Dig to the Right Depth
The ore you want lives at a certain depth, so you have to get there.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- Design focus
- Planning · Risk · Discovery
No.060Stardew Valley01The core loop
Action → feedback → next choice- 01Choose a target resource
- 02Descend to its layer
- 03Mine and face danger
- 04Save a shortcut, return
↻Feedback changes the situation — the next round starts from there.
Walk through one round
A simplified design example. Situations and numbers illustrate the mechanic, not exact rules from a reference game.
- T1
Turn 1 · The situation
The player needs 5 gold ore found below floor 80; the elevator reaches floor 70.
- T2
Turn 2 · The player chooses
Start at 70 and push down, hunting for ladders and avoiding fights.
- T3
Turn 3 · The feedback
Floor 80 unlocks a new elevator stop, the rock color shifts and the first gold appears.
- T4
Turn 4 · The next decision
After collecting 5, they ride up, and next time can start from floor 80.
How it plays
Resources are layered by depth, rarer and more dangerous the deeper you go. Elevators, shortcuts or warps save reached depths to cut repeat trips. Players decide whether to dive for a specific layer or farm mid-depth safely.
What the player weighs
- Rush deep for rare ore vs. farm safely shallow
- Spend time on a shortcut vs. dig straight down
02Start small
Scope is an editorial estimate for the minimum prototype, not the reference game or a production schedule.
03One mechanic, different implementations
Stardew Valley
The Mines roughly layer copper, iron and gold, with elevator stops every 5 floors; the harder Skull Cavern supplies iridium and other top-tier materials.
Terraria
The world splits into surface, underground, cavern and underworld layers, with ore and gem distribution tied to depth and nastier enemies below.
The difference worth noticing
Stardew splits depth into discrete floors with elevator saves; Terraria is continuous and you dig your own shafts.
Case notes are Yoroll editorial summaries; rules may change between versions.
04What could you combine?
Combine with fast travel: players can build warp anchors at any depth, but deeper anchors cost more upkeep.
Prototype this combo in Yoroll→Follow the next idea
Quotas and When to Quit
Hit the quota and you can leave; stay longer for more, at more risk.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Take a quota
- 02Gather toward it
- 03Decide to stay or go
- 04Settle rewards and risks
Air-Limited Harvesting
Every breath is a countdown; one more pickup is one step farther from the surface.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Dive with full air
- 02Gather while watching air
- 03Decide when to turn back
- 04Surface, refill, repeat
Regrowing Forage Rounds
Resources grow back over time, so smart players plan a timed circuit.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Harvest regrowing nodes
- 02Note regrowth timers
- 03Plan a circuit
- 04Return on schedule