The life of a dwarven miner isn’t just about breaking stones or finding treasure. It’s about discovering just how vast the world underground is. The roguelike game Below the Stone tasks you with exploring as much as possible. However, there are plenty of dangers lurking around every corner. Below the Stone isn’t forgiving for beginners, so to guide your dwarves to adventures and revelations, come prepared with as much knowledge as possible.
Getting Started in Below the Stone
Below the Stone pushes you to explore endless depths and find new treasures, mysteries, and adventure at every turn. Before you can do all of that, you need your dwarf. The appearance of your dwarf has no consequences. So you can enjoy the brief customization as much as possible.
With your character ready, you can dive right into the action. Below the Stone does guide beginners at first, but you are thrown into the deep end rather early. There’s plenty to learn that will give you a solid shot at success and survival.
Learning the Ropes
Once you move on from the tutorial section, everything else opens up for you. The guide will tackle some key features of Below the Stone, but first, let’s check out the HUD from the image above:
- Current Quests: Here’s where you will find all of your active quests and your progress.
- Journal: You can bring up your Journal any time to read more about your quests and the Bestiary.
- Hotbar: The Hotbar is where all of your in-hand items are along with their respective keys.
- Health: Your dose of hearts.
- Map: The map of the specific layout you’re in. You can click on it to slightly enlarge it.
- Bag: You can open your Bag to view your inventory such as extra resources, weapons, and armor.
Alongside that, you’ll also see a “Call the Escape Pod” icon above your Journal whenever you complete a quest. This will help you return to the Kingdom ASAP.
Guide to the Kingdom in Below the Stone
The Kingdom is your hub in Below the Stone. There’s room and time to roam, so you can explore a bit before moving on. It’s here where you’ll find areas to craft health potions, buy gear, and forge new weapons. There’s even a section where you can store items.
Of everything in this beginners guide for Below the Stone, I must stress that you take the time to visit the Banker and stash items. You can hand over anything you won’t need in your journey. Resources you’ve gathered that you need to create better gear, for instance. If you don’t and you die on one of your adventures, there’s a strong chance you’ll lose all those precious resources.
Below the Stone Quest Guide
You have a comfortable amount of freedom when it comes to quests in Below the Stone. When you speak to the Foreman, he’ll explain how you go out on expeditions. Head over to the board to see the available quests.
The board is generally randomized. Even so, it will include gathering quests for specific resources and an action quest to defeat a certain amount of enemies. Choose what you feel comfortable with. For a beginners guide, perhaps one or two Below the Stone quests are ideal. If you succeed, you still get a nice reward. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, you can go with three quests. They offer the following bonus rewards:
- One Quest Accomplished: Sack of Gold
- Two Quests Accomplished: Small Chest
- Three Quests Accomplished: Large Chest
Exploring and Staying Alive
The map in Below the Stone can seem both large and small at times. When you open your map, it doesn’t give much information. So, your best bet is to note the coordinates if you want to circle back to a specific area.
But the most important thing to note in this beginners guide is that you must survive the onslaught of creatures in Below the Stone. There are some normal enemies, like bats, but then you’ll get the odd ones, like slimes of different sizes. If you’re not careful, the enemies can overwhelm and kill you. As mentioned before, keep your prized possessions with the Banker before setting out.
Keep in mind that you can gather resources like mushrooms and consume them to replenish hearts. In the beginning, you won’t have health potions as you won’t have the means to make them. So, consumables in the field are vital. The game doesn’t forgive how you attack, either. You must face the enemy, as the game won’t do it for you. Otherwise, you’re swinging at the air. Enemies give chase if you run, too, so try not to approach if you’re not weapon-ready.
That’s everything beginners should know before playing Below the Stone. The game expands well, and you’ll soon enjoy crafting stronger weapons, reliable armor, and as many consumables as you can carry. So, with these tips in mind, go forth and create your expert dwarven miner and discover something new.
Below the Stone is available in Early Access via Steam.
