Some recommendations are strategic rather than mandatory. Exact upgrade costs, map layouts, enemy timing, and gadget offers vary by run, keeper, difficulty, and platform.
Fast answer
The answer before the background
Begin with the Engineer in Relic Hunt on a normal map. Mine a short route beneath the dome, collect nearby iron, and return early enough to defend without panic. Spend the first resources on movement and mining efficiency, then buy one dependable weapon upgrade and enough dome durability to survive mistakes. After each wave, extend one tunnel, bring home visible resources, and stop mining as soon as the next attack is due. Once normal runs feel consistent, learn gadgets, then try Assignments and Prestige rather than jumping straight into the hardest modifiers.
START HERE
A reliable first-run plan
Choose the Engineer for your first several attempts. Its straightforward drilling and carrying make it easier to learn the central rhythm: mine during the quiet period, defend during the wave, and spend resources between both jobs. The Assessor is also available as a base-game keeper, but its floating movement and orb-based mining require more control. The Infiltrator and Beastmaster are DLC keepers with different movement and transport systems, so save them for experimentation unless you already understand the basic loop.
On the first trip, do not tunnel toward the deepest visible area. Clear a compact route below the dome and take resources that are close enough to deliver before the warning becomes urgent. Return with something useful rather than staying out for one more tile. At the dome, buy a modest movement or mining improvement, then prioritize a weapon upgrade if the next wave is becoming difficult. A faster keeper creates value on every future trip, but an underpowered dome can erase that advantage in one attack.
- Before mining, note which weapon you are using and where its aiming controls feel comfortable.
- Leave a simple route back to the dome instead of creating disconnected pockets of tunnels.
- Carry resources home in small, frequent deliveries until you know the wave timing.
- When a relic objective becomes reachable, prepare your defenses first; bringing it home is usually the run’s most dangerous phase.
| Early priority | Why it matters | When to delay it |
|---|---|---|
| Movement or mining | Shortens every expedition and improves resource income. | Delay a level if the next wave is already threatening the dome. |
| Weapon reliability | Prevents damage from snowballing during stronger waves. | Do not chase an expensive branch while basic damage or coverage is weak. |
| Dome durability or repair | Gives you room to survive missed targets and late returns. | Avoid spending heavily on defense if your mining speed is still extremely poor. |
A resource left in the mine is not useful until it reaches the dome. The safest run is usually the one that makes several efficient deliveries rather than one greedy expedition.
THE CORE LOOP
How to balance mining and defense
Every cycle asks you to trade time for resources. Mining farther can reveal better deposits, gadgets, or the relic, but the next wave continues to approach whether you are ready or not. Use the warning indicators and audio cues as a hard deadline. If you are carrying resources when the warning becomes serious, head home immediately instead of trying to finish a large cluster.
Build connected routes that let you reach several branches from one central passage. Mine through ordinary rock efficiently, but avoid wasting early time on awkward detours. When you find a gadget or a new area, remember its position and return after the next wave if the trip would make you late. Your objective is not to expose every tile; it is to improve the dome faster than the monsters improve.
During defense, focus first on enemies that can damage the dome quickly or are difficult to intercept later. Keep your weapon moving between targets rather than firing continuously at a harmless enemy. If your dome has taken damage, consider repair or durability upgrades before another greedy mining investment. Surviving with fewer resources is better than losing the run while carrying a large haul.
- Use short mining trips early and longer trips only after movement and weapon strength improve.
- Stop digging when you are carrying a meaningful load; extra resources are not worth a late return.
- After each wave, decide whether the next purchase fixes mining speed, combat weakness, or survivability.
- Keep enough iron available for an emergency purchase instead of spending every resource immediately.
| Situation | Best response |
|---|---|
| You are returning late with resources | Drop the resource route and reach the dome; survival takes priority. |
| The dome is losing health each wave | Buy defense or weapon improvements before deeper mining upgrades. |
| Mining feels slow but defense is stable | Improve movement, drill performance, or keeper-specific transport. |
| You found the relic early | Return safely, then strengthen the dome before attempting the final extraction. |
The most common failure is treating the mine as permanent territory. It is temporary income. If a trip delays defense, the resources you found may never be spent.
PROGRESSION
What to unlock and when
Use ordinary Relic Hunt runs to learn one dome, one keeper, and one primary weapon at a time. Changing every option after each defeat makes it difficult to identify the real problem. Once you can survive several waves and bring home the relic with reasonable consistency, add a new keeper or dome and compare how the economy changes.
