Miner is a one-button gold mining game. A claw swings back and forth like a pendulum above the mine, and a tap shoots it straight out along its swing. Grab a nugget and your blob winds it back up; big gold is worth a lot but hauls slowly, rocks are heavy and nearly worthless, and tiny diamonds are rich but hard to hit. Each level has a gold goal and a clock. Reach the goal before time runs out and you dig deeper, where the goal climbs, the swing quickens and diamond-carrying moles scurry about. Miss the goal and the run ends. Tap during a haul to cut the line and drop a bad catch.
How to play Miner
- Watch the claw swing. Tap anywhere to shoot it along the angle it's pointing.
- Whatever the claw touches first gets hauled up. Heavy things come up slowly.
- Fill the goal bar before the clock on the right runs out to reach the next level.
- Snagged a heavy rock? Tap while it's hauling to cut the line and drop it.
Tips to get a high score
- Time is the real currency: a mid-size nugget close by often beats a big one deep down.
- Small gold and rocks near the top block the path to the deep treasure. Clear a lane first.
- Diamonds sit deep and are tiny. Fire a hair early, as the claw swings toward them.
- Moles walk back and forth with a diamond. Shoot where they're going, not where they are.
- Rich hauls in a row build a streak with a rising pitch. Rocks and misses reset it.
What each catch is worth, and what it costs
Every item has a value and a weight. Small gold is worth 2, medium gold 5, big gold 12, a diamond 15 and a mole 18. Small rocks are worth 1 and big rocks 2. A mystery bag holds anywhere from 1 to 10.
Weight sets how fast you wind it in. Compared with an empty claw, small gold comes up at a bit over half speed, medium gold takes about two and a half times as long, and big gold close to five times. A diamond is light and comes up fast. A big rock is the slowest thing in the mine.
That makes a big rock the worst catch there is: 2 gold for the longest haul in the game. Cut the line as soon as you hook one. The rock is gone for good, so it won't block that lane again, and the empty claw zips back.
How the levels get tougher
Level 1 gives you 36 seconds. Each level after that takes 2.5 seconds off, down to 26 seconds from level 5. The goal starts at about half of all the gold on the level and climbs by 7% each level, until from level 7 you need 90% of it.
The layout changes as well. Each level adds another rock, up to three extra. Big gold and diamonds sit deeper as you go. Level 1 has exactly one diamond near the very bottom. After that diamonds are random, with an extra one from level 5. Moles turn up from level 3, two of them from level 6, and they walk a little faster every level.
Separately, the swing and the claw speed up over your first 70 seconds of play. By then the claw swings about 75% faster than it did at the start, so you need to fire a little earlier to hit the same spot.
Planning a level
Your score is all the gold you've hauled across every level. Gold above the goal counts too, so once you pass it, keep hauling until the clock runs out. The level ends early once there's nothing left but rocks.
Diamonds and moles are worth chasing first when you can reach them. They pay more than big gold and come up quickly. Small gold near the top is cheap to grab and often clears the lane to the deep treasure at the same time.
Keep an eye on the goal bar against the clock. Reach the goal with under 4 seconds left and you get a CLOSE!, but if only rocks remain and they can't make up the difference, the run ends on the spot. The streak on your hauls is just for show: rocks, misses and cuts reset it, but it never adds gold.
Daily levels and ghost races
Today's Miner level is the same for everyone, and you race the ghosts of other players' runs. How daily levels and challenges work.
FAQ
What happens when I reach the goal?
You can keep hauling for extra gold until the clock runs out (or the gold runs out), then the next, deeper level starts with a bigger goal.
What's in the mystery bags?
Anything from 1 to 10 gold. A bag worth 8 or more also drops a coin for hats.
Is it free?
Yes. Every Tapamine game is free to play in your browser with no download and no account.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. Tapamine is built for phones first: portrait, one thumb, and it works offline after your first visit. It also works with a mouse or the spacebar on a computer.
How do challenges work?
After a run, tap “Challenge a friend” to send a link. Your friend plays the exact same level and races your ghost — a replay of your run — to see who wins.
Add Miner to your site
Miner is free to embed on your blog, class page or website. Paste this code:
<iframe src="https://tapamine.com/embed/miner/" title="Miner: free one-tap game" width="360" height="640" style="border:0;border-radius:16px;max-width:100%" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; web-share" loading="lazy"></iframe>