James Bendon built Dinkum largely on his own, KRAFTON published it, and the Australian island sim left Early Access in April 2025 after nearly three years. Fletch sells the licences that legally permit you to swing a pickaxe, chop a tree or plant a crop, and you pay for them with Permit Points earned from milestones. Crocos, Bush Devils and Alpha Jackaroos will flatten an under equipped player long before the weather does.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Bushlands | Permit Points earned from milestones basics | Logger | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Tropics | Licences bought from Fletch mastery | Logger | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Desert | Deeds that place town buildings + gear | Miner or Logger | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Pine Forest | Build optimization | Miner | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Deep Mine | Min-max | Miner or Fisher | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (Bushlands)
The eastern half of the map and the default starting ground, holding Jackaroo, Alpha Jackaroo, Diggo and Cockatoo, plus Gum Trees, Bush Lime Trees, Yellow Wattle Bushes and Billy Buttons.
Level/Difficulty: Day 1 onward Key Rewards: Timber, common bugs, early foraging materials
What to Do in Bushlands
- Learn Permit Points earned from milestones. Milestones tick up as you play, covering things like trees chopped, bugs caught and distance walked, and each completed one pays Permit Points. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Logger as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- Buy the Mining Licence for 250 Permit Points before anything else. Ore feeds the copper and iron tool recipes on every other licence line, so mining is the bottleneck that unblocks the rest of the island.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Axe or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Permit Points earned from milestones fundamentals
- Logger selected and functional
- Bushlands main content cleared
- Ready for Tropics
Phase 2: Early Game (Tropics)
The northern strip, with Palm Trees, Banana Trees, ferns and the Royal Bluebell, plus Wary Mu and Scrub Turkeys and a set of bugs that appear nowhere else.
Level/Difficulty: Early to mid game Key Rewards: Bananas and coconuts, tropical bugs, Mu for the farm
What to Do in Tropics
- Work on Licences bought from Fletch. Fletch trades licences in the base tent, and each one legalises a whole activity: the Mining Licence at 250 points lets you buy pickaxes and break rocks at all. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Axe if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Chase milestones rather than money in the first week. Permit Points come from milestones like trees chopped, bugs caught and distance walked, and those are what actually unlock new activities.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Desert.
- Consider whether Miner might suit your playstyle better than Logger.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Licences bought from Fletch integrated into gameplay
- Axe acquired
- Tropics fully cleared
- Ready for Desert
Phase 3: Mid Game (Desert)
The dry centre of the island. Open ground makes it good detector territory and poor cover, so anything hostile sees you coming a long way off.
Level/Difficulty: Mid game with a weapon in hand Key Rewards: Buried finds, desert specific spawns, open building space
What to Do in Desert
- Master Deeds that place town buildings. Deeds let you site houses and shops around the island, which is how NPCs such as John, Irwin, Rayne and Franklyn move in permanently. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Pickaxe. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- Take Fishing Licence level 2 at 1,000 points specifically to open the Commerce Licence. That licence costs 750 and adds a 5 percent bonus to everything you sell for the rest of the save.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Per activity skill levels for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Deeds that place town buildings mastered
- Pickaxe acquired or in progress
- Desert fully cleared
- Ready for Pine Forest
Phase 4: Late Game (Pine Forest)
The cold south west, with high cliffs, pine trees and apple trees. The elevated islands off that coast carry the same flora.
Level/Difficulty: Mid game Key Rewards: Pine timber, apples, cooler weather crops and bugs
What to Do in Pine Forest
- Finalize your build. You should be running Miner or Logger with optimized gear.
- Pickaxe should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Upgrade the Toolbelt line early. Each of the three levels costs 250, 1,000 and 3,000 points for one extra slot, and running back to a chest mid job wastes more time than the points are worth.
- Seasons and daily weather optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Deep Mine.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Pickaxe upgraded to max
- Pine Forest fully cleared
- Ready for Deep Mine
Phase 5: Endgame (Deep Mine)
The underground layer reached through the Mine after the 3,500 point Deep Mining Licence. Cave Bats, Glowing Crocos, Glow Bugs and Bush Devils all live down here, along with the Bat Shrine and treasure rooms.
Level/Difficulty: Late game, iron tools and a weapon Key Rewards: Quartz Crystal, Ruby, ores, glowing mushrooms, treasure room loot
What to Do in Deep Mine
- Deep Mine tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Never enter the Deep Mine without a weapon and food. Bush Devils and Glowing Crocos live down there, and the trip back up from a low level floor is long enough to kill you twice.
- The endgame loop: run Deep Mine, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Fisher for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Seasons and daily weather mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Deep Mine fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Trying to mine, chop or farm before buying the matching licence from Fletch. The activity is simply not available, and the tools cannot be bought at all.
- Spending Dinks at the bank to buy Permit Points. The conversion rate is deliberately poor, and the same time spent on milestones pays far better.
- Walking into the Deep Mine with a starter tool and no weapon. Bush Devils and Glowing Crocos hit hard enough to end the run before the first treasure room.
- Buying the Vehicle Licence line before the tool and toolbelt lines. Transport saves walking time, but the tool lines are what unlock new resources in the first place.
- Ignoring the Commerce Licence. At 750 Permit Points, a permanent 5 percent bonus on every