1 Choose effects for the actual expedition
Orb effects can enhance digging efficiency, movement, exploration and more. In a game where the objective is to bring material home, those three are worth more than they look.
Digging speed and movement speed compound over an entire expedition. Compare the displayed digging and movement effects with the part of the expedition that is actually slowing you down; there is no universal ranking for every equipment combination.
2 Never spend your last gemstone
Random stats are added when creating or combining orbs. That means any single attempt can be disappointing, and a system with random outcomes is only comfortable when you can afford to try again.
Keep a reserve. Committing every gemstone you own to one combination leaves you with whatever the game rolled and no way to improve it until the next expedition finds more.
3 Compare before you scrap a duplicate
Because equipment, blueprints and orbs carry quality levels, a second copy of something you already own is not automatically junk. It may be the better version.
Build the habit of checking rather than clearing space reflexively. The cost of a quick comparison is a few seconds; the cost of discarding a superior roll is another expedition.
4 Splitting work in co-op
Eight players in one underground world can either multiply progress or trip over each other. The difference is whether anyone agreed what the expedition is for.
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Route builder | Digs and maintains the main path down and back, so nobody gets lost carrying a full load |
| Miner | Works the ore along that path rather than wandering |
| Scout | Explores side passages for chests, blueprints and fossils |
| Runner | Ferries full loads home and smelts, so nobody stops digging |
These roles are a suggested division of work, not a measured multiplier. Combine or change them to suit the number of players and the current route.
5 Deciding whether to enter a PvP world
The PvP element is item stealing encounters between players. That is a real risk to the gear you built, not a scoreboard.
6 Carrying wealth between worlds
Items found in other players worlds can be taken back to your own, and equipment and money earned alone travel with you. This transfer rule can support cooperative expeditions, but it does not establish a universal fastest progression route.
A sensible pattern is to build up in single player, visit friendly worlds with a mid tier loadout to gather what your own map has not offered, and keep your best equipment for expeditions where the only risk is the terrain.
7 The 75 achievements
The current store API reports 75 achievements. Read the individual conditions before treating the list as a collection checklist or assuming every trophy proves that its achievement has unlocked.
Because Legacy Mode keeps Version 1.0 playable with separate saves, check which version an achievement expects before grinding for it. Separate save data does not, by itself, describe the exact tracking behavior of every Steam achievement.
8 Mistakes that cost you a run
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Digging a vertical shaft | Build a route with a clear way back, as the developer recommends |
| Filling the inventory completely | Turn back a little early so you can still take anything valuable on the way up |
| Hoarding raw ore | Smelt on return so you know what you can actually forge |
| Ignoring blueprints for ore | Recipes gate what you can build, so chests outrank tunnels |
| Joining a strange world in your best gear | PvP is item stealing. Take a set you can afford to lose |
Co-op synchronization and item-achievement fixes
Before comparing a missing tunnel or an apparent digging failure with friends, make sure participants have the current update. Version 2.1.0.9805 fixes a multiplayer terrain-synchronization issue. Agree on the intended route and compare what each player actually sees; the patch does not imply that all remaining connection problems have the same cause.
The 2.0 launch supports up to eight online players, including item-stealing PvP elements. It explicitly allows single-player equipment and money to be brought into multiplayer and items found in other worlds to be brought home. Decide the group rules before joining and avoid assuming that every session is a protected cooperative space.
For equipment collection, 2.0.1.7360 fixes Epic and Legendary item achievements that could fail to unlock. It also corrects trophies appearing without the corresponding achievement being earned. Compare the Steam achievement state with the actual requirement rather than using a displayed trophy as the only proof of completion.
The same patch fixes German and Korean achievement names and fast travel names that appeared only in Japanese. If your group is describing different labels, confirm the current language and update before treating them as different destinations or items.
Equipment, blueprints and orbs have 100 quality levels, and orb creation and combination add random statistics. Compare the result with the role you need: digging, movement or exploration. The sources do not provide a universal best roll or a measured guarantee that a four-person role split doubles the haul. Treat the example roles above as a coordination aid, then adjust to your actual expedition.
Official sources: [v2.1.0.9805] Major Performance Tuning Update, [v2.0.1.7360] Balance Adjustments, Bug Fixes, and Performance Improvements, Keep Digging Version 2.0 Is Out Now! Remade as a Survival Crafting Game!. Checked 27 October 2026.
Favour orb effects that improve digging, movement and exploration, because they compound across a whole expedition, and always keep spare gemstones so a bad roll is not final. Compare duplicates rather than scrapping them, since quality levels make the same item different. In co-op assign a route builder, miners, a scout and a runner instead of everyone digging at once. Treat PvP worlds as a decision made before joining, and carry only a loadout you can afford to lose.
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