Keeping a dungeon order in mind is a smart way to approach Mina the Hollower. While you can technically tackle the dungeons in whatever sequence you like, some of them pose far tougher trials than others. That can mean you get stuck and don’t make it out as the hero you’re meant to be. (Particularly if you haven’t poured enough resources into upgrades yet…) So it’s worth asking: where should you begin in Mina the Hollower? No worries—below you’ll find my recommended dungeon sequence, plus a few priorities to focus on first, so you can help Tenebrous Isle with fewer losses.
Mina the Hollower dungeon sequence
Here’s the dungeon order I suggest for Mina the Hollower:
Further down, I’ll break down each individual zone and share advice on getting through them. I also recommend setting aside some time for Bone grinding from time to time, so Mina is ready for the more punishing dungeons.
Loner’s Landing
Your first stop in Mina the Hollower is finishing the game’s introduction. It starts when you arrive by ship at Loner’s Landing and continues until you’ve spoken with Lionel after defeating Thorne outside of the Radiant Manor. Use this window to get comfortable with the game’s combat—especially using burrowing to take on enemies. (Seriously, it helps a lot.)
It’s also a good idea to collect as many Bones as you can. That lets you pick up early improvements for Mina’s Attack, Defense, and Sidearms. I suggest buying all three, since it puts you in a much better position for what comes next. If you hit a wall at any point—especially before you speak to Lionel inside the Radiant Manor—spend some time on Bone grinding. Just treat it as a backup plan, because the map will soon open up and provide better chances to grind.
Once the prologue is complete, you’ll be able to check the newspaper for clues on where to go next. Still, it’s smart to wander off the beaten path to uncover any hidden surprises. And as you’ll see in my dungeon sequence below, ignoring what the newspaper recommends can sometimes lead to better results.
Initial upgrades and Isle Map
Before you fully dive into Mina’s journey, it’s worth spending a bit of time on Bone grinding. The zones around Ossex—Southern Outskirts and Loner’s Landing to the south, plus Eastern Heath to the east—are great places to start. You can also head to Mourner’s Mile, where graves you hit with your weapon will reward you with a solid number of Bones.
Now it’s time to decide how to use your Bones, and that means going to the Emporium. You’ll find it in the southern part of Ossex, just north of the entrance to Southern Outskirts: Common, and directly above the Hollower’s Guild. Pick up at least one Health Rose and the Spark Upgrade, since they’ll help you stay alive longer. If you still have extra Bones, you may also want to grab a Vial Pouch upgrade.
Upgrades shouldn’t be your only concern when it comes to Bones. It’s also useful to restore the Hollower’s Guild and pick up the Isle Map. This is one of the handy improvements for the Underlab, and you can even alter its look (though it will cost some Bones). Keep in mind that you’ll need to finish a short side quest before you can access this shop.
Queensbury Crypt
- How to access: Leave Ossex through its eastern entrance. Travel across Eastern Heath: Grassland, then make your way through Mourner’s Mile until you reach Queensbury Crypt.
Queensbury Crypt is the best dungeon to tackle first. It not only has plenty of Bones (since you’ll be moving through a graveyard and crypt), but it also offers a strong step up in both combat and navigation compared to Loner’s Landing.
For navigation, you’ll need to start using the burrow-jump effectively for the first time. Mastering it is crucial because it functions like Mina’s second jump—yet if you time it poorly, you can easily drop into a pit. As the game progresses, you’ll lean on burrow-jump even more, so it’s worth practicing until it feels natural now.
The opponents you meet in Queensbury Crypt and the surrounding areas are ideal for sharpening your fighting skills. In particular, practice weaving burrowing into your combat plan. Even if you’ve already been burrowing near enemies to land hits, this is where you’ll truly begin learning the timing for how long you can stay underground. I recommend working with the knights leading up to the crypt itself, since their attack routines are fairly straightforward to learn.
Finally, Queensbury Crypt is a great place to learn what to watch for as you explore Tenebrous Isle. That means looking for breakable objects and environmental hints that suggest how to reach certain spots for extra rewards. For example, a gap in a fence somewhere on the map signals an area where you can burrow underneath that fence in another section. Spotting opportunities like this is something you’ll need to do throughout Mina the Hollower if you want to experience everything the game includes.
To sum it up, Queensbury Crypt is the best place to get properly acquainted with Mina the Hollower—so go east rather than west!