Prestige is a scoring mode rather than a forgiving introduction. It rewards sending home resources while waves become increasingly difficult, so it is better approached after you understand normal survival and can judge when an expedition is profitable. Guild Assignments alter the standard rules with special conditions and badge rewards. Read the assignment condition before choosing upgrades; a build that is excellent in Relic Hunt may be poor when transport, weapons, or resources are restricted.
Achievements and trophies are best treated as a long-term checklist. Some will happen naturally, while others require specific keepers, gadgets, modes, or unusual decisions. Do not distort every early run around one achievement. Make a separate achievement attempt once you know the map loop and have enough unlocked options to support it.
- First, become consistent in Relic Hunt with the Engineer and a familiar weapon.
- Next, test the Assessor and alternate dome types to learn different economies.
- Then attempt Assignments with conditions that match your strongest keeper and weapon.
- Try Prestige after you can identify when to mine for score and when to return for survival.
- Use community guides for obscure achievement conditions, but verify them against the current game version.
| Stage | Goal | Recommended focus |
|---|---|---|
| Learning | Survive and understand timing. | Engineer, normal Relic Hunt, compact routes. |
| Improving | Win with different setups. | Assessor, alternate domes, gadget choices. |
| Challenge | Adapt to restrictions. | Guild Assignments and selected modifiers. |
| Mastery | Optimize risk and score. | Prestige, multiplayer roles, and achievement attempts. |
The game supports online and local cooperative play, as well as versus modes. In co-op, agree on mining routes and upgrade priorities before the run begins; two players spending resources independently can leave both mining and defense underdeveloped.
COMMON MISTAKES
Fix these habits first
Do not buy only mining upgrades. Better income cannot compensate for a weapon that cannot handle the next wave. Likewise, do not spend every early resource on dome health while moving and drilling remain painfully slow. Aim for a balanced build in which each purchase either improves future income, prevents damage, or reduces the time needed to return.
Do not carry a large pile of resources through a dangerous route just because the deposit is nearby. If the return path is blocked or the wave is imminent, abandon the trip. Do not ignore gadgets because their use feels unusual; many are strong precisely because they change how you move resources or control enemies. Test them in a safe run before deciding they are weak.
Finally, do not copy a build from a forum post without checking its assumptions. Strategy discussions may describe a different patch, keeper, map size, or multiplayer setup. Community advice is useful for ideas, but your own run statistics and failure points are better evidence for what to buy next.
- Avoid exploring deep branches before improving your return speed.
- Avoid unlocking a complicated secondary weapon when your primary weapon is still unreliable.
- Avoid starting a relic extraction immediately after a costly wave unless the dome is ready.
- Avoid treating an achievement guide or Reddit strategy as universal without checking its date and conditions.
If you die while mining, improve route planning and movement. If you die during combat, improve weapon coverage or damage. If you survive but cannot reach the relic, improve the economy and timing of your entire route.
FAQ
Common questions
Which keeper should a beginner choose?
Start with the Engineer because its drilling, movement, and resource carrying are easy to understand. Move to the Assessor after you are comfortable with the mining-and-defense cycle. The DLC keepers are worth learning later because their transport and movement mechanics change the basic routine.
What should I upgrade first?
Buy a small amount of movement or mining efficiency, then make sure your weapon can handle the next wave. Add dome durability or repair when missed enemies are causing repeated damage. There is no universal order because the map, weapon, and incoming enemies change each run.
How do I play multiplayer effectively?
Use the online or local co-op mode, assign clear mining and defense responsibilities, and agree on purchases before spending shared resources. One player can scout or mine while the other prepares the weapon, but both players should return before the wave rather than assuming the other person will cover the dome.
When should I try Prestige?
Try it after you can reliably survive Relic Hunt and understand when a mining trip is worth its risk. Prestige emphasizes score and increasingly difficult waves, so a survival-first mindset is useful for learning but will not automatically produce a strong score.
Are achievement and trophy requirements the same on every platform?
Do not assume they are. Achievement lists and update timing can differ between platforms or editions, and some community guides may be outdated. Check the current in-game achievement list and confirm unusual requirements before committing to a specialized run.
Sources
What we checked
Official listings establish current availability and product facts. Community pages are used for mechanics and build history, then labeled separately.
- OfficialOfficial Steam store page
- OfficialOfficial multiplayer announcement
- OfficialOfficial patch notes and announcements
- CommunityCommunity reference: Keepers
- CommunityCommunity reference: Guild Assignments