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Core Keeper tin ore location and uses

You won't be able to get very far in Core Keeper without upgrading your equipment - here's where you can find tin ore to improve your gear

An example of a player finding Tin Ore in Core Keeper

Getting your hands on some Core Keeper tin ore is likely the first real obstacle you’ll face as you start upgrading your equipment in this adventure game. While the copper gear you find early on works well for the first slew of battles and adventures, it’s not good enough to help you beat down some of the horrors that await in the dark depths.

So, grabbing tin ore is going to be one of the first things you’ll want to do once you’ve got a basic base set up. The only trouble is, Core Keeper isn’t exactly forthcoming with information on, well, anything. Core Keeper is so early in development that it doesn’t have a tutorial yet. Instead, you’re provided with a cutscene that says you’re in trouble.

Lucky for you, we know all there is to know about Core Keeper tin ore, and we’re always happy to help by sharing our wealth of knowledge with you. Here’s what you need to know about finding tin ore in Core Keeper, why you need it, and what it can be used for.

Where to find Core Keeper tin ore

Core Keeper is procedurally generated – that means we can’t tell you which direction you’ll need to dig in to find tin ore, but we can tell you the name of the biome it appears in. You need to find The Clay Caves biome, it’s usually not too far away from the starting biome, but can be tough to find.

We recommend picking one of the four cardinal directions and start digging. You’ll know when you’ve found it because the name of the biome appears on the screen and different music starts to play. Once you’re there, you need to find ore as you would in any other biome by digging towards the sparkles you see in the dark. Tin ore features a distinct grey colour, so you should be able to tell when you’re mining a vein of it.

You can mine tin ore long before you attempt any of the major fights in Core Keeper. This means you can go into your first boss battle slightly overpowered, as long as you don’t mind spending some time exploring. When you’re out on your adventures, we recommend you taking some food, bridges, a spare pickaxe or three, and a lot of torches.

A player highlighting over the Tin Pickaxe in Core Keeper

What Core Keeper tin ore is used for

Tin ore, once you’ve smelted it into bars in a furnace, can be used to create a wide variety of items and tools. The most important of these are the new crafting stations, like the Tin Workbench and Tin Anvil. These items allow you to make better tools, weapons, and new accessories like the Explorer Backpack, which let you to carry more items.

Generally speaking, these tin tools and weapons last longer than wooden or copper ones, and will be more efficient, be that by doing more damage, or mining through things faster. You can also mix tin, copper, and fiber to make powerful bronze armour too, which is great if you’re planning on going into battle soon. While there are levels and stat upgrades in Core Keeper, it’s often your equipment that makes the biggest difference overall. Grabbing Core Keeper tin ore as soon as possible is a great way to make sure you start off strong.

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