Best area order in Mina the Hollower

Figuring out the best area order in Mina the Hollower feels a bit overwhelming initially. Once you meet with Lionel and encounter Thorne for the first time, the game lets you go pretty much anywhere, even places that are definitely too dangerous for you to start with. However, there are a few clues that push you in the right direction if you wander around Ossex and chat with the residents.

Below, we outline the best area order in Mina the Hollower and explain what to expect in each.

Best area order in Mina the Hollower

You’re free to tackle Mina the Hollower‘s areas in any order you want, but we’ve arranged our list based on the challenge level you can expect from enemies and the environment. It mostly follows the order the game pushes you toward with each edition of the newspaper, with one mid-game exception: Bone Beach. You’ll want plenty of time to improve your attack and defense, and maybe get a new cloak, before tackling that challenge.

If you’re having trouble finding these locations, make sure to check out our guide on how to reach every area in Mina the Hollower.

Queensbury Crypt

You hear rumors about Queensbury Crypt and Nox’s Bayou after Thorne clears off, and both areas are good candidates for where to start. However, Queensbury Crypt gets our recommendation as your first excursion for a few reasons. You can get a lot of bones before even reaching the crypt, for one thing. It’s also a more combat-heavy location with comparatively few traversal challenges. It’s ideal for learning battle basics and getting used to Mina’s unique movement and burrowing before setting out for more dangerous areas.

Additionally, it has one of the most useful trinkets in the Proto Spark, which allows you to revive once. Though, you’ll first need to make a tough decision with the Duke.

Backwater and Nox’s Bayou

The Backwaters and Bayou have, on a whole, about the same challenge level as Queensbury Crypt in terms of enemies, but the region is much more difficult to navigate. You’ll quickly need to learn how to use a burrow jump that starts underwater and then replicate that dozens more times in increasingly dangerous environments. Expect plenty of moving platforms, rising and falling water levels, flying enemies, and foes that leap out of the water when you’re least expecting it.

Kindlewood and Septemberg

Image: Yacht Club Games via Polygon

Next up on your trip around Tenebrous Isle is Kindlewood, to the northwest of Ossex. The challenge level rises substantially here, as you’ll face multiple new enemy types with new ways to make your life difficult, alongside additional environmental dangers, like wind that affects your jumps and lightning storms. Just don’t try fighting the Carving Man when he first shows up. He’s invincible until you reach the end of the region.

Coltrane Peak

The in-game newspaper points you to Bone Beach after you clear Septemberg, but we recommend heading to Coltrane Peak instead. You have to take the train to get there, and it costs 10,000 bones to get the train running again. However, in terms of difficulty, Coltrane Peak is a small step above Septemberg, where Bone Beach is rather more challenging.

Sandfall and Bone Beach

Image: Yacht Club Games via Polygon

Everything’s harder once you get to Sandfall. Heck, even the path to Sandfall is more challenging, with enhanced crows flying around and a giant mouse warrior blocking your way forward. Sandfall has some unique environmental puzzles, including some that require precision and guesswork to find a path in the darkness, but things become trickier once you reach Bone Beach. You’ll need careful timing and probably a bit of practice to make your way across its deep waters and open pits.

There’s a mirror location roughly halfway between the region’s entrance and the Beached Creature dungeon, so you can use it to return to Ossex if you need supplies or a weapon upgrade.

Astral Orrery

Astral Orrery, where all the mirrors lead you, is one of the most difficult regions in Mina the Hollower. It’s a confusing area with vague ways forward, but it’s also home to enemies that pose a much steeper challenge than you’ve faced so far. Make sure to upgrade your weapons, reconsider your trinkets and sidearms, and grab as many cloak upgrades as you can to give yourself an extra advantage.