The final relic and some special cave rewards reveal progression and victory information.
Fast answer
The answer before the background
Dome Keeper’s usable finds fall into four groups: primary gadgets chosen before a run, additional gadgets recovered from mine chambers, supplements that improve your keeper, dome, weapon or gadgets, and cave rewards such as buffs, helpers and bombs. To obtain most discoveries, mine through their distinctive chamber tiles, carry the object back to the dome, then choose the offered reward. In Relic Hunt, the final relic is a separate objective: activate every node, clear the relic chamber, pick up the relic and return it to the dome to begin the final wave.
How discoveries work
Where to find equipment and map items
Normal resources are not the only useful things beneath the dome. Procedurally generated maps can contain caves, gadget chambers, supplement chambers and, in Relic Hunt, the final relic. Gadgets use compact two-by-two chambers hidden behind tougher patterned tiles. Supplements use a larger, distinctive chamber and must be opened with water after excavation.
When you bring a gadget home, the dome offers a selection of gadget choices or an alternative cobalt reward. This is not a permanent collection screen: the gadget must fit an available slot, and several discoveries compete for the same slot. Because of those limits, one run cannot normally install every gadget.
Supplements work differently. Open the chamber with one water, carry the supplement to the dome, and choose from the available upgrade options or take cobalt instead. Their value depends on your current loadout, so a supplement for a gadget you do not own is usually less useful than a keeper, weapon or dome upgrade.
- Look for the special tile patterns rather than digging randomly through every layer.
- Carry discoveries home before the next wave whenever possible; an item left in the mine provides no benefit during the fight.
- Check the slot preview before committing to a gadget, especially for the keeper suit and dome surface slots.
| Discovery | How to obtain it | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Primary gadget | Choose it during loadout selection | Defines a major combat, mining or economy plan |
| Additional gadget | Find its chamber and carry it to the dome | Adds defence, transport, mining, production or utility |
| Supplement | Excavate its chamber, spend one water, then return it | Provides a strong upgrade for an eligible system |
| Cave reward | Find the relevant cave and satisfy its unlock condition | Grants a buff, helper, bomb, resource or unlock |
The chamber rules and reward flow are verified by the reference material. Which discovery is best is a recommendation, not a fixed ranking: a defensive gadget is usually safer early, while transport and mining tools become more valuable when your mine is deep or your keeper is slow.
Usable equipment
Gadget and equipment list by role
Primary gadgets are selected before entering the map. The documented primary choices are Shield, Repellent, Orchard and Droneyard. Shield absorbs damage and recharges between waves; Repellent delays attacks; Orchard supplies temporary movement and mining benefits; Droneyard creates transport and combat drones.
Additional gadgets cover a much larger range of jobs. The maintained gadget list includes Auto Cannon, Blast Mining, Buzz Saw, Condenser, Dome Armor, Drillbert, Drilling Rig, Droneyard, Furnace, Iron Worms, Lift, Missile Launcher, Mushroom Farm, Orchard, Probe, Prospecting Meter, Repellent, Resource Converter, Resource Packer, Shield, Shockwave Hammer, Spire, Stun Laser, Suit Blaster, Teleporter and Underground Station. Some names also appear as primary choices because the game treats primary and additional versions as related equipment categories.
For practical planning, group them by purpose. Auto Cannon, Buzz Saw, Missile Launcher, Shockwave Hammer, Spire and Stun Laser improve combat. Blast Mining, Drillbert, Drilling Rig, Iron Worms, Mushroom Farm and Suit Blaster accelerate excavation. Condenser, Furnace and Resource Converter support resource generation or conversion. Lift, Resource Packer, Teleporter and Underground Station improve movement and transport. Dome Armor and Shield add survivability, while Probe and Prospecting Meter improve information gathering.
- Choose mining equipment when the map has hard rock, long travel routes or a slow keeper.
- Choose transport equipment when resources are plentiful but repeated trips are costing cycles.
- Choose combat equipment when waves are overwhelming your primary weapon or when a gadget can operate without constant control.
- Treat slot conflicts as part of the decision. Finding a new item does not guarantee that it can be installed alongside your current equipment.
| Goal | Good equipment to consider | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Faster excavation | Blast Mining, Drillbert, Drilling Rig, Suit Blaster | Breaks tiles efficiently or adds independent mining power |
| Safer waves | Shield, Dome Armor, Stun Laser, Spire | Reduces damage, blocks threats or controls monsters |
| Better hauling | Lift, Resource Packer, Teleporter, Underground Station | Shortens travel or increases the value of each trip |
| Resource economy | Condenser, Furnace, Resource Converter, Orchard | Creates, refines or multiplies useful resources |
| Finding targets | Probe, Prospecting Meter | Reveals or measures the distance to resources and chambers |
Players sometimes call the dome’s alternative reward the item eater. In practice, the relevant action is shredding or exchanging a recovered gadget or supplement for cobalt instead of installing it. The exact interface wording can vary by version and context, so use the on-screen alternative-reward prompt rather than relying on that nickname.
Caves and special finds
Cave items, bombs and permanent buffs
Caves are separate from gadget and supplement chambers. They appear in several biomes and can contain unusual rewards. Examples include Seed Cave, Squidley, X-ray Cave, Iron Tree Cave, Helmet Extension Cave, Mushroom Cave, Portal Cave, Cobalt Cave, Water Cave and Cross Bomb.
