Early game mining is about energy management. The odds of a rock spawning a ladder go up the fewer enemies are on the floor. Combat doesn’t use energy like mining does. So kill as many enemies as possible before mining rocks without ore. This decreases the energy cost per floor by a lot.

A lot of the early game is limited by your energy.

Spring onions in the forest to the south of the farm are a great source of energy early game. They grow in the area near the gated sewer pipe.

If you don’t hate the fishing game it’s a good way to recharge energy by eating the catch.

If you are eating for energy silver and gold crops give more energy per coin value. So I eat gold then silver then regular for a given crop.

A big cash boost for the start. Not recommended for your first playthrough.

Plant 2 cauliflower on the first day. The extra is for crow insurance. That plus a potato, parsnip, and green bean gets you the spring crops bundle.

Planting cauliflower on day 1 means it’s ready on day 13 the egg festival. Plant two seeds for each of the other 3 plants as soon as you can.

For the first 12 days Do the spring foraging bundle (to unlock the crops bundle) and earn as close to 2500 as you can. On day 13 till and water a tile for every 100 gold you have up to 25 tiles.

Make sure you have one of each of the 4 veg in inventory when you head to the festival. Buy 25 strawberry seeds or whatever you can afford.

As soon as you leave the festival head to the community center and finish the spring crops bundle. You get 25 speed grow.

Head back to the farm and plant the strawberries and use the speed grow on them before bed. Time is tight but for every one you plant and fertilize on the 13th you get 3 harvests instead of two that season. It’s worth passing out to get them all planted.