Welcome to our Guide to Mina The Hollower.
First impressions of the game might have you think that Mina the Hollower is an inviting one. It features a little mouse hero who is on an adventure and has artwork that reminds me of the classics such as Zelda and Castlevania. While all of this may seem rather harmless, the reality is that the game is very harsh if you try to get through it without any prior knowledge. This guide touches on all aspects that I wished I had known at the time of beginning my journey—from power-ups which turn the whole game around and many secret bonuses to accessing the map and surviving certain tough missions. This guide highlights some of the most useful early-game trinkets, explains how to unlock and upgrade the game’s hidden map system, and shares practical combat and exploration tips learned through trial and error. From powerful items like the Proto Spark extra life charm to advice on healing, weapon experimentation, and spending Bones wisely, these tips can make your journey through Ossex and beyond much smoother.
Table of contents
Part One: Best Trinkets to get in early game
There are countless trinkets spread across the game world, but a few shine out from the rest by far. There are four items which will make your playthrough immensely better, three of which you will get access to as soon as you arrive at Ossex. The fourth one you will acquire only after completing Queensbury Crypt.
Primed Vial Pouch
This token is really powerful because it not only offers you two more plasma vial charges but also replenishes some of your life each time you use a vial. You do not need to kill your enemies in order to heal yourself since it will give you some of your life irrespective of the healing charge you have collected.
How to obtain it:
Exit Ossex via the southern gate and travel westward. During your journey, you will face two guards shooting laser beams. They are hard to dodge in the earlier levels of the game.
Keep traveling south and blow up the tree that obstructs your path to find a way up on the roof. More specifically, it is a roof of someone’s house.
Head down to the basement to get the Primed Vial Pouch.
Steady Soles
These allow you to move around freely on any terrain from ice to water, from grass to stairs; these are also anti-knockback, meaning that they play an immensely important role during the platforming segments of the game
How to obtain it:
First, go to the telescope zone in Ossex and move towards the courtyard view point where a red mouse is perched on the bench.
Then, dig under the right-hand side of the railings and fall down into the building. In the building, there is a staircase at the upper-left portion of the room. Go up through the stairs and you will have the Steady Soles.
Plasma Funnel
That means she drains those vials twice as quickly. The drinking rate is painfully slow to begin with, and more difficult bosses won’t offer you ample time to heal yourself.
How to obtain:
Exit Ossex through the South Gate and head down one screen until you reach the west entrance.
Burrow abilities will be necessary for manipulating the lava and breaking through barriers to access the Molten Forge.
Warning: The Molten Forge can be difficult at the beginning of the game due to the number of enemy pigs there that can deal a lot of damage. If needed, you could complete Queensbury Crypt and come back later. Upon emerging from the forge, you will come out at the rear of the debris blocking the western access route.
In the area you will see a trinket vendor who will sell the Plasma Funnel, which costs 700 bones.
Proto Spark
This charm will literally grant you another life. It will bring you back from the dead with most of your health, and the best part is that it gets recharged by simply reaching a checkpoint. This charm alone has helped me beat many bosses.
Getting the charm:
This one is actually a quest in the game after Queensbury Crypt. You will find the Duke before the boss fight, in the eastern part of the foyer.
He needs assistance getting through the platforming puzzle that will eventually take him to the boss chamber. Defeat the boss in the dungeon and escort the Duke out safely afterwards, throwing him into the nearby coffin. In return, he’ll give you the Proto Spark.
As there aren’t many trinket slots available, you’ll require pouch upgrades first before using all four at once.
Part Two: The Map
One of the stranger design decisions in Mina the Hollower’s design is that the game does not have any in-game map system. Unless you discover how to activate it yourself, you will be navigating without any help from a map at all. However, it isn’t difficult.
Step One: Rescue Rhene
Head south towards the Southern Outskirts from Ossex, where you will find the Rebel Barracks. In case you are proceeding straight south, you shouldn’t be able to miss it.
You must get a kear to open the entrance of the building. Once inside, you will find that Rhene is imprisoned inside the cage. Free her and heal her using one of the vials available nearby; she will start following you. On your way back, she will help you in your fight by throwing objects at the enemies.
After getting Rhene back to Ossex, head over to the Hollower Guild Hall. You will find the front door locked initially and therefore, you have to use the southern entrance to enter inside.
The guild hall begins in rough condition, but Rhene’s return helps restore it to working order.
Step Two: Buy the Map
Drillhardt is trapped under debris in the guild house. Help him escape, and he will offer to sell you a map for 500 bones.
Nonetheless, the initial map is not very detailed, meaning you can’t gain any useful insight from it at first.
Step Three: Get the Enhanced Map
After finishing the area of Septemburg, the third most commonly encountered area by gamers, the Drillhardt provides a better one for 500 more bones. This new map, known as the Enhanced Map, shows details about fish and discoveries in the region.
Some data on the map will not be revealed until other Spark Generators have been restored.
Step Four: The All-Seeing Skull
This useful utility item at the end game gives you a skull marker that appears on your HUD. This glows red if there is a collectible on your current screen and glows blue if there is one on the neighboring screens. It is available for purchase right after completing the Coltrane Peaks area.
Part Three: General Tips
Explore The World
The world of Mina the Hollower has many secrets hidden within it. From peculiar walls to unexpected dead ends, from odd placements of items to the design of a room, there are countless rewards waiting to be found.
Ignore mobs and rush Back to Your Death Location
Checkpoint gaps may seem daunting initially, with minutes often passing between each save. Fortunately, getting back to your last checkpoint is faster than going through the whole level again. Skip any unneeded battles, find the quickest way possible, and make use of transition screens to fool any pursuers. Many zones will seem far easier once you’re simply trying to survive.
Slow Fights Down
Patience is key to victory in combat. Do not keep assaulting and avoiding attacks; take your time and understand the movements of your enemies. Your opponents’ attacks can be predicted, and if you avoid their swings, they will leave themselves open for retaliation.
Healing Windows Matter
Healing entails two things: charge accumulation and sufficient time to utilize the vial. In many cases, people have all their healing abilities with them but end up dying since they fail to find a good time to make use of them. Try to find the moments where bosses complete attack patterns. Sometimes healing is the best option rather than dealing more damage.
Experiment with Every Weapon
There are five weapons altogether in the game, out of which three are available at the start. Each of them has its own qualities when it comes to speed, range, and fighting. There is no bad weapon as such, and the majority of improvements can be used for all the weapons.
Save Sidearms for Tough Enemies
Throwing weapons like axes and various equipment use Joules; hence, sidearms can only be used sparingly since they are valuable. They are highly effective, but one should not expend them on common enemies. Use them against elite enemies and mini-bosses.
Sidearms Aid Exploration Too
Mina the Hollower often employs sidearms or trinkets as exploration devices. Specific items could be useful for bridging long distances, discovering areas, or solving environmental puzzles. Such items are typically placed close to where they are supposed to be utilized in the game. Sometimes inaccessible locations just need you to advance the plot first.
Spend Your Bones
There are merchants throughout Ossex and beyond offering valuable upgrades and useful items. Don’t fall into the trap of hoarding currency forever. Early health boosts and permanent improvements often provide more value than saving for expensive endgame purchases. And don’t ignore kears—many locked areas contain excellent rewards that easily justify the investment.
Now get out there and start digging. Mina the Hollower is full of secrets, dangers, and discoveries—and with a little preparation, you’ll be more than ready for whatever waits beneath the surface.
Videogames.
Gym.
My dog.
Sneakers.
Manga.
In that order.
