Nightwater GuideNightwater Minigame Guide: Dark Thicket, Mining, Fuel
Players report three minigame problems: Dark Thicket's confusing controls, Mining's slow Dusk Gold rates, and Fuel Shortage's perceived imbalance. This page covers symptoms, known causes, and fixes from developer posts and community reports.
- Dark Thicket: the tree chopping minigame feels slow and unclear
- Mining minigame: Dusk Gold is exceptionally hard to find
- Fuel Shortage minigame feels impossible without the best buffs
- Mining minigame power feels capped compared to Dark Thicket
- Harvesters do not count toward milestone progression
- Iron ingot recipe does not unlock after reaching the ore milestone
Dark Thicket: the tree chopping minigame feels slow and unclear
Players who tried the demo or full release describe Dark Thicket as the first minigame, tied to the Woods biome. The complaint is that chopping trees takes too many hits early on, and the incremental mechanics are not explained well. One review notes that holding the mouse button deals 1 damage per hit, which makes manual gathering feel tedious before you unlock machines.
The cause is partly by design: the developer stated in the March 2026 playtest notes that pacing would be improved and mechanics better explained for the next version. The 1.0.10 patch on September 18, 2026 did not change Dark Thicket directly, only fixed Oasis minigame spelling and icons.
The demo allows you to play Dark Thicket in full, so you can practice there before the full release. If you find it too slow, focus on unlocking the permanent buffs that carry over to the main factory, since those are the main reward.
Mining minigame: Dusk Gold is exceptionally hard to find
Several players report that Dusk Gold, a resource in the Mining minigame, has very low drop rates. One player said they could find the initial purple gems and the last gem, but Dusk Gold slowed progression significantly. Another player confirmed the issue and offered a workaround: dig down almost to the blue layer, hope for a power buff, then mine in circles until you get dynamite. Using dynamite creates a large circle that lets you loot more resources, which increases your chances of finding Dusk Gold.
The developer has not posted a patch specifically for Dusk Gold rates. The 1.0.10 patch notes mention a rework of the Gauntlet Data Rush part, but nothing about Mining. So the rates may still be low in the current build.
If you are stuck, the community advice is to prioritize power buffs that increase mining radius or duration, and use dynamite whenever available. There is no confirmed fix from the developer, so treat this as a workaround based on player reports.
Fuel Shortage minigame feels impossible without the best buffs
Players debate the balance of Fuel Shortage, the first minigame that has no meta progression. One player said it seems impossible unless you get lucky with buffs, and another said they would rather cheat than grind pure RNG for over 30 minutes. However, a different player countered that it takes about 10 minutes to finish if you understand how it works, and that it is easier than other minigames that require an hour of grinding.
The developer has not released a patch specifically for Fuel Shortage balance. The 1.0.10 patch notes do not mention it. The debate suggests that the difficulty depends heavily on which buffs you acquire during the run.
There is no confirmed fix. If you are struggling, the community suggests learning the mechanics and restarting until you get useful buffs early. Since the minigame is optional, you can skip it and focus on other progression, but you will miss the buffs it unlocks for your factory.
Mining minigame power feels capped compared to Dark Thicket
A player posted that the Mining minigame's overall power ends up capped versus the tree chopping minigame. They suggested upgrades for dynamite and x-ray abilities to have larger radius and longer duration, plus recharge upgrades and a perk to grow energy max with energy pickups.
The developer has not responded to this specific thread. The 1.0.10 patch did not address these suggestions. The cap on power may be intentional to balance the minigame's rewards, but no official statement confirms that.
As a workaround, players can use the dynamite strategy mentioned for Dusk Gold to maximize resource collection. There is no confirmed fix, so if you hit the cap, you may need to accept it or move to other minigames.
Harvesters do not count toward milestone progression
Players report that items collected by harvesters do not progress milestone goals, which makes factory automation feel pointless for unlocking new buildings. One player said they had to collect raw resources by hand and feed them into machines manually.
The cause is a misunderstanding, according to a developer reply. Harvested items do count, but you must take them out of the harvester for the count to register. If you craft them in an assembler, they do not count toward the raw resource milestone. The developer said this in a Steam forum reply, and it applies to the current build.
The fix is to ensure you remove items from the harvester before they are used in crafting. If you automate directly from harvester to assembler, the milestone may not progress. This is not a bug but a design choice, so no patch is needed.
Iron ingot recipe does not unlock after reaching the ore milestone
A player reported that the iron ingot recipe did not unlock after reaching 70+ iron ore in official sources track, even though the requirement showed 70/70. This is similar to the harvester issue, where processed materials do not count toward milestones.
The cause is likely that the milestone counts raw iron ore, not iron ingots or processed forms. The player may have reached the number through crafting or using an assembler, which does not count. The developer has not posted a specific fix for this, but the 1.0.10 patch fixed a related issue where the Primary Only Upgrade was still giving Stone.
To fix it, gather raw iron ore directly from mining or harvesters and ensure you collect it manually or from storage. If you have already processed it, you may need to mine more ore to trigger the unlock. There is no known workaround beyond that.
Last updated: 2026-09-20. Game builds change; cross-check details with your installed version.