If you are diving into Ludokai’s latest indie mining simulator, you are probably looking for a definitive list of all ore types You Know The Drill has to offer. The complete list ranges from surface-level Copper and Iron to deep-earth Gold, Platinum, and the endgame Abyssal Ore. Each tier provides exponentially higher resource values required to upgrade your drill, manage battery life, and unlock advanced tech like Mining Drones and Lightning Orbs.
Released in June 2026 by publisher Catoptric Games following a standout appearance at the Latin American Games Showcase, You Know The Drill has quickly carved out a dedicated audience in the incremental gaming community. Unlike passive idle games, this title requires active battery management and strategic routing. If your battery dies before you reach the shop, you lose your unbanked resources.
To help you optimize your descent and conquer all 9 Prestige Areas, we have compiled a definitive, ownership-grade breakdown of the game's economy. Here is everything you need to know about the subterranean treasures waiting in the dark.
Why Harvesting All Ore Types You Know The Drill Matters
In You Know The Drill, progression is entirely gated by your ability to harvest increasingly dense materials. You start with a basic pogo-style drill and a laughably small battery. Your primary loop involves diving into the dirt, grabbing what you can, and rushing back to the surface shop before your power drains to zero.
Understanding all ore types You Know The Drill features is critical because different ores serve different economic purposes. Low-tier ores are abundant and serve as your baseline income for minor hull and battery upgrades. Mid-tier ores provide the massive cash injections needed to unlock offensive weaponry like Missiles and Lasers. Endgame ores are strictly reserved for completing the massive Skill Tree and surviving the crushing depths of the final zones.
Furthermore, the game features distinct modes—Campaign Mode and Rush Mode. In Campaign Mode, the grind is methodical, requiring you to strip-mine entire layers to afford the next set of upgrades. In Rush Mode, the accelerated progression demands that you bypass low-value nodes entirely and beeline for the highest-tier ores available in your current Prestige Area. Knowing exactly what each rock is worth dictates your pathing efficiency.
The Complete List: All Ore Types You Know The Drill
Below is the comprehensive hierarchy of resources you will encounter as you dig toward the core.
| Ore Type | Depth Tier | Base Value | Primary Upgrade Utility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | Surface (Prestige 1) | Low | Basic Drill Power & Battery Capacity |
| Iron | Shallow Caverns | Moderate | Missiles & Hull Reinforcement |
| Gold | Mid-Mantle | High | Lasers & Overdrive Engine |
| Platinum | Deep Crust | Very High | Lightning Orbs & Mining Drones |
| Diamond | Lower Mantle | Extreme | Late-game Skill Tree Nodes |
| Abyssal Ore | The Abyss | Maximum | Campaign Completion & Prestige 9 |
Infographic: all ore types You Know The Drill value scaling
1. Copper Ore
Copper is the lifeblood of the early game. Found immediately upon starting in Prestige Area 1, these orange-tinted nodes are soft enough for your starting drill to break without draining too much battery. While their base value is low, you will mine thousands of them to fund your initial battery extensions and movement speed upgrades. Do not ignore Copper early on; volume is your best friend until you unlock the first major drill bit upgrade.
2. Iron Ore
As you push past the initial dirt layers, you will encounter Iron. Iron nodes take slightly longer to break but offer a moderate jump in base value. This is the ore that transitions you from a struggling miner to a subterranean powerhouse. The profits from Iron are specifically balanced to help you afford your first offensive upgrade: Missiles. Once you unlock the "ka-boom" achievement, Iron becomes much easier to clear passively.
3. Gold Ore
Gold is where the economy of You Know The Drill truly opens up. Located in the Mid-Mantle prestige areas, Gold nodes are highly resistant to basic drill bits. You will need to utilize the Overdrive mode (click and hold) to chew through them efficiently. The high cash yield from Gold is essential for purchasing Lasers and funding the middle branches of your Skill Tree.
4. Platinum Ore
Platinum represents the gateway to the late game. Found in the Deep Crust, these nodes require a heavily upgraded vessel to harvest without instantly depleting your battery. The massive payouts from Platinum are required to unlock the game's most powerful autonomous tools: Mining Drones (which unlock the "Little puppies" achievement) and Lightning Orbs ("Ride the lightning").
