Gem Delve

Gem Delve is an idle mining game played on a cross-section of the ground. You start at the surface with a basic bit and dig straight down, one metre of rock at a time. Every 25 metres you break into a new layer. The rock is about four times harder there, and it pays more than three times as many gems. Gems are in-game only. They cannot be bought, cashed out or exchanged for anything.

How to play

• Tap the rock to dig. When a row breaks you collect its gems and drop one metre.
• Spend gems on a Better Bit, which multiplies all dig power, or on drills that dig without you.
• Watch for a golden vein that flashes across the rock. Tap it before the ring closes to start a combo.
• While a combo runs, another vein follows quickly and all gems are multiplied. One miss ends the combo.
• Lucky strike breaks the next five rows at once for triple gems, then needs time to recharge.
• Your drills keep digging while you are away, for up to two hours.

Tips

Buy two or three Better Bits early, since they also boost every drill you add later. Keep your eyes on the whole rock face rather than your finger, because veins can show up anywhere. Lucky strike ignores how hard the rock is, so it is worth the most when each row takes a long time to break. On a keyboard, the space bar digs and keys 1 to 5 buy upgrades.