The hole is mine mini'oh upgrades system is the backbone of your entire descent, and understanding how to prioritize it separates a smooth 4-hour run from a frustrating grind. With over 300 upgrades spread across four distinct trees, every mineral you extract feeds back into a loop that determines how fast your Mini'Ohs mine, how deep Shelly can drill, and whether you can reach the post-game Infinite Hole mode. The launch announcement from SpaceJazz Games confirms this scale, so knowing where to invest first matters more than raw playtime.
Most new players dump resources into whatever catches their eye, which stalls progression around the 20-depth mark. This guide breaks down every tree, gives you a practical spending order, and shows you how to think like a veteran when the upgrade costs start climbing. By the end, you will know exactly which purchases accelerate your run and which ones you can safely ignore until the endgame.
The Role of Each Upgrade Tree in Progression
The hole is mine all upgrade trees share one currency but serve completely different purposes, which is why you cannot just pick one branch and ignore the rest. According to the official Hole Is Mine Steam page, the game features 300+ upgrades that interact with a 500+ combination equipment system, meaning your choices compound in ways that are not always obvious at first glance.
Each tree feeds a specific part of the gameplay loop, and the table below summarizes what you are actually buying into:
| Upgrade Tree | Primary Function | Best Early Investment | Endgame Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mining Speed | Increases extraction rate per Mini'Oh | 2-3 levels before Depth 10 | Essential for Infinite Hole farming |
| Power | Boosts damage against impurities and hazards | 1 level before Depth 15 | Critical for late-game danger zones |
| Efficiency | Reduces stamina drain and improves resource yield | 1 level before Depth 12 | High value in long farming sessions |
| Utility | Unlocks new mechanics, slots, and hidden options | Unlock first utility at Depth 8 | Opens secret content and QoL features |
The Mining Speed tree is the engine of your operation because it directly shortens the time each extraction cycle takes, which means more minerals per minute and faster purification overall. Power upgrades matter when you start encountering tougher impurities that block your path, while Efficiency reduces the stamina cost of each action so your Mini'Ohs stay productive longer between rests. Utility is the wildcard tree, because it does not boost numbers directly but instead unlocks new capabilities that change how you approach the entire game.
What makes this system tricky is that the hole is mine upgrades are not purely additive, because some later upgrades multiply the effects of earlier ones. A player who spreads points evenly across all four trees will always underperform someone who commits to a focused strategy, since the multiplier effects only appear when you invest deeply into a single branch. The playtest build only included 2 of 5 Caves with 200+ upgrades, so the full release adds substantially more depth to each tree.
Mining Speed as the Engine of Your Descent
The Mining Speed tree deserves your first attention because it shortens every single cycle in the game, from basic ore extraction to breaking through tougher rock layers. When you launch your Mini'Ohs into a new depth, the time they take to return with resources is the bottleneck that limits everything else, so reducing that cycle time has a compounding effect on your overall income.
Early Mining Speed Targets
Your first 5-8 points should go into the base mining speed upgrades, because they are cheap and provide immediate returns. Community data from the playtest suggests that players who invested here first reached Depth 20 roughly 30% faster than those who split their points evenly, which is a massive early-game advantage. The key is to keep buying these upgrades until the cost of the next level exceeds what you earn in about two minutes of active mining.
| Upgrade Level | Cost (Holy Blook) | Effect | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1-3 | 10-40 | +5% mining speed each | Critical |
| Level 4-6 | 60-120 | +4% mining speed each | High |
| Level 7-9 | 150-300 | +3% mining speed each | Medium |
| Level 10+ | 350+ | +2% mining speed each | Low until endgame |
The diminishing returns are real, because each level after 10 costs significantly more while providing less relative benefit. This is where the hole is mine upgrade cost calculator mindset comes in handy, since you should always compare the cost of the next level against your current income per minute. If an upgrade costs 300 Holy Blook but you only earn 150 per minute, that is a two-minute investment that pays back in roughly 20 minutes, which is usually worth taking.
Synergy With Equipment
Mining speed upgrades do not exist in a vacuum, because certain equipment pieces multiply their effect. The Heaxy Axe, for example, provides burst damage that clears impurities faster, which means your Mini'Ohs spend less time waiting for you to clear a path. Pairing deep mining speed investments with the right loadout creates a snowball effect that the best equipment guide explains in detail.
