A new Stardew Valley mod actually makes mining worth the time, even if you end up with what normally counts as trash or unwanted artifacts. The mod, which was downloaded over 3,000 times since it first debuted at the end of July, tweaks sell prices in the life game for pretty much everything you find down in the mines so they’re much more favorable to you. That includes minerals, but more importantly, it also covers Dwarf Scrolls, artifacts, and monster parts.
Artifacts are completely worthless after you donate one to the museum, but you inevitably wind up with at least two or three during each trip to the mines. Monster parts are normally even more frustrating. You’re almost forced to defeat monsters to progress in some cases, but that stack of 30 bat wings doesn’t even get you enough gold for a night out at the Stardrop Saloon.
Balanced Mining also classifies geodes into new groups, each with a set chance of certain minerals dropping, instead of lumping them all together under the original geode categories. Treasure chests you find in the mines should produce more valuable loot as well.
Modder o0MrPro said they designed Balanced Mining to work with their other Balanced mods, including Balancing Farming and Balanced Fishing in an effort to, well… balance the game, but not necessarily in your favor.
The farming mod slows crop growth and, in some cases, gives you less gold for what you grow. It’s balanced in the sense that crops don’t normally grow in five days, but if you’re after something to make the game a bit more lucrative and enjoyable, Balanced Mining is definitely the mod for you.
Balanced Mining is compatible with other major Stardew Valley mods, including SV Expanded and basically anything that doesn’t already change mining prices. That means you’re free to use this and still build a farming empire or demand shopkeepers forsake their lives to serve you at all times.