📖 Mining Don'ts: Underground Survivor Secrets for Don't Starve
Don't Starve: Ultimate Mining Guide
A comprehensive guide to mining in Don't Starve & Don't Starve Together - Updated 2025
Table of Contents
Mining is a core survival activity in Don't Starve (DS) and Don't Starve Together (DST). Whether solo or with friends, breaking rocks yields vital resources like flint, rocks, gold, and rare materials for advanced crafting. This guide covers updated mining mechanics, tools, cave biomes, and strategies (through mid-2025) for both single-player and DST multiplayer.
Essential Tools and Gear for Mining
-Pickaxes and Multi-Tools
Pickaxe
Basic mining tool: 2 Twigs + 2 Flint
- 33 uses (each swing = 1% durability)
- Deals 27.2 damage to creatures
- Mines boulders in 6 hits
Opulent Pickaxe
Golden pickaxe: 2 Twigs + 4 Gold
- 66 uses (lasts twice as long)
- Mines slightly faster
- Requires Alchemy Engine to prototype
Pick/Axe (Ancient Multi-Tool)
Dual-purpose: 1 Luxury Axe + 1 Opulent Pickaxe + 2 Thulecite
- Combines axe and pickaxe in one tool
- High durability (combined uses)
- Requires Ancient Pseudoscience Station
- In DST, can be taken to surface
Lighting Options Underground
Miner Hat
Hands-free light: 1 Straw Hat + 1 Firefly + 2 Gold
- Worn on head, frees hands for tools
- Lasts 2.5 minutes per fuel unit
- Uses Fireflies (DS) or Light Bulbs (DST)
Lantern
Placeable light: 2 Twigs + 2 Light Bulbs + 1 Rope
- Can be placed on ground while lit
- Provides 360° light
- Refueled with Light Bulbs or Glow Berries
Moggles
Night vision goggles: (Requires Prestihatitator + Aloy in DST)
- See in the dark in monochrome
- Run on Glow Berries (~1.5 minutes each)
- Great for mapping caves
Protective Gear
Football Helmet
Head protection: 1 Pig Skin + 1 Rope
- 80% damage reduction
- Prevents stun from falling rocks (DST)
- Can be worn with a backpack
Thulecite Crown
Advanced helm: Thulecite + Nightmare Fuel
- Absorbs damage + has shield effect
- Allows wearing backpack simultaneously
- Requires Ancient Pseudoscience Station
Mining Targets and Resources
-Surface Boulders and Rocks
Regular Boulder
Gray rocks in Forests, Savannas, Rockyland biomes
- Drops: 3 Rocks
- 1-2 Flint (60% chance for second)
- 1-2 Nitre (25% chance for second)
Gold Vein Boulder
Boulders with gold streaks in Rocky biomes
- Drops: 3 Rocks
- 1-2 Flint (60% chance for second)
- 1-2 Gold Nugget (25% chance for second)
Flintless Boulder
Dark rocks in Desert or Mosaic biomes
- Drops: 4-5 Rocks (60% chance for extra)
- No flint
- Sometimes Nitre instead of flint
Cave and Ruins Mining Targets
Stalagmites
Cave boulders in various shapes and sizes
- Drops: ~3 Rocks, 1-2 Flint, 1-2 Gold
- 5% chance for Blue Gem, 5% for Red Gem
- In DST: 10% for Fossil Fragments
- Tall Stalagmites can drop logs (5% chance)
Spilagmites (Spider Stalagmites)
Web-covered stalagmites in Spider Cave areas
- Spawn Cave Spiders or Spitters
- 100% chance for Fossil Fragment in DST
- Also drops rocks/flint and sometimes gems
- Best source for fossils (Fuelweaver assembly)
Thulecite Walls & Statues
Ancient structures in the Ruins
- Yield Thulecite Fragments when mined
- Ancient Statues drop Gems & Nightmare Fuel
- Some statues in Atrium drop Shadow Atrium
- Required for crafting ancient magic items
Cave Biomes and Mining Hotspots
-Rocky Plains Cave Biome
The motherlode for cave mining - rich in flint, gold, and gems.