The real breakthrough happens when you combine Level 15+ mining speed with a Mini'Oh that has a speed-boosting trait, because the two multipliers stack multiplicatively rather than additively. This is why veteran players report extraction rates that look absurd on paper, since a 50% speed boost from upgrades and a 30% boost from equipment combine to roughly a 95% total increase, not just 80%.
Power and Efficiency: Balancing Offense With Stamina
While Mining Speed drives your income, the Power and Efficiency trees determine whether you can actually sustain that income as you descend. Impurities become tougher at deeper levels, and your Mini'Ohs tire out faster, so ignoring these trees creates a wall that speed alone cannot break through.
Power Upgrades and Hazard Breaking
The Power tree increases the damage your Mini'Ohs deal to impurities, which are the dark blobs that block mining nodes and slow down extraction. Early on, a single hit clears most impurities, but around Depth 15 you will start encountering tougher variants that require multiple hits. Investing 3-5 points here before that depth ensures your Mini'Ohs do not waste entire cycles chipping away at a single obstacle.
| Depth Range | Hazard Type | Power Level Needed | Recommended Investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | Basic impurities | 1-2 hits | 2-3 points |
| 11-20 | Reinforced impurities | 3-4 hits | 5-7 points |
| 21-30 | Crystalline hazards | 5-6 hits | 8-10 points |
| 31-40 | Corrupted nodes | 7+ hits | 12+ points |
The Power tree also affects your Shelly drilling speed, since the drill damage calculation uses the same stat. This means every point you put into Power serves double duty, which makes it a better investment than it first appears. Players who neglect Power entirely often find themselves stuck at Depth 25 because their Shelly simply cannot break through the rock fast enough.
Efficiency Upgrades and Stamina Management
The Efficiency tree reduces the stamina cost of each mining action, which directly extends how long your Mini'Ohs can work before needing rest. Since sleeping takes time and stops production entirely, every point in Efficiency effectively adds productive minutes to each work cycle. This tree becomes increasingly valuable as you unlock more Mini'Ohs, because the stamina drain scales with the number of active workers.
A common mistake is treating Efficiency as a late-game luxury, but community testing shows that 3-4 points in this tree before Depth 12 keeps your Mini'Ohs working 25% longer per cycle. That extra uptime translates directly into more resources per hour, which means you reach the next upgrade threshold faster. The upgrade system guide covers the full breakdown of how these stats interact with your squad.
Utility Upgrades and Hidden Unlocks
The Utility tree is the most misunderstood branch, because its upgrades do not show up as raw numbers in your stat sheet. Instead, they unlock new mechanics, expand your options, and sometimes reveal hidden content that other players miss entirely. According to player reports, some Utility upgrades are required to access the secret depths beyond Depth 40 in Infinite Hole mode.
What Utility Actually Unlocks
Utility upgrades fall into several categories, and knowing which ones matter most can save you from wasting points on dead ends. The table below ranks the most impactful Utility purchases based on community feedback from the playtest and early access discussions:
| Utility Upgrade | Effect | Unlock Condition | Value Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini'Oh Slot | Adds one more active Mini'Oh to your squad | Depth 8 | Essential |
| Resource Scanner | Highlights rare ore veins on the map | Depth 15 | High |
| Auto-Launch | Mini'Ohs automatically start new work orders | Depth 20 | High |
| Village Courier | Resources auto-deliver to storage | Depth 25 | Medium |
| Secret Compass | Reveals hidden rooms on the depth map | Depth 30 | Situational |
The Mini'Oh Slot upgrade is arguably the single most impactful purchase in the entire game, because each additional worker multiplies your total output. Two Mini'Ohs working simultaneously produce nearly double the resources, and the cost of this upgrade is surprisingly low compared to its value. The Auto-Launch upgrade is a close second, since it removes the need to manually assign work orders every time a Mini'Oh finishes a task.
