Vinny - Mina the Hollower (PART 1): First-Session Guide

Vinny's first run through mina the hollower is a strong beginner roadmap because it shows the game exactly where new players are most likely to stumble: the weapon choice, the bones economy, early deaths, sidearms, hidden passages, and the first taste of real difficulty.

This guide keeps story details light and focuses on practical takeaways from the opening session.

Mina the Hollower opening ship and weapon selection in Vinny Part 1

What This Part Covers

The session begins with a mostly blind start and follows Mina from the opening voyage into the first hub, Osc, then out toward early optional and main-route areas. The important beginner lessons are:

  • Pick a starter weapon, but do not panic about the choice.
  • Learn the difference between bones and Bone Stone early.
  • Use jumping, burrowing, and sidearms together instead of relying on one defensive option.
  • Buy survivability upgrades before wandering too far.
  • Treat suspicious walls, fences, mirrors, graves, and NPC hints as real clues.
  • Expect mina the hollower to be much harder than its cute Zelda-like presentation suggests.

Starting Settings: Play Default First

The game offers modifiers, including movement and visual options, but Vinny starts with the base experience. That is the best recommendation for a first playthrough.

Use default settings if you want the intended balance around:

  • Jump height
  • Burrow speed
  • Enemy pressure
  • Platforming gaps
  • Upgrade pacing
  • Combat spacing

Modifiers can be fun later, especially after you understand how the game expects you to move and fight.

Starter Weapons: Which One Should You Pick?

Early on, Mina can test multiple starter weapons before committing. The important point: you can buy the other starter weapons later, so your first choice is not permanent.

Vinny chooses the Nimble Daggers, mainly because they feel fast and responsive. They are fun, but they also come with a major drawback: they have the shortest practical range among the starter options.

Nimble Daggers

Best for players who like:

  • Fast attacks
  • Close-range pressure
  • Quick movement rhythm
  • A more aggressive playstyle

Watch out for:

  • Dangerous bosses where short range makes every opening riskier
  • Enemies with wide hitboxes or contact damage
  • Situations where you need to back off and poke safely

Maul / heavier weapon style

The heavier option has a charge-style feel and bigger hits. It is slower, but safer in some fights if you prefer waiting for openings.

Beginner recommendation

If you are new to mina the hollower, choose the weapon that feels best in your hands, not the one that sounds strongest. You can replace or rebuy weapons later, and the first area teaches fundamentals more than it tests a perfect build.

Bones, Bone Stone, and “Bone Up” Explained

Mina the Hollower Bone Stone machine and upgrade menu from Vinny Part 1

The economy is one of the first confusing systems. Vinny initially misreads what “saving” means, which is easy to do.

Here is the clean version:

  • Bones are spendable currency.
  • Bone Stone is safe currency that cannot be lost.
  • Bone Stone can be converted into bones.
  • Regular bones are at risk when you die.
  • “Bone up” is the upgrade/leveling system.

Do not convert all Bone Stone immediately unless you know what you want to buy. Safe money is valuable, especially when you are still learning routes and enemy patterns.

Early upgrade priorities

Good first upgrades include:

1. Max health — the safest early buy.

2. More plasma vials — more healing capacity means longer exploration.

3. Sparks / recovery-related upgrades — useful if you are dying often and want better recovery odds.

4. Trinket slots — important once you start finding strong passive effects.

Vinny gets punished several times for low health, so the practical lesson is simple: buy a health upgrade before pushing too far out of town.

Healing, Sparks, and Death Recovery

Healing comes through plasma vials, but it is easy to forget to use them while focused on combat. Death does not always mean total loss, but it can start a recovery chain where your next mistake matters more.

Key points:

  • Yellow potion/vial indicators are not the same as max HP.
  • Some recovery messages refer to sparks and bone recovery chances.
  • If you die again before recovering properly, your losses can become permanent.
  • Fight smaller enemies before re-engaging dangerous areas if you need resources or healing opportunities.

The safest habit is to return to a rest point or underlab when carrying a lot of bones.

Movement: Jump, Burrow, and Don’t Overuse Either

Mina starts with a jump immediately, which makes the game feel more active than older Zelda-like adventures. Burrowing is also central, but Vinny quickly notices that burrowing too much can be a mistake.

Use each tool for a different job:

  • Jump over hazards, pits, and certain attacks.
  • Burrow for speed, repositioning, and passing under specific obstacles.
  • Jump attacks can hit signs, enemies, and objects more cleanly.
  • Sidearms solve problems your main weapon cannot reach.

Some hazards cannot be dug under and must be jumped. Some enemy patterns are easier to dodge with movement rather than burrow timing.

Sidearms and Trinkets Are Not Optional Extras

Mina the Hollower sidearm and trinket discovery in Vinny Part 1

The first session highlights several sidearms and trinkets that change how exploration works.

