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Triangular mineshaft elevator on desert blocks.
Screenshot by GameSkinny

SteamWorld Build: How to Prevent Mines From Collapsing

Watch out for dangers if you keep digging deeper in SteamWorld Build. Here's how to prevent mine collapse.

Just like any real-world mining operation, digging into the depths can be dangerous business for your robot workers. Indeed, they and your structures can get damaged if things go awry. Here’s how to prevent mines from collapsing in SteamWorld Build.

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How to Prevent Mines from Collapsing in SteamWorld Build

You can prevent mines from collapsing in SteamWorld Build by constructing Pillars on designated spots. Pillars can be found in the Infrastructure tab when you have the mining floors/levels selected. Each one costs 300x Money and 1x Boards.

How do Mine Collapses Occur in SteamWorld Build?

Pillar object highlighted in blue before being placed on brown mine blocks.
Screenshot by GameSkinny

Whenever your Miner units dig through underground areas, you’ll hear distant rumblings. This denotes that the foundation is starting to crumble, which eventually leads to that section collapsing.

When this occurs, I suggest looking for light blue outlines on the ground. You can then place Pillars on these spots. Since Pillars in SteamWorld Build also affect all adjacent tiles, I try to plop them down on spots where they’d cover the maximum number of tiles. This is just so I don’t waste too many resources constructing them all over the place. Pillars can still be built on tiles with Quarters and Workshops, but not Extractors.

Placing mine pillars on a grid to prevent collapse.
Screenshot by GameSkinny

What Happens if Sections of the Mine Collapse?

If you’re not careful, you may experience mine collapses in SteamWorld Build. When that happens, some of your units may get injured and certain structures may get damaged. To repair these, you’ll need Mechanics, which are recruited via Mechanic Quarters. Each tile costs 300x Money, 1x Gold, and 1x Tools, though you’d need at least nine connected tiles for your first unit.

How to Clear Mine Rubble

Additionally, you might see spots with rubble. You can clear these by clicking on them, which will cause Miners to remove the obstacles.

That’s how to prevent mines from collapsing in SteamWorld Build. If you’re delving deeper into underground caverns, you might want to know about how to create bridges and how to detect resources. For more tips and strategies, you can check out our SWBuild guides hub.


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Author
Image of Jason Rodriguez
Jason Rodriguez
Jason Rodriguez is a game reviewer and guides writer from the Philippines. With around 5,000 published articles, he's freelanced for numerous outlets, including GameSkinny, GameSpot, Polygon, IGN, PCGamesN, PC Invasion, and more.