The Best Upgrade Order for a Clean Run
-
Depth 1-8: Focus exclusively on Mining Speed (5-8 points) and unlock the first Utility slot when it appears
-
Depth 8-15: Add 3-4 points to Efficiency, then continue Mining Speed until Level 10
-
Depth 15-20: Invest 5-7 points into Power, grab the Resource Scanner, and unlock Auto-Launch
-
Depth 20-30: Balance between Power and Mining Speed, keeping both within 2 levels of each other
-
Depth 30-40: Max out Power for the final hazards, then dump remaining points into Mining Speed
This order works because it front-loads income generation, then addresses the bottlenecks that appear at each depth threshold. Players who follow this sequence typically reach Depth 40 in about 3.5 to 4 hours, which matches the expected runtime stated in the launch announcement. The upgrade guide offers an alternative perspective if you prefer a more aggressive early-game strategy.
How Many Upgrades Exist and What the Endgame Looks Like
The hole is mine how many upgrades question has a clear answer from the developers: 300+ upgrades across the four trees at launch. However, the playtest only included 200+ upgrades across 2 of 5 Caves, which means the full release adds roughly 100 more options spread across the remaining content. This number does not include the 500+ equipment combinations, which effectively multiply your build variety even further.
Upgrade Costs and the Infinite Hole Economy
Understanding the hole is mine upgrade cost calculator is essential for the post-game Infinite Hole mode, where you farm resources endlessly to push deeper and deeper. In this mode, upgrade costs scale exponentially, and the difference between a smart spending order and random purchases becomes enormous. The table below shows the general cost curve based on community data:
| Upgrade Tier | Cost Range (Holy Blook) | Income Needed | Time to Recoup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early (1-5) | 10-100 | 50/min | 1-2 minutes |
| Mid (6-10) | 120-400 | 200/min | 2-3 minutes |
| Late (11-15) | 450-1,200 | 600/min | 3-5 minutes |
| Endgame (16+) | 1,500-5,000+ | 1,500+/min | 5-10 minutes |
The Infinite Hole mode unlocks after you finish the prologue, and it lets you farm resources, find equipment you missed, and reach as deep as possible by optimizing your build. According to the Deep Hole Update announcement, this mode is designed for players who want to push the limits of their setup, and the upgrade system becomes the primary driver of your descent speed.
Endgame Upgrade Priorities
Once you enter the endgame, the priority shifts from balanced progression to maximizing a single multiplier chain. The most effective strategy reported by players involves stacking Mining Speed to Level 20+, then using the massive income to buy every Power upgrade available, which lets you clear hazards instantly and keep drilling without pause.
The Utility tree becomes less important in Infinite Hole mode, since you already have all the mechanics unlocked, but the Secret Compass can still reveal hidden rooms that contain rare equipment. If you are chasing the secret depths beyond Depth 40, you will need to explore every hidden room, which means keeping at least one Utility upgrade for map reveals. The Mini'Ohs guide covers squad composition for these deep runs, since your choice of workers matters as much as your upgrade allocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best upgrade order for hole is mine mini'oh upgrades?
Start with Mining Speed for the first 5-8 points, then grab the first Utility slot at Depth 8. Add Efficiency points before Depth 12, then invest in Power before Depth 15. This sequence maximizes early income while preparing you for the hazards that appear at deeper levels.
How many total upgrades are in the game?
The full release features 300+ upgrades across four trees, according to the official launch announcement. The playtest only included 200+ upgrades across 2 of 5 Caves, so the final game adds roughly 100 more options. This does not include the 500+ equipment combinations that multiply your build variety.
Which upgrade tree should I max out first?
Mining Speed is the best tree to max first because it directly increases your income rate, which makes every subsequent upgrade cheaper relative to your earnings. Most players reach Level 15-20 in Mining Speed before switching focus to Power for the tougher hazards in the 30-40 depth range.
Do utility upgrades matter for the endgame?
Yes, because some Utility upgrades are required to access hidden content, including the secret depths beyond Depth 40 in Infinite Hole mode. The Mini'Oh Slot and Auto-Launch upgrades are essential for efficiency, while the Secret Compass helps you find hidden rooms with rare equipment.
How does the upgrade cost calculator work in practice?
Divide the upgrade cost by your Holy Blook income per minute to get the payback time. If Mining Speed costs 300 and you earn 150 per minute, it pays back in two minutes—buy it. Skip anything over five minutes unless it unlocks a hidden utility or new Cave tier.