Infinite Miner is a run-based idle mining game. Every session puts you in command of Little Bore, a drillship travelling through a procedurally generated galaxy. The game is built around a satisfying four-step cycle that repeats across every planet you visit.
The loop works like this: you mine ore by pressing the drill button, sell that ore to earn credits, spend those credits on miners and upgrades, and then push your ship to the planet's core so you can launch onward to the next world. Repeat, deepen, grow.
Each planet is bigger and more demanding than the last, but each one also yields more valuable ore. Progress feels continuous and rewarding because it genuinely is: the deeper you go, the more powerful your operation becomes.
Clicking the DRILL button is the most direct way to mine. Each click adds ore to your inventory and increases your drilling depth. Both values matter: ore is your raw resource, and depth is what gets you to the planet's core.
As you mine deeper, you pass through distinct planetary layers. Each layer has its own mineral composition, visual style, and ore density. The names and textures of these layers change from planet to planet because every world is seeded procedurally, but the structure of passing through crust, mantle, and core remains consistent.
When your depth reaches the planet's core threshold, the planet is complete and you can prepare to launch. Until that point, keep drilling.
Ore sitting in your inventory is not yet useful. You need to sell it to convert it into credits, which are the currency you spend on upgrades and miners.
Press SELL ALL to convert your entire ore stockpile into credits at the current planet's sell rate. Each planet offers a different credit-per-ore value, and deeper planets tend to be significantly more profitable than earlier ones. This means travelling further is not just a progression goal, it is also an economic one.
Some upgrades and contracts interact with your sell timing and sell value, so it is worth thinking about when and how much to sell rather than always clicking immediately.
Auto-miners are autonomous timed machines that produce ore and depth while you are away from the keyboard, or simply while you are doing something else in the game. They are the idle layer of Infinite Miner, and they make a significant difference to your long-term efficiency.
Each miner type has a base cost, a purchase cap, and a timer that controls how frequently it pays out. When a miner completes a cycle, it produces ore and drilling depth automatically. The more miners you have deployed, the faster your operation runs in the background.
Miner output scales with your run upgrades and prestige bonuses, so the same miner becomes more powerful the longer you have been playing. Early-game miners that felt modest can become meaningful contributors later when upgraded properly.
The most important thing to understand about miners is that they support your active clicking rather than replacing it. The game is designed so that clicking still matters, but miners make sure your progress does not stall when you step away.
Run Upgrades and the Transit Window
When you reach a planet's core and pay the launch fee for the next world, you enter a brief transit window between planets. This is where run upgrades are purchased.
Run upgrades are temporary improvements that last for the current run only. They are bought with credits, but they also cost upgrade credits, which are a limited resource earned from planets. Each planet grants only a small number of upgrade credits, and later planets grant fewer than earlier ones. This means you cannot buy everything. You have to choose.
The upgrade categories include: drill click depth (each manual click mines more), sell value multipliers (earn more credits per ore), miner speed (miners complete their cycles faster), and ore multipliers (each unit of mining produces more ore). Different combinations of these upgrades suit different play styles and different run conditions.
Some upgrades are locked until you have reached a minimum planet number, and some require you to have purchased earlier upgrades in the same branch. Learning which upgrades open up further along the run helps you plan your spending during the transit windows.
Contracts
Each run generates a set of contracts tied to specific planets. Contracts are optional challenges that impose constraints on how you play within a given planet, and they reward you for completing them.
A contract might require you to sell ore below a certain credit threshold, avoid purchasing a particular upgrade type, limit how many miners you deploy, or reach the planet's core without using automation at all. These conditions push you to approach familiar planets in unfamiliar ways.
Contracts are not progression gates. You can complete a planet without satisfying its contract. But the rewards for successful contracts add meaningfully to your run economy, and experienced players find that building around contract conditions leads to more efficient runs overall.
Mini-Games and Interplanetary Encounters
During transit between planets you may encounter short challenge events. These include combat scenarios, asteroid avoidance sequences, and salvage sweeps. Each encounter type plays differently and tests a different aspect of your pilot skills.
Mini-games can reward permanent progression resources, making them more valuable than standard in-run income. Investing in mini-game upgrades through the Star Lab pays off over multiple runs as your encounter performance improves.
Mini-game upgrades include improvements to your weapon systems, hull durability, and drill relay performance. These upgrade categories persist across Star Drive resets and continue improving as you invest Star Shards into them.
Star Drive and Prestige Progression
At some point in any run, your current galaxy will reach the edge of what your ship can efficiently handle. That is the right moment to activate the Star Drive.
Star Drive resets your run. Your credits, ore, and temporary run upgrades are cleared. Your planet progress for this run ends. In exchange, you receive Star Shards based on how far you travelled and how much you accumulated before resetting.
Star Shards are spent in the Star Lab on permanent upgrades that carry forward into every future run. These upgrades affect things like your starting capital, your mining efficiency from the first planet, your miner output scaling, and your economy across the board. A ship with several Star Lab upgrades active is dramatically more capable than a fresh ship on its first run.
The ideal reset timing is a judgment call. Resetting too early leaves shards on the table. Resetting too late means the returns are diminishing and your time is better spent in a fresh run. Over time you develop a feel for when the galaxy is asking you to move on.
The Galaxy Map and Planet Navigation
The Star Chart shows you a window of planets within your current run. Each planet has a generated name, type, and visual appearance. You can use the map to review upcoming planets, check which ones you have already completed, and plan your route through the run.
You travel through planets sequentially. To move to a new planet you must complete the current one and pay its launch fee. You can revisit earlier planets to farm ore if you need credits quickly, but planet content does not change mid-run. The procedural generation is deterministic within a given run, so the same seed always produces the same galaxy.
When you perform a Star Drive reset, the run seed changes and the entire galaxy regenerates. Your new run will contain different planets, different mineral compositions, and a different sequence of contracts.
Tips for New Commanders
If you are just starting out, a few habits will help you progress efficiently. Sell your ore regularly rather than hoarding it; credits are more useful in your wallet than ore is sitting in your hold. Deploy your first miners early, even if their output seems small. The compounding effect of automation becomes significant quickly.
During transit windows, prioritise upgrades that affect your weakest link. If your mining feels slow, invest in click depth or ore multipliers. If credits are your bottleneck, sell value upgrades pay off quickly. Do not try to max every category on the first run; pick a direction and build towards it.
Do not be afraid of your first Star Drive reset. Many new players hold off longer than they should, worried about losing progress. The permanent upgrades you unlock in the Star Lab will carry forward and make your second run substantially faster than your first. Resetting is progress, not a setback.
If you want a dedicated prestige walkthrough, read the Infinite Miner Star Drive Guide.
Finally, keep an eye on active contracts. They are optional but the rewards are real. Even if a contract changes how you approach a planet uncomfortably, trying to satisfy it is usually worth the adjustment.