Notable early finds include:

  • Gyro Dagger / throwing dagger-style sidearm — useful for ranged pressure and object interaction.
  • Deflector Parasol — can be deployed and used to float over pits.
  • Iron Steed — a mobility sidearm with evasive and recovery utility.
  • Spike Spurs — reduce spike damage and prevent knockback on spikes.
  • Steady Soles — improve movement over rough terrain and resist knockback.
  • Will of the Wisp — boosts attack damage and speed after taking damage.

Sidearms consume resources and may not stay equipped forever, so experiment but pay attention to what each tool solves.

Osc: What to Do Before Leaving Town

Osc is the first major hub and contains several important services and secrets. Before rushing into a generator route, do the following:

  • Visit the shop and check max health, plasma vial, spark, jewel box, and trinket slot upgrades.
  • Locate the weapon shop so you know where to buy other starter weapons later.
  • Read NPC hints; several point toward secrets or future routes.
  • Check suspicious fences, mirrors, and hidden entrances.
  • Cut grass and break objects when convenient, but do not rely on it for steady money.

The game rewards curiosity constantly. If something looks slightly odd, it may be intentional.

Early Secret-Hunting Lessons

Mina the Hollower hidden mirror secret in Queensbury Crypt from Vinny Part 1

Vinny finds several secrets by following chat hints and by testing suspicious scenery. The major lesson is that mina the hollower hides meaningful content in places that look like jokes or decoration.

Keep an eye on:

  • Fences you can burrow under
  • Toilets and odd environmental props
  • Mirrors that behave unusually
  • Dark spaces and hidden holes
  • Statues missing parts
  • NPCs who mention objects, heads, brains, caves, or strange sightings

One mirror secret leads into a connected bonus-like space with references to other areas. It is dangerous, but it shows how much optional discovery the game layers into early zones.

The Clown Encounters: Don’t Swing Immediately

A recurring clown NPC can jump-scare the player. The important gameplay lesson: attacking immediately can cost you a reward.

When a strange NPC appears:

  • Pause before attacking.
  • Let dialogue play out.
  • See whether the encounter is hostile or a reward event.

This is a useful rule across the whole game. Not every startling character is an enemy.

Early Combat Lessons from Vinny’s Deaths

The session makes one thing clear: this is not simply a relaxed Link’s Awakening-style adventure. Mina the Hollower is demanding.

Beginner combat advice:

  • Do not face-tank enemies, even small ones.
  • Learn enemy rhythm before committing to combos.
  • Use boulders and environmental hazards against enemies when possible.
  • Short-range weapons require stricter positioning.
  • If a boss or large enemy feels unreasonable, leave and upgrade first.
  • Health upgrades matter more than pride.

Vinny repeatedly tests fights that are technically possible but clearly inefficient with low health and short-range daggers. If you are stuck, that does not always mean you are bad; it may mean you should explore, upgrade, or switch tools.

The First Major Boss Reality Check

The early Thorn fight shows the game’s difficulty jump. It is faster and more punishing than the cute visuals imply.

For early bosses:

  • Prioritize survival over damage.
  • Learn which attacks are better jumped than burrowed.
  • Do not burn healing too late.
  • Use your weapon’s actual range, not the range you wish it had.
  • Consider returning later if an optional enemy hits like a wall.

The daggers can work, but they make some encounters riskier because you must stand close.

Optional Routes and Area Order

After the hub opens, the game gives some freedom. There is no single strict correct order, but some routes are noticeably harder than others.

A good first-session approach:

1. Upgrade health in town.

2. Explore nearby outskirts.

3. Find safe rooms and shortcuts.

4. Test optional areas, but retreat if enemies two-shot you.

5. Spend or bank bones before taking big risks.

Vinny’s route shows that wandering into dangerous spaces can lead to strong finds, but also fast deaths.

Queensbury Crypt Beginner Notes

The crypt area introduces grave puzzles, tougher enemies, spike hazards, and hidden traversal tricks. Useful lessons include:

  • Some graves and holes are more than decoration.
  • The parasol can solve jumps that look barely impossible.
  • Spike Spurs reduce spike danger but do not make you invincible.
  • Safe rooms may be closer than you think, so keep exploring carefully.
  • Certain enemies are better avoided until you have better stats or tools.

This area is also where the game’s secrets start feeling more layered, with hidden rooms and mirror interactions that reward patience.

Best Takeaways from Vinny’s Part 1

If you are starting mina the hollower after watching or searching for Vinny’s first part, these are the most useful lessons:

  • Default settings are best for a first run.
  • Starter weapon choice is flexible; other weapons can be bought later.
  • Bone Stone is safe money, not just regular currency.
  • Upgrade health early.
  • Do not overuse burrow; jumping is often safer.
  • Sidearms and trinkets are essential exploration tools.
  • Secrets can be hidden behind silly-looking props.
  • Avoid attacking surprise NPCs until you know what they are.
  • If an enemy feels unfair, come back stronger.
  • The game is a blend of Zelda-like exploration, Castlevania-style subweapons, and Souls-like punishment.

Vinny’s first impression lands on the same conclusion many new players reach: mina the hollower looks charming and familiar, but it is sharper, harder, and more secret-packed than it first appears.