Hydroneer Guide | Tips and Tricks for Beginners

This Hydroneer Guide will explain how the HUD works and teach you the basics of the game to help you get started with your mining adventures.

Hydroneer is a game that's all about building big machines and mining the best resources. Fans of games like Factorio and Satisfactory will find something to love in this indie game from Foulball Hangover — and we're here to help you figure out the mechanics of the game with our Hydroneer guides!

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HUD Explanation

Unlike most other games, Hydroneer has a largely empty HUD. The only thing you need to pay attention to is the bottom-left of the screen which will show you what item you are currently holding or which Vehicle you are currently driving.

That said, there is still information to be found in the game; for example, the Magnifying Glass can tell you the status of breakable Machines if you hold it. You can typically figure out the status of something simply by looking at it.

Starter Guide Walkthrough

Your first day in Hydroneer will be focused on learning the basics of Mining. You'll be digging up Dirt by hand, putting it in a Bucket, and then using the Brush and a Pan to filter out the basic resources like Iron — our Mining guide covers all of the finer points of the basic process.

Your next step will be to sell those Resources to the Jeweler's Shop up the hill; simply place a Pan with everything in it on the table and push the big red button. You'll get the listed amount of Hydrocoins (the game's currency) in exchange. You can then head back down the hill and buy the items you need. I recommend buying the following items ASAP:

• Furnace
• Crucible
• Casting Mold
• Construction Hammer

These items will let you convert Ore into Bars. Continue to collect Ore and make Bars; then, your next goal is to buy an Anvil and a Blacksmith's Hammer. These two items will allow you to get into Crafting which increases your profit margins.

It's really that easy — simply repeat this process to keep collecting Ore and making items. You'll gradually earn more Hydrocoins, and then you invest those Hydrocoins into better equipment.

Once you've got Crafting down, you'll eventually want to move into Automation -- our Automation Guide will help you figure out the first steps. The world is your oyster after that -- there are larger, deeper land plots to purchase and explore, Vehicles to buy, and Machines to build -- have fun!

Resources

There are the Resource types in Hydroneer:

• Water - The source of power for all of your Machines and a useful tool for discovering Resources within Dirt.
• Dirt - Clumps of soil that hide useful Resources.
• Iron - The most basic of basic materials.
• Gold - A valuable material that is best used for Crafting Jewelry.
• Cloutium - A stronger material used for making high-end Machines.
• Shards - A Resource that can power or enhance your Machines.
• Gems - Resources mainly used for Crafting Jewelry. You can find Rubies, Emeralds, and Sapphires.

Multiplayer Functionality

Yes, Hydroneer is multiplayer as of the 2.0 Update, although it uses Steam Remote Play in lieu of an actual server and client system. You can read more about how it works in our Multiplayer Guide.

Save File Location

You can find the Hydroneer Save File in:

C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Mining\Saved\SaveGames

Where "USERNAME" is your Windows username.

Where is the Inventory in Hydroneer?

There is no inventory in Hydroneer — you can only carry one item or tool at a time. However, you can use Pans, Pallets, and Vehicles to carry multiple items around.

Can You Sell Shards?

No, you can't sell Shards in Hydroneer. You shouldn't sell them even if you could, though -- they are used to improve the efficiency of your Machines.

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Thanks for reading our Hydroneer Guide. Check out our other guides below!