'The Fastest' Achievement
TheManInTheAlleyFeb 11, 2025 @ 4:21pm7713
Achievements
The Fastest Achievement Guide
- Don't try to double up on achievements for this run. This should only be about achieving the speedrun time. Additionally, this ideally shouldn't be your second run, as you can spend a run relaxing and continuing to learn the general layout of the map while working on some of the other achievements.
- Before starting, for peace of mind, I'd recommend setting a timer to track your progress. I used the Stop-watch feature on my cellphone. This will save you from progressing too far in a failed run.
- At the very beginning of the run, I suggest digging in the shallows all over the garden for stones. You need $12 to upgrade all four tools once, and digging straight down is not usually beneficial at this point because there are many patches just below the shallow with no/significantly fewer rocks.
The layout of the stones is like this ('X' represents stones, '-' represents layers in the garden)
-----------------------
X----X---X---X--X-
--X-----X----X--X--
-----X------X----X--
- Once you have all four tools upgraded for the first time, focus on creating your hole straight down. Make sure that the circumference is large enough that you won't constantly get trapped on the edges going up or down. I have found that it's best to dig where the 'X' is marked, especially because the first 'Cashbox' is going to be located in this area with your sonar (the satellite-looking tool), and that's an addition 20-odd dollars when it's crucial to get it. 'Digging in a corner' of the garden will almost guarantee you miss the cashbox.
- Try to reach the first open series of 'caverns' (large open areas to freely move about) by 10'30-ish, time-wise. Keep in mind that the beginning will be slower going as you're underpowered. You're still making good progress if this is roughly your time.
- Once you hit the cavern, Silver lodes should be apparent sticking out of the walls. These are good freebies. By this point, you should be able to find a spot where your character will pull out a device (the small box with an UP/DOWN and a radar) letting you know there's a tunnel nearby with additional cash. I'd HIGHLY recommend continuing your downward dig here. You might get lucky and discover the tunnel isn't blocked by the large stones and lava stones (the ones you need to blow up with dynamite) and you can use it for free cash and dynamite; even if you don't find it/can't access it, the radar is a good way to remember where you were digging upon repeated returns to and from the garage.
- If the first tunnel IS blocked, don't bother with it. Dynamite is expensive, and at this point you'll be getting Gold and Platinum soon, so the Dynamite/Cash chest isn't worth losing $100 on a stick of dynamite and the time it takes to go buy it, come back and clear the way.
- This goes for your continueing downwards as well. If you found the tunnel unblocked by large/lave stones and got the dynamite, use it on the stones blocking you as you dig down. If you didn't get the free dynamite, just dig around them.
- If you have dug for quite a while and there is no Gold and no Platinum, plenty of large stones and your time is 20'+, don't be afraid to start again. Sometimes you get a bad path (though I stopped getting unlucky when I focused on digging where the radar pinged; hopefully you find the same strategy works).
- Once you hit the second series of open 'caverns', you're near the diamonds just below you. Once again, look for freebies sticking out of the walls and for the point where your character pulls out the radar/detector box; dig there. Again, this keeps you on track and gives a second chance at a loot tunnel.
- There is some debate about UPGRADES, but personally, I achieved my run with the $600 Drill, $300 Inventory Space, $300 Battery and $300 Jetpack. Once I had reached this point in upgrades, around 27'30, I was ready to breach the Mole Tunnels and finish my run. You'll know you're getting close to the Mole Tunnels when all you're finding are Diamonds. On my final return to the surface, I SAVED my Game at the book next to the Upgrade station. With roughly 28 minutes in, you've got one, maybe two good attempts to get to the chest. But by saving, you can Quit the game immediately upon being eaten by a Mole, restart from Steam and hit 'Continue'. This worked for me in getting the achievement, as I was getting particularly bad RNG with which way the moles were facing.
- The path to the Chest in the Mole Tunnes is easy and intuitive. Rightward curve, directly past the first mole into the next tunnel, follow the tunnel, take a Right that curves Left, run straight between the two moles and two large caverns to either side of you, straight into the final tunnel that leads directly to the Chest.
