How do you play Casual Miner?+
Your minecart starts at the entrance of a dug maze. Click or tap an adjacent tunnel cell to dig into it and move there. Collect every gem by rolling over it, then reach the exit door. Each move spends one unit of dig fuel.
What are the rules of Casual Miner?+
Move only into orthogonally adjacent tunnel cells, never through rock walls. Collect all gems, then reach the exit. Every move consumes dig fuel. Run out of fuel before finishing and the run ends.
What is dig fuel?+
Dig fuel is your movement budget. Each time you move the cart into a new cell, one unit of fuel is spent. Re-tracing a tunnel costs again, so an efficient route finishes with fuel to spare, which becomes a score bonus.
How is Casual Miner scored?+
Your score is based on gems collected and the fuel you have left when you reach the exit — leftover fuel is a bonus. Your best score is saved locally in your browser so you can try to beat it.
How do you avoid trapping yourself?+
Plan a route that visits dead-end gems first and ends at the exit, so you never have to cross a long tunnel twice. Wasted backtracking burns fuel, and fuel is what ends the run if you overuse it.
Are all gems always reachable?+
Yes. The mine is generated as a connected maze, so every gem and the exit can be reached from the start. Losing is always a result of inefficient routing that burns fuel, not of an impossible layout.
Can I move backward?+
Yes. You can dig back into any tunnel cell you came from. Backtracking is sometimes necessary, but it costs fuel just like any other move, so use it sparingly.
What is the exit?+
The exit is the door at the far end of the mine, marked with a distinct icon. You may pass through it at any time, but you only win if every gem has already been collected.
Can I play Casual Miner on mobile?+
Yes. The maze is responsive and works with touch. Tap an adjacent tunnel cell to move, tap gems to collect them, and tap the exit to finish. Controls mirror the desktop version.
Is Casual Miner timed?+
No clock is involved. The pressure comes from your finite dig fuel, not a countdown, so you can pause and plan your route calmly.
Is there a pause feature?+
Yes. Use the Pause button to freeze the mine and study your route, then Resume. Pausing is ideal when you want to map the most fuel-efficient path.
How do I save my best score?+
Your best score is stored automatically in your browser's local storage when you finish. It is shown on the status line each game. Clearing browser data resets it.
Is Casual Miner good for kids?+
Yes. It teaches planning, spatial reasoning, and resource management with no time pressure or violent content. Kids enjoy the gem-collecting goal while learning to think a few moves ahead.
What is the best strategy for Casual Miner?+
Treat the maze like a tree. Grab gems on branch tips first, then travel back toward the exit along shared tunnels. Minimizing repeated tunnels keeps your fuel high and your score bonus large.
Is Casual Miner free to play?+
Yes. It runs in your browser with no cost, no account, and no download. Open the page and start mining immediately. Your best score stays private on your device.