Find Here:
- Stalagmites (many)
- Rock Lobster herds
- Entrance to Ruins (often)
Hazards:
- Depths Worms attacks
- Slurtles and Snurtles
- Earthquakes (falling rocks)
Mud Light Biome
Supply zone for light bulbs - not great for mining minerals.
Find Here:
- Light Flowers (many)
- Bunny Hutches
- Green Mushtrees
- Few stalagmites at edges
Hazards:
- Bunnymen (hostile if you carry meat)
- Beardlords during full moon
Spider Cave Biome
Dangerous but lucrative for fossil fragments.
Find Here:
- Spilagmites (guaranteed fossils in DST)
- Cave Spiders and Spitters
- Spider Eggs
Hazards:
- Cave Spiders (swarm easily)
- Spitters (ranged attacks)
- Sticky web (slows movement)
Ancient Ruins
Primary source of Thulecite and rare gems.
Find Here:
- Thulecite Walls and Pillars
- Ancient Statues (with gems)
- Clockwork monsters
- Ancient Pseudoscience Station
Hazards:
- Constant sanity drain
- Nightmare Phases (shadow creatures)
- Clockwork monsters (knights, bishops, rooks)
- Depth Worm waves
Hazards and How to Handle Them
-Darkness (Charlie)
The ever-present threat when mining at night or in caves.
How to Handle:
- Always have multiple light sources
- Refuel Miner Hat at >5% (goes dark at 0%)
- Miner Hat + Lantern combo is reliable
- If hit once by Charlie, immediately light anything
- Never drop below two light sources in your kit
Earthquakes
Random cave events causing falling debris that damages and stuns.
How to Handle:
- Wear a Football Helmet (negates most damage & stun)
- Keep moving - don't stand still mining
- Watch for shadows of falling objects
- After quakes, collect free resources scattered on ground
- Stay away from chasms during quakes (items might fall in)
Depths Worms
Cave version of hound waves. Each worm does 75 damage per hit.
How to Handle:
- Listen for distant rumbling/growling sounds
- Prepare as you would for hounds - armor up
- Kite: dodge the lunge then hit 1-2 times
- Lead worms to Rock Lobsters or Bunnymen
- Place tooth traps in common mining spots
- They drop Glow Berries (for Moggles fuel)
Splumonkeys
Thieving primates that steal your items - most annoying hazard for miners.
How to Handle:
- Avoid their biome or neutralize them
- Drop decoys (rot or rocks) away from you
- Wear a Bone Helm (monkeys ignore you)
- Destroy their pods with a hammer
- Use gunpowder traps as last resort
- Stay sane! Shadow Splumonkeys are deadly!
Special Feature: Rock Lobsters
Rock Lobsters are unique cave-dwelling mobs that can be both helpful allies and a source of infinite rocks.
Properties:
- Spawn in Rocky biomes of caves in small herds
- Eat minerals from the ground (Rocks, Flint, Gold, Gems)
- Can multiply and grow in size over time
- Fully grown has 1800 HP and hits for 50+ damage
How to Use Them:
- Feed any mineral to recruit for ~2.5 minutes per item
- Use as meat shields against cave bosses
- They have 95% damage reduction when wounded
- Can follow to surface in DS (careful of overpopulation)
- When killed, drop 1-2 Rocks, 1-2 Flint, and 1 Meat
- Never attack one without a clear plan!
Key Uses of Mined Materials
-Flint
The cornerstone of early tools.
Key Uses:
- Basic tools: Axe, Pickaxe, Shovel, Spear
- Ammo for Walter's Slingshot (DST)
- Trade 10 flint to Pig King for 1 gold (DS)
- Feed Rock Lobsters to breed/befriend them
Tip: Keep at least 5-10 flint on you at all times for emergency tools.
Rocks (Stone)
A fundamental building resource.