5. Diamond / Gemstones
Scattered sparsely through the Lower Mantle, Diamonds are jackpot nodes. They do not spawn in dense clusters like Copper or Iron. Instead, they require strategic pathing to reach. A single Diamond node can fund multiple late-game Skill Tree nodes simultaneously. In Rush Mode, spotting and securing a Diamond can shave hours off your completion time.
6. Abyssal Ore
The ultimate prize. Abyssal Ore is found exclusively in "The Abyss," the final, darkest zone of the game. Harvesting this ore is the only way to max out the final nodes of the Skill Tree and earn the "Completionist" and "Beneath everything" achievements. The environmental hazards and battery drain in The Abyss are relentless, meaning you can only mine this ore if your vessel is fully kitted with max-level Lasers, Drones, and Lightning Orbs.
Upgrades to Maximize All Ore Types You Know The Drill
Knowing the ores is only half the battle; extracting them before your battery dies is the real challenge. As you progress through the 9 Prestige Areas, your basic drill will no longer cut it. You must weaponize your descent.
- Missiles: The first major tech jump. Missiles automatically fire downward, pre-damaging Iron and Gold nodes before your drill even touches them. Fully upgrading them unlocks the "KA-BOOM!!!" achievement and is vital for maintaining downward momentum.
- Lasers: Essential for the Mid-Mantle. Lasers melt through dense rock formations, allowing you to bypass worthless stone and focus your battery strictly on high-value Gold and Platinum.
- Mining Drones: These autonomous helpers swarm around your vessel, mining adjacent nodes while you focus on drilling straight down. Drones are the key to maximizing your haul-per-run, ensuring you don't leave valuable Platinum behind in the Deep Crust.
- Lightning Orbs: The ultimate area-of-effect upgrade. Lightning arcs between nodes, shattering dense clusters of late-game materials instantly. If you want to survive The Abyss, fully upgraded Lightning Orbs ("High voltage") are non-negotiable.
Battery management remains the overarching mechanic that ties all these upgrades together. Every second you spend drilling a node that is too hard for your current tech level drains your power. If you hit zero, the screen fades, and you are hauled back to the surface with empty pockets. The golden rule of You Know The Drill is greed management: always leave enough battery to return to the shop, or ensure your Overdrive speed is fast enough to break through to the next recharge checkpoint.
Reaching The Abyss: The Final Frontier
For completionists, the ultimate goal is Campaign Mode completion. This requires pushing through all 9 Prestige Areas and entering The Abyss. The visual shift here is striking—the cozy, lo-fi pixel art of the upper levels gives way to a dark, oppressive atmosphere where visibility is limited and the rock is unforgivingly dense.
To successfully harvest Abyssal Ore, your strategy must shift. You can no longer afford to mine every node you see. You must rely on your Drones and Lightning Orbs to passively gather wealth while you manually pilot the drill in Overdrive mode, dodging impenetrable bedrock and aiming strictly for the glowing Abyssal deposits. Maxing out the Skill Tree here is a deeply satisfying conclusion to the game's incremental loop, rewarding the hours spent optimizing your loadout in the dirt above.
FAQ: All Ore Types You Know The Drill
What is the most valuable ore in You Know The Drill? Abyssal Ore is the most valuable resource in the game. It is found exclusively in the final zone, The Abyss, and is required to purchase the final, most expensive upgrades on the Skill Tree.
Do I lose my ores if my battery dies? Yes. You Know The Drill features a risk/reward mechanic. If your battery reaches zero before you enter the shop to sell your cargo, you lose all the resources you gathered on that specific run. Always monitor your power gauge.
How do I unlock Overdrive mode? Overdrive mode is unlocked via the Skill Tree early in the game. Once acquired, you can click and hold the Left Mouse Button (LMB) to consume battery at a faster rate in exchange for massively increased drilling speed and damage.
What is the difference between Campaign Mode and Rush Mode? Campaign Mode offers the standard, intended pacing with hours of incremental progression across all 9 Prestige Areas. Rush Mode features accelerated progression, faster leveling, and quicker upgrade acquisition for players who want a faster, more frantic experience.
The Final Dig
You Know The Drill succeeds because it perfectly balances the dopamine hit of incremental number-go-up mechanics with active, risk-based gameplay. By understanding the exact value and location of Copper, Iron, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Abyssal Ore, you can optimize your runs, minimize wasted battery, and conquer The Abyss with terrifying efficiency. Keep your drill sharp, trust your drones, and never let that battery hit zero.