upgrades, Moon Dial, and Moon Lenses for map markers.

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Petrified Trees

In DST, trees can turn to stone after day 36. Mining yields Rocks, Flint, and Nitre. Excellent renewable source of materials.

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Ice (Mini Glaciers)

Spawn in winter and melt in summer. Mining gives 1-3 Ice pieces, valuable for Ice Cubes (summer insulation) and Flingomatics.

Cave and Ruins Mining Targets

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Stalagmites

Cave boulders that yield ~3 Rocks, 1-2 Flint, 1-2 Gold Nuggets, and rare gems (5% chance for Blue/Red Gems). In DST, 10% chance to drop Fossil Fragments.

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Spilagmites (Spider Stalagmites)

Web-covered stalagmites that spawn spiders. When mined, they drop a Fossil Fragment in DST (100% chance) along with rocks/flint and sometimes gems.

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Thulecite Walls and Ancient Statues

Found in the Ruins. Yield Thulecite Fragments when mined. Ancient Statues drop Gems (Purple, Yellow, Green, Orange) and Nightmare Fuel when hammered.

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Basalt

Unbreakable without console commands or specific bosses like Toadstool in DST. If your pickaxe "clangs" and does nothing, it's an indestructible structure.

Special Materials (2024-2025 Updates)

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Dreadstone & Nightmare Fissures

New resource from the From Beyond updates. Mine Dreadstone Outcrops that appear when Shadow Rifts open in caves. Used for Dreadstone Armor and Walls.

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Brightshade Geodes

Appear after Moonstorm events on the surface. Brightshade husks are mined to yield materials for Brightshade armor/weapons with planar damage.

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Acid Rain and Nitre Formations

Added in the 2024 "Scrappy Scavengers" update. Acid rain in caves damages players but causes Nitre Formations on ponds that can be mined for nitre.

🗺️ Best Mining Spots and Biomes

Surface Biomes for Mining

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Rocky Biome (Stonefield)

Barren gray areas with numerous boulders and Tallbird nests. Prime location for both regular and gold-vein boulders. Watch out for territorial Tallbirds.

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Desert (Oasis & Dragonfly)

Plenty of Flintless Boulders yielding rocks and nitre. Beware of Hound Mounds and the Dragonfly boss. Antlion causes sinkholes in summer if not appeased.

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Mosaic Biome

Mixed turf area with occasional boulders and sometimes special "Suspicious Boulders" containing gems. In DST, known for meteors after day 50+.

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Cave Entrances (Sinkholes)

Surrounded by a ring of boulders and guano. Easy early source of rocks and gold, but opening releases swarms of Batilisks at dusk.

Cave Biomes and Mining Hotspots

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"Rocky Plains" Cave Biome

Features rocky turf, lots of Stalagmites, and Rock Lobster herds. Prime location for flint, gold, and gems. Beware of Depths Worms and Slurtles.

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Mud Light Biome

Has mud turf, Light Flowers, and Bunny Hutches. Fewer stalagmites but abundant Light Bulbs for fueling lanterns/miner hats. Bunnymen become hostile if you carry meat.

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Blue Mushtree Forest

Blue glowing mushrooms and ponds. Few stalagmites but wild resources like Berry Bushes and Carrots. Watch for Dangling Depth Dwellers hanging from the ceiling.

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Spider Cave Biome

Sticky web turf with Spilagmites and Spider Eggs. Hazardous but rich in Fossils (100% drop from Spilagmites in DST). Bring armor and weapons.

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Ancient Ruins

End-game mining heaven with Thulecite Walls, Pillars, Ancient Statues, and Gems. Beware of constant sanity drain and periodic Nightmare Phases with shadow creatures.

⚠️ Hazards and How to Handle Them

Mining Safety 101

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Darkness (Charlie)

Danger: Attacks in darkness, dealing increasing damage.

Solution: Always carry multiple light sources. Refuel at >5% remaining. If hit, immediately light anything.

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Earthquakes

Danger: Falling rocks deal up to 50 damage and can stun you.

Solution: Wear armor (especially Football Helmet) and keep moving to dodge falling objects. Afterwards, collect the resources that drop.

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Depths Worms

Danger: Cave version of hound waves. Each worm deals 75 damage per hit.

Solution: Listen for rumbling. Prepare with armor and weapons. Kite them or lead them to Rock Lobsters/Bunnymen. They drop valuable Glow Berries.

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Shadow Creatures

Danger: Appear when sanity is low or during Nightmare Phases in Ruins.

Solution: Maintain sanity with cooked Green Caps, Jerky, or Tam o' Shanter. Consider Nightmare Armor for intentional shadow farming.

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Splumonkeys

Danger: Steal items, including your precious minerals and light sources.

Solution: Avoid their biome, or distract them with decoys (drop items away from you). Destroy pods or wear Bone Helm if available. Stay sane, as Shadow Splumonkeys are deadly.

Rock Lobsters: Friend or Foe?

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About Rock Lobsters

Rock Lobsters are cave creatures that look like rocky crustaceans. They spawn in Rocky biomes of caves in small herds and are naturally neutral.

Benefits
  • Can be recruited as followers by feeding them minerals
  • Excellent combat allies against cave enemies (1800 HP, 50+ damage)
  • Hide in shell for 95% damage reduction when wounded
  • Can follow you to the surface in DS
  • When killed, drop 1-2 Rocks, 1-2 Flint, and 1 Meat
Risks
  • If attacked, the entire herd becomes hostile
  • Can multiply out of control, especially on surface
  • Uncontrolled breeding causes lag and can consume mineral resources
  • Hard to kill due to high health and defense

Tip: Use Rock Lobsters as cave allies but be cautious about bringing them to the surface. If population grows too large, kill them one by one away from the herd.