Nox’s Bayou
- How to reach: Leave Ossex through the southern route. In Southern Outskirts: Common, take your second left, then continue until you can go north into Western Wilds: Occupied Bridge. When you reach the lava, jump over it, break the leftmost red blocks using lava, and head south into Backwaters: Shanty Swamp. Keep moving through this area until you arrive at Nox’s Bayou: Boat Bog.
In terms of fighting, Nox’s Bayou is comparable to Queensbury Crypt. (After all, both are meant to be among the earlier areas you tackle.) The more difficult part tends to be navigating Nox’s Bayou itself, especially if you’re still finding burrow-jumps tricky. With a bit of practice, though, you should get through it comfortably. Just stay alert to the layout of the ground and keep an eye out for enemies that come flying your way.
Septemberg
- How to reach: Exit Ossex via the southern passage, then in Southern Outskirts: Common take the second left. When you can, head north into Western Wilds: Occupied Bridge and smash the red blocks in the section that leads to Nox’s Bayou. Go up the stairs, work your way through the Molten Foundry, and cross the bridge until you reach Kindlewood: Overgrowth. Continue through the area until you reach Kindlewood: Farming Crossing, then exit toward the southwest.
Septemberg ramps up both the combat pressure and the navigation challenges. If you’re having trouble here, it can help to step back to Queensbury Crypt and the areas connected to it so you can farm Bones for a bit. Advancing at this point also depends on routinely improving Mina’s different skills—Health, for instance. Falling behind will only make the situation tougher. (You can also feel free to test out the mods.)
Coltrane Peak
- How to reach: Rebuild the train by adding up to 10,000 Bones at any train station. The quickest station to find is in Ossex.
If you’ve got 10,000 Bones to spare, I’d strongly suggest going to Coltrane Peak next. Sure, you could pour those Bones into fresh upgrades, but you’ll have to come to this mountain eventually anyway. You may also discover that Coltrane Peak feels a bit more manageable than Bone Beach, which makes it a helpful middle stop between Bone Beach and Septemberg.
Bone Beach
- How to reach: Leave Ossex through the southern passage. At the second decision point in Southern Outskirts: Common, turn right and head through the Cave Network. Exit the Cave Network via the northeast passage, then keep going until you reach another Cave Network. After that, go south to enter the Mining Passage and spend two Plasma Vials to continue. Leap over to the yellow sparkling tiles to reach the button, then proceed east. You’ll now be in Sandfalls: Sifted Sands,
where you’ll need to rely on explosives to take out the TNT, pushing forward until you overcome the Major Mine boss in the Miner’s Den after using three Plasma Vials. Finally, move south to reach Bone Beach.
Bone Beach, along with the area that comes just before it—Sandfall—offers major challenges even though it’s fairly near the game’s starting point. Sandfall really puts your sense of direction to the test, so it’s no surprise if you end up stuck on a certain environmental puzzle for a while. On top of that, be ready to run into a few irritating flying foes you’ll need to handle.
Then, the difficulty will rise again once you finally reach Bone Beach.
It’s also a good idea to stop by an Underlab whenever you can. This matters because accessing Bone Beach requires a total of five Plasma Vials: one entry point takes two Plasma Vials, and the next calls for three. Since this is a tough stretch, it’s smart to carry a few extra Plasma Vials with you.
Astral Orrery
- How to reach: After activating every mirror hidden around the map, go through the central passage at the heart of Mirror’s End.
The Astral Orrery is meant to serve as Mina the Hollower’s final true dungeon, and you can tell right away. It’s not only the toughest area to get to, but it’s packed with intimidating enemies and is notoriously difficult to navigate. (Sometimes, it even feels like the Astral Orrery is intentionally trying to steer you the wrong way.)
If you managed to dodge Bone grinding up to this point, this is the time to handle it. Make sure the weapon you’ve chosen, Mina’s skills, and your cloak are all upgraded. It’s also worth taking a moment to review your Tricket and Sidearm choices. Putting in that preparation now should help you push confidently into the endgame once you’ve cleared the Astral Orrery.
Radiant Manor
- How to reach: Leave via the northern route in Ossex.
Since you’ve now worked through every dungeon, it’s time to return to Radiant Manor and finish what you started. I won’t spell out any major details to avoid spoiling things, but as mentioned earlier, this is the point where you should confirm you’re properly prepared for the final showdown. Get your go-to weapon, Trinket, and Sidearm ready—the last confrontation is nearly here. If you’re running into trouble, you already know the solution: upgrade, upgrade, upgrade.
I’m glad this dungeon order helps you navigate Tenebrous Isle! If you want more advice on hollowing, check out the best weapons.