Key Uses:
- Fire Pit (12 rocks each)
- Science/Alchemy Machines (cut stone)
- Lightning Rod, Thermal Stones
- Stone Walls for base defense
- Flingomatics and other advanced structures
- In DST, trade 1:1 for gold with Pearl
You'll never have "too many" rocks - they disappear quickly in building projects.
Gold Nuggets
Critical in early-mid game for prototyping and higher-tier items.
Key Uses:
- Science Machine (1), Alchemy Engine (4 for doodads)
- Lightning Rod (2), Ice Flingomatic (2 in doodads)
- Gold Tools: Luxury Axe, Opulent Pickaxe (2 gold each)
- Weapons: Ham Bat, Morning Star, Bat Bat (2 each)
- Walking Cane (2 gold, top-tier utility item)
- Wigfrid's Battle Spear, Winona's Catapult
Always keep a stack of gold handy for tools and repairs.
Gems
Gems are primarily for magic and crafting advanced items.
Key Uses:
- Red: Fire Staff, Night Light, can combine with Blue for Purple
- Blue: Ice Staff, combine for Purple Gem
- Purple: Shadow Manipulator, Nightmare Amulet, Telelocator
- Green: Construction Amulet (reduced crafting costs)
- Yellow: Star Caller's Staff, Magiluminescence (speed + light)
- Orange: Lazy Forager (auto-pickup items), Lazy Explorer
Green gems are arguably the most valuable for resource savings.
Thulecite
Ancient magical alloy for end-game gear.
Key Uses:
- Thulecite Crown (absorbs sanity damage)
- Thulecite Suit (powerful armor)
- Thulecite Club (summons shadow tentacles)
- Lazy Explorer (teleporting cane)
- The Pick/Axe (dual mining tool)
- Construction Amulet (1 Thulecite cost)
Thulecite is rare - prioritize craft items that matter most (Lazy Explorer and Crown top picks).
Tips, Tricks, and Mods for the Avid Miner
-Best Season to Mine
Summer is ideal for cave mining - you avoid heat and surface risks. Autumn is best for surface boulder mining. Winter cave mining requires a thermal stone. Avoid mining in heavy rain without protection.
Action Queue Mining
Enable ActionQueue mod (DST) or use controller to automatically mine multiple boulders. On PC, hold Spacebar to auto-mine nearby objects. Use carefully in spider areas to avoid accidental attacks.
Gunpowder Mining
Use Gunpowder (1 Nitre + 1 Rotten Egg + 1 Charcoal) to blast clusters of boulders. Each gunpowder does 200 damage (boulders have 500 health). Great for quickly clearing petrified forests. Wear protection for explosions!
Cave Base Camp
Establish a small outpost in caves for repeated mining runs. Include a fire pit, chests, crockpot, and Lightning Rod. Place lanterns on hooks or use Mushroom Lamps for permanent light. Makes deep mining more convenient.
Inventory Management
Pre-build structures with rocks to save inventory space. In DST, use Bundling Wrap (4 Wax Paper) to bundle up to 160 rocks in one slot. Consider "drop and ferry" technique for massive hauls. In DST, shuttle items up a rope by dropping them near the exit.
Know When to Bail
Don't push your luck in caves. If your last lantern is under 10%, or your pickaxe breaks with no crafting materials, head back. Better to make multiple safe trips than become another cave skeleton! In DST, communicate with your team about resources and threats.
Recommended Mods for Mining
Geometric Placement
Helps align structures on a grid. Great for placing chests/campfires at mining outposts.
MiniMap HUD
Shows map overlay to avoid constantly checking map in darkness.
ActionQueue
Drag-select multiple objects to auto-queue mining them. Huge time-saver.
Combined Status
Better HUD readout with exact percentages for light and tool durability.
Global Positions
In DST, see teammates and ping locations of mineral deposits.
Mining Calculator & Planner
-Plan your mining expedition with this calculator. Enter the number of boulders you plan to mine and see what resources you'll need and get.
Expedition Inputs
Expedition Results
Tools Needed:
Expected Resources:
Flint: 0
Gold: 0
Nitre: 0
Gems: 0
Inventory Space:
(backpack recommended: no)