These rewards are usually activated in the mine rather than selected from a normal gadget menu. Seed Cave can grow resources based on nearby deposits. Squidley carries loose resources toward the dome after being released with water. X-ray Cave improves underground vision for the run, while Helmet Extension Cave increases the keeper’s view range. Mushroom Cave provides a reusable speed benefit. Portal Cave helps collect nearby resources.
Cross Bomb is a one-use cave bomb that destroys tiles in a plus-shaped pattern. It is useful for opening a route or clearing a dense area, but it is not the same as the Relic Bomb. The Relic Bomb is a final-wave safety effect tied to the relic objective: if the dome is destroyed during the final wave, the relic can activate and end the wave.
- Use a cave’s unlock cost only when its effect supports your current route or build.
- Carry loose resources near Squidley or a portal-style cave before assuming the cave has done nothing.
- Do not confuse a Cross Bomb with a Relic Bomb; one is a mine-use item and the other is connected to the final relic’s end condition.
| Find | Main effect | Best use case |
|---|---|---|
| Squidley | Carries loose resources to the dome | Long hauling routes and resource-heavy maps |
| X-ray Cave | Improves vision through layers for the run | Locating routes and chambers efficiently |
| Iron Tree Cave | Produces iron over time | Runs that need steady iron income |
| Mushroom Cave | Provides a reusable speed buff | Fast mining or emergency returns |
| Cross Bomb | Destroys tiles in a plus pattern once | Opening a compact path through dense rock |
Pet and event caves are not ordinary run equipment. Some are tied to seasonal content, DLC, or unlock conditions. If one does not appear, that may be intentional rather than a missing map item.
Relic Hunt
How to find the final relic and open it
The final relic is normally placed in the deepest part of a Relic Hunt map inside a large chamber covered by special, tougher tiles. Finding the chamber is not enough. You must excavate its chamber tiles and activate every connected node. Wires provide visual clues, but they may take indirect routes rather than pointing in a straight line.
Node count depends on map size in the documented reference: small maps have two, medium maps three, large maps four and huge maps five. After all nodes are active and the chamber tiles are removed, the opening animation should play. Pick up the relic and carry it back to the dome. Inserting it begins the final wave and counts the run as successfully completed when the wave ends, even if the relic’s emergency effect is used.
If the relic is not opening, retrace the route from the chamber and search for an inactive node hidden behind patterned tiles. Do not assume that the visible wires represent every node you have already checked. Also confirm that you are in Relic Hunt and that the chamber itself has been fully excavated. Community reports describe older bugs and save-related problems, but there is no verified universal fix for every relic-opening failure.
- Follow each wire from the relic chamber outward and inspect its endpoint.
- Count activated nodes against the map size rather than relying only on visual effects.
- Clear all special chamber tiles, not just the ordinary rock around the relic.
- If every requirement is met and the chamber still will not open, update the game, reload the run if possible, and report the issue with platform, version and save details.
| Problem | Most likely check | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Relic not opening | A node is still inactive | Follow every wire and search nearby patterned tiles |
| Relic chamber still sealed | Special tiles remain | Mine the complete chamber outline |
| Relic not found | Wrong mode or unfinished route | Confirm Relic Hunt and continue toward the deepest biome |
| Relic wave feels impossible | The final wave has started | Prepare combat upgrades before pickup and keep the relic as an emergency safeguard |
The Teleporter’s Teleport Items upgrade can move small carried items such as bombs, Drillbert treats and Iron Worms. It does not teleport resources, gadgets, supplements or relics. The One Way Teleporter supplement likewise excludes resources and relics, so neither option replaces the trip home with a major discovery.
FAQ
Common questions
How do you get new items in Dome Keeper?
Mine through the distinctive chambers beneath the dome, then carry the discovered gadget or supplement back to the dome. Gadgets offer equipment choices or cobalt; supplements require one water to open and then offer upgrade choices or cobalt.
What are the best items to take first?
There is no universal best choice. Shield, mining tools and transport equipment are reliable general-purpose options, but the correct pick depends on your primary weapon, keeper, map layout, slot availability and current weakness.
Can the Teleporter move relics or gadgets?
No. Teleporter item upgrades can move small carried items, but resources, gadgets, supplements and relics are excluded. You must carry major discoveries back normally.
Why is the final relic not opening?
Usually one connected node is still inactive or one of the relic chamber’s special tiles remains. Search along every wire, inspect nearby patterned tiles, and count nodes for the map size. If all requirements are definitely complete, a version or save issue is possible, but community reports do not establish one universal cause.
What is the Relic Bomb?
It is the relic’s emergency effect during the final wave. If the dome reaches destruction, the relic can activate, eliminate the monsters and end the wave. Surviving without that effect is a separate achievement goal in the documented Relic Hunt rules.
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 for Dome Keeper
- OfficialOfficial Dome Keeper Steam announcements and patch notes
- ReferenceDome Keeper Wiki: Gadgets
- ReferenceDome Keeper Wiki: Supplements
- ReferenceDome Keeper Wiki: Caves
- ReferenceDome Keeper Wiki: Relic Hunt and final relic rules
- ReferenceDome Keeper Wiki: Teleporter upgrades