Where to go first in Mina the Hollower, and what to do next

You have a lot of freedom in Mina the Hollower. Yacht Club Games’ ode to The Legend of Zelda lets you loose in a retro open-world that’s filled to the brim with secrets. Unlike most top-down Zelda games, though, there are no limitations on what you can explore and when, because you have almost every tool you need right from the start. In fact, you can complete its six dungeons in just about any order you want. That’s great for anyone who loves wandering around a world at their own pace, but it can be intimidating to anyone who needs a little structure from their games.

If you need a little direction to get you going, there’s thankfully an easy way to get your sea legs as you work towards clearing your first dungeon. It’s about as close as Mina the Hollower gets to having an intended route, and your best bet is to follow it early on unless you’re feeling bold.

Where to go first in Mina the Hollower

When Mina begins, you’ll be guided through a linear opening that will take you from the site of a shipwreck to the central town of Ossex. There, you’ll meet Baron Lionel, who will explain your mission to repair six generators across Tenebrous Isle. Once you do that, you’ll be able to exit the city from a few different exit points and start freely exploring. You can technically go to almost every dungeon from here, but some will require you to understand the nuances of Mina’s burrowing ability to unlock the way forward. Because of that, your best bet for getting acclimated to the basics lies in the east.

Your first goal should be clearing Queensbury Crypt. To reach it, exit Ossex from the front gate on the south side of town and immediately head east. You’ll move through Eastern Heath and make your way north until you reach Mourner’s Mile. Keep following that path, opening an iron gate by puzzling out a switch location, and you’ll eventually make your way to Queensbury Crypt. That’s the closest thing you’ll get to a first dungeon, as the only advanced trick you need to know is burrowing under an object to pick it up. (You’ll have to do that to transport some statue heads around the dungeon.)

What to do next in Mina the Hollower

The world is your oyster after that, but there’s still a rough order you might want to follow. You can find hints as to what that is if you pick up the newspaper in Ossex. A new issue comes in every time you clear a dungeon, and it will give you subtle nudges that guide you towards the next logical dungeon. If you’re not sure where exactly those are (an unlockable overworld map only tells you so much), there’s another ever-so-slight hint in Ossex. If you look at the fountain in the center of town, you’ll notice six lightbulbs around it. Each one roughly corresponds to what direction each dungeon is in. When in doubt, go to the farthest corners of the map that you can get to. I’d recommend heading to the Bayou on the southwest side of town second, accessed by heading west out of the main Ossex gate.

Image: Yacht Club Games via Polygon

There’s plenty more to do early on between dungeon hunting. You’ll mostly want to gather as many bones as you can to level up and buy some handy gear in Ossex. Aside from bumping your defense to make yourself more durable early on, make sure to nab a few kears from the building next to the Emporium in town. The bird inside has nine to sell, with the first costing 300 bones and each costing a little more after that. You’ll always want to have a handful with you anytime you go exploring so you’re never forced to come back to a secret lock.

I would also recommend increasing the size of your trinket bag early, too, as those can be a real difference maker when it comes to survivability. You can buy three from the Emporium in Ossex, with the first one costing 1500 bones. It doesn’t hurt to buy a health rose and vial pouch early on too, making Mina just a little less squishy. Don’t spend too much on trinkets in town early on, unless you see something you really like. You’ll find plenty of good ones out in the world for free, so save your precious early-game Bones for your health.

All of that should be enough to get you started. The early hours of Mina the Hollower can be tough as you’re low on health and totally lost, but trust that you’ll learn where to go next as you get powerful enough to explore longer before dying. Godspeed, Burrowers.