🪐 Exploration — 5 mining and transport situations

Distinguish the world’s visual appearance from the mining map generated for each run. These five entries are practical situations, not official biome names or depth boundaries. Gather underground resources while leaving time to return for surface defense.
📍 Exploration checks
Entrance and return route (Entrance) Boundary: No fixed meter boundary Demand: Low

Establish a route from the entrance back to the dome. Deliver found resources and learn the return time before expanding. Do not lose the return route while chasing resources.

⛏️ Resources and preparation

▸ Return resources to the dome

▸ Main return shaft

👾 Return and defense check

Ground approach

Lateral exploration (Lateral exploration) Boundary: No fixed meter boundary Demand: Low–medium

Expand side passages from a main shaft and distinguish unexplored areas from the return route. When finding resources, include transport time in the decision rather than prioritizing depth alone.

⛏️ Resources and preparation

▸ Iron

▸ Water

▸ Mineable rock

👾 Return and defense check

Travel time back to the dome

Hard rock and drilling power (Hard rock) Boundary: No fixed meter boundary Demand: Medium

When rock takes too long to break, compare a drilling upgrade with exploring another route. Use the current rock and upgrades to decide what you can return before the next defense.

⛏️ Resources and preparation

▸ Drilling-power upgrades

▸ Iron

▸ Movement-speed upgrades

👾 Return and defense check

Time before the next defense

Expanding transport routes (Transport routes) Boundary: No fixed meter boundary Demand: High

If hauling from depth takes too long, review available transport tools such as Lift. Lift capacity and Teleporter supplements change by version; check the current upgrade tree and occupied slots.

⛏️ Resources and preparation

▸ Transport using Lift

▸ Teleporter options

▸ Resource Packer options

👾 Return and defense check

Watch the return time while hauling

Caves and relic exploration (Caves and relics) Boundary: No fixed meter boundary Demand: Highest

Explore generated caves and relic locations, securing a route to return finds to the dome. Relic Hunt and Guild Assignments have different goals; follow the current mode’s objective.

⛏️ Resources and preparation

▸ Finds inside caves

▸ Gadget choices

▸ Route for retrieving the relic

👾 Return and defense check

Keep defending the surface

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Frequently asked questions

What is Dome Keeper’s basic loop?
Alternate mining and defense. Dig underground for resources, return them to upgrade the dome and weapons, then defend against waves of aliens. Learning this rhythm and balancing trips against defense is central.
Are keepers and domes the same choice?
Engineer and Assessor are base keepers; Laser, Tesla, Sword and Artillery Domes are separate armed-dome choices. Learn mining and defense with one setup first; check DLC and platform additions separately.
How do underground finds and supplements work?
Return finds from caves in the generated mine to make choices at the dome. Gadgets occupy slots; supplements upgrade weapons or equipment. Distinguish their role from the Relic Hunt objective.
Is Tesla Dome a gadget added during a run?
Tesla is a dome weapon choice. Official v4.0 moved perfect timing to a supplement; distinguish it from ordinary upgrades in the current tree. This is separate from keeper and primary-gadget choices.
What should I do when dome health drops?
Check health and repair costs on returning, allocating resources before the next wave destroys the dome. Health upgrades and Shield effects differ; distinguish weak weapon damage, protection and repairs.
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Based on site-wide views, captured July 6, 2026 (previous 28 days plus capture day).