- The achievement will pop during the ending cutscene. It appeared for me after the 'twist', and before the truck arrives the next day.
- Before starting, for peace of mind, I'd recommend setting a timer to track your progress. I used the Stop-watch feature on my cellphone. This will save you from progressing too far in a failed run.
- At the very beginning of the run, I suggest digging in the shallows all over the garden for stones. You need $12 to upgrade all four tools once, and digging straight down is not usually beneficial at this point because there are many patches just below the shallow with no/significantly fewer rocks.
The layout of the stones is like this ('X' represents stones, '-' represents layers in the garden)
-----------------------
X----X---X---X--X-
--X-----X----X--X--
-----X------X----X--
- Once you have all four tools upgraded for the first time, focus on creating your hole straight down. Make sure that the circumference is large enough that you won't constantly get trapped on the edges going up or down. I have found that it's best to dig where the 'X' is marked, especially because the first 'Cashbox' is going to be located in this area with your sonar (the satellite-looking tool), and that's an addition 20-odd dollars when it's crucial to get it. 'Digging in a corner' of the garden will almost guarantee you miss the cashbox.
- Try to reach the first open series of 'caverns' (large open areas to freely move about) by 10'30-ish, time-wise. Keep in mind that the beginning will be slower going as you're underpowered. You're still making good progress if this is roughly your time.
- Once you hit the cavern, Silver lodes should be apparent sticking out of the walls. These are good freebies. By this point, you should be able to find a spot where your character will pull out a device (the small box with an UP/DOWN and a radar) letting you know there's a tunnel nearby with additional cash. I'd HIGHLY recommend continuing your downward dig here. You might get lucky and discover the tunnel isn't blocked by the large stones and lava stones (the ones you need to blow up with dynamite) and you can use it for free cash and dynamite; even if you don't find it/can't access it, the radar is a good way to remember where you were digging upon repeated returns to and from the garage.
- If the first tunnel IS blocked, don't bother with it. Dynamite is expensive, and at this point you'll be getting Gold and Platinum soon, so the Dynamite/Cash chest isn't worth losing $100 on a stick of dynamite and the time it takes to go buy it, come back and clear the way.
- This goes for your continueing downwards as well. If you found the tunnel unblocked by large/lave stones and got the dynamite, use it on the stones blocking you as you dig down. If you didn't get the free dynamite, just dig around them.
- If you have dug for quite a while and there is no Gold and no Platinum, plenty of large stones and your time is 20'+, don't be afraid to start again. Sometimes you get a bad path (though I stopped getting unlucky when I focused on digging where the radar pinged; hopefully you find the same strategy works).
- Once you hit the second series of open 'caverns', you're near the diamonds just below you. Once again, look for freebies sticking out of the walls and for the point where your character pulls out the radar/detector box; dig there. Again, this keeps you on track and gives a second chance at a loot tunnel.
- There is some debate about UPGRADES, but personally, I achieved my run with the $600 Drill, $300 Inventory Space, $300 Battery and $300 Jetpack. Once I had reached this point in upgrades, around 27'30, I was ready to breach the Mole Tunnels and finish my run. You'll know you're getting close to the Mole Tunnels when all you're finding are Diamonds. On my final return to the surface, I SAVED my Game at the book next to the Upgrade station. With roughly 28 minutes in, you've got one, maybe two good attempts to get to the chest. But by saving, you can Quit the game immediately upon being eaten by a Mole, restart from Steam and hit 'Continue'. This worked for me in getting the achievement, as I was getting particularly bad RNG with which way the moles were facing.
- The path to the Chest in the Mole Tunnes is easy and intuitive. Rightward curve, directly past the first mole into the next tunnel, follow the tunnel, take a Right that curves Left, run straight between the two moles and two large caverns to either side of you, straight into the final tunnel that leads directly to the Chest.
- The achievement will pop during the ending cutscene. It appeared for me after the 'twist', and before the truck arrives the next day.