Bones are both your money and your XP. Spend them on gear, or Bone Up to raise a stat. Die holding too many and you can lose them all — unless you've banked them as Bonestone.
Bones are two things at once: your money and your XP. You spend them to buy weapons, items and keys, and you spend them to level up. Enemies drop them, the world is full of them, and there are 266,921 total to collect across the game.
The danger: carried Bones aren’t safe. Die without a Spark to fall back on and you lose the lot. Bank them as Bonestone to keep them.
Bone Up (leveling)
Collect enough Bones and you’ll Bone Up. You pick a category to improve:
- Attack — your damage.
- Defense — how much you take.
- Sidearm Damage — how hard your sidearms hit.
You can also convert Bones into Bonestone (banked, safe progress) or just save them. Each of the three stats caps at level 10.
What to level first
There’s no wrong answer, but a simple read:
- Dying fast? Put points in Defense.
- Fights dragging on? Put points in Attack.
- Relying on sidearms? Pump Sidearm Damage.
💡 Don’t over-invest in raw stats. Permanent upgrades — max health (Health Rose), extra Trinket slots (Trinket Bag), Spark capacity, Plasma and Joule capacity — matter far more over a full run. Stats are a top-up, not the plan.
Bonestone: how to not lose everything
Here’s the part that stings new players. When you die, you drop the Bones you were carrying at the spot you fell. You get one shot to fight back and grab them. Die again first, and they’re gone for good. Run out of Sparks while loaded with Bones and you risk losing all of them.
The fix is Bonestone — Bones converted into a banked form that’s safe from death. Convert regularly so a bad run doesn’t wipe your progress.
⚠️ Don’t carry withdrawn Bonestone around. Once it’s back in your pocket as Bones, it’s at risk again. Keep it banked until you’re spending it.
The other safety net is the Proto Spark trinket — it lets you keep your Bones on death. It’s widely considered the best trinket in the game, and you get it by escorting the Duke in Queensbury Crypt.
Bone economy scaling
Newer zones drop bigger piles of Bones than early ones. That’s good news for income, but it also means an early death — when every Bone counts — stings more than a late one. Bank often in the opening hours.
| What Bones are | Currency + XP |
| Bone Up stats | Attack, Defense, Sidearm Damage |
| Stat cap | Level 10 each |
| Bonestone | Banked Bones, safe from death |
| Total in game | 266,921 Bones to collect |
FAQ
What are Bones in Mina the Hollower?
Bones are the currency of Tenebrous Isle and also your XP. You spend them on items and weapons, or use them to Bone Up (level up). Enemies drop them and they're scattered around the world.
How does Bone Up work?
When you collect enough Bones you Bone Up and choose a category to improve — Attack, Defense, or Sidearm Damage. You can also convert Bones into Bonestone or save them for later. Each stat caps at level 10.
Can you lose your Bones?
Yes. If you die you drop your carried Bones, and if you run out of Sparks before recovering them, you lose them all. Bones you've banked as Bonestone are safe from death.
What is Bonestone?
Bonestone is Bones you've converted into a banked, death-proof form. It's the safe way to hold progress — but don't walk around with withdrawn Bonestone, since carried Bones are at risk.
Should I level Attack or Defense first?
Raise Defense if you're dying fast, Attack if fights drag on, and Sidearm Damage if you lean on sidearms. But permanent upgrades like max health and extra Trinket slots matter more long-term than raw stats.