You have a lot of freedom in Mina the Hollower<\/em>. Yacht Club Games\u2019 ode to The Legend of Zelda lets you loose in a retro open-world that\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you need a little direction to get you going, there\u2019s thankfully an easy way to get your sea legs as you work towards clearing your first dungeon. It\u2019s about as close as Mina the Hollower<\/em> gets to having an intended route, and your best bet is to follow it early on unless you\u2019re feeling bold.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n When Mina<\/em> begins, you\u2019ll be guided through a linear opening that will take you from the site of a shipwreck to the central town of Ossex. There, you\u2019ll meet Baron Lionel, who will explain your mission to repair six generators across Tenebrous Isle. Once you do that, you\u2019ll 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\u2019s burrowing ability to unlock the way forward. Because of that, your best bet for getting acclimated to the basics lies in the east.<\/p>\n Your first goal should be clearing Queensbury Crypt<\/strong>. To reach it, exit Ossex from the front gate on the south side of town and immediately head east. You\u2019ll move through Eastern Heath<\/strong> and make your way north until you reach Mourner\u2019s Mile<\/strong>. Keep following that path, opening an iron gate by puzzling out a switch location, and you\u2019ll eventually make your way to Queensbury Crypt. That\u2019s the closest thing you\u2019ll get to a first dungeon, as the only advanced trick you need to know is burrowing under an object to pick it up. (You\u2019ll have to do that to transport some statue heads around the dungeon.)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The world is your oyster after that, but there\u2019s 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\u2019re not sure where exactly those are (an unlockable overworld map only tells you so much), there\u2019s another ever-so-slight hint in Ossex. If you look at the fountain in the center of town, you\u2019ll 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\u2019d recommend heading to the Bayou on the southwest side of town second, accessed by heading west out of the main Ossex gate.<\/p>\n There\u2019s plenty more to do early on between dungeon hunting. You\u2019ll 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<\/strong> 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\u2019ll always want to have a handful with you anytime you go exploring so you\u2019re never forced to come back to a secret lock.<\/p>\n I would also recommend increasing the size of your trinket bag<\/strong> 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\u2019t hurt to buy a health rose<\/strong> and vial pouch<\/strong> early on too, making Mina just a little less squishy. Don\u2019t spend too much on trinkets in town early on, unless you see something you really <\/em>like. You\u2019ll find plenty of good ones out in the world for free, so save your precious early-game Bones for your health.<\/p>\n All of that should be enough to get you started. The early hours of Mina the Hollower can be tough as you\u2019re low on health and totally lost, but trust that you\u2019ll learn where to go next as you get powerful enough to explore longer before dying. Godspeed, Burrowers.<\/p>\n \n<\/h2>\n
\n Where to go first in Mina the Hollower
\n <\/h2>\n![\"Mina](\"https:\/\/static0.polygonimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/mina-the-hollower-grass-path.jpg?q=70&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1\")
\n <\/picture>Image: Yacht Club Games via Polygon<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n What to do next in Mina the Hollower
\n <\/h2>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/static0.polygonimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/mina-the-hollower-trinket-bag.jpg?q=70&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1\")
\n <\/picture>Image: Yacht Club Games via Polygon<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Mina,](\"https:\/\/static0.polygonimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/minablaststrikemaul_bg.png?q=49&fit=crop&w=220&h=124&dpr=2\"\/)
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