💎 Key Uses of Mined Materials

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Rocks (Stone)

Fundamental building resource for:

  • Fire Pit (12 rocks)
  • Crock Pot (3 Cut Stone = 12 rocks)
  • Science/Alchemy Machines
  • Ice Box, Lightning Rod
  • Stone Walls for base defense

Tip: You'll never have "too many" rocks – they're consumed quickly in building projects.

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Gold Nuggets

Critical for technology and advanced items:

  • Science Machine (1 gold)
  • Alchemy Engine (4 gold for doodads)
  • Lightning Rod (2 gold)
  • Gold tools (Luxury Axe, Opulent Pickaxe)
  • Walking Cane (2 gold) - top-tier speed item

Tip: Always keep a stack of gold handy for tool replacements and unexpected crafting.

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Flint

Cornerstone of early tools:

  • Basic tools (Axe, Pickaxe, Shovel)
  • Spear (needs 1 flint)
  • Ammo for Walter's Slingshot in DST
  • Can be traded to Pig King (10:1 for gold) in DS

Tip: Keep 5-10 flint on you at all times for emergency tools.

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Nitre

Lesser-used but valuable resource:

  • Gunpowder (1 Nitre + 1 Rotten Egg + 1 Charcoal)
  • Booster Shot (DST only, restores max health)
  • Endothermic Fire (2 Nitre + 2 cut grass)
  • Summer cooling solutions

Tip: Save 10-20 nitre for summer fires and 10+ for gunpowder crafting.

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Gems (Various)

Magical components for advanced items:

  • Red: Fire Staff, can combine with Blue for Purple
  • Blue: Ice Staff, freezes mobs
  • Purple: Shadow Manipulator, Nightmare Amulet
  • Green: Construction Amulet (lowers craft costs)
  • Yellow: Star Caller's Staff, Magiluminescence
  • Orange: Lazy Forager (auto-loot in radius)

Tip: Green gems are arguably most valuable - they save resources in crafting.

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Thulecite & Fragments

Ancient magical alloy for end-game gear:

  • Thulecite Crown (absorbs sanity damage)
  • Thulecite Suit (armor)
  • Thulecite Club (summons shadow tentacles)
  • Lazy Explorer (teleporting cane)
  • The Pick/Axe multi-tool

Tip: Thulecite is limited - prioritize Lazy Explorer and Crown first.

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Moon Glass & Moon Rocks

DST-specific lunar resources:

  • Moon Rocks: Portal upgrades for character swapping
  • Moonlenses (map markers visible to all players)
  • Moon Dial and Celestial Altar repairs
  • Glass Cutters (15 damage weapon vs shadow)

Tip: If playing multiplayer long-term, gather moon rocks for portal upgrades.

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Salt Crystals

Ocean-mined spice in DST:

  • Seasoning Station (for Warly's spices)
  • Salt Lick (keeps beefalo domesticated)
  • Seasonings: Garlic Spice (defense), Chili (damage)

Tip: Salt Lick is essential if you have a beefalo pet to prevent loss of domestication.

🔍 Tips, Tricks, and Mods

General Mining Tips

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Best Season to Mine

Summer is ideal for cave mining as you avoid heat on the surface. Autumn is safest for surface mining with mild weather. Avoid extensive mining in rain without protection, as wetness affects tools.

Action Queue (Speed Mining)

Enable the ActionQueue mod in DST or hold Spacebar to auto-mine the next nearby object. Use carefully in dangerous areas to avoid accidentally attacking monsters.

Gunpowder Mining

For mass mining, gunpowder can blast clusters of boulders or petrified trees. Not resource-efficient but saves time and tool durability. Wear protection, as explosions can hurt you.

Healing while Mining

Bring basic healing for cave trips - Pierogi, Honey Poultices, or Cooked Blue Caps (heal 20HP). Each character's perks can help sustain longer mining trips (e.g., Wigfrid gains health on kills).

Base Camp Underground

Establish a small outpost in caves for repeated mining runs. Include a fire pit, chests, maybe a crockpot, and a Lightning Rod. This makes deep mining more convenient with a place to regroup.

Know When to Bail

Don't push your luck when resources are low. If your light source is under 10% or your pickaxe breaks with no spares, head back. Make multiple safe trips rather than risking everything on one extended expedition.

Recommended Mods

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Geometric Placement

Aligns structures on a grid. Great for placing chests/campfires at your mining outpost neatly.

MiniMap HUD

Shows the map in a small overlay, useful underground to avoid constantly checking map in the dark.

Combined Status / Status Plus

Gives better HUD readouts with exact percentages for light, temperature, etc. Know precisely when lantern will expire.

ActionQueue

Allows drag-selecting multiple objects to mine automatically. Huge time-saver for large petrified forests or boulder fields.

Global Positions

In DST, lets everyone see each other on the map. Helpful for team mining - ping where gold vein patches are or where base camp is.

Conclusion

Mining in Don't Starve and Don't Starve Together is about equipping right, knowing your environment, and managing risk versus reward. With recent updates bringing even more depth underground, mastering mining means steady access to the resources that fuel all other progression.

Use this guide as a reference to plan your spelunking voyages: arm yourself with the best tools and light, pick the season and biome wisely, and make allies of the creatures who won't eat you (Rock Lobsters are buds, Splumonkeys... not so much).

Now grab that pickaxe – it's rock o'clock! Good luck, and may your pockets be ever full of gold nuggets and your path lit by glowing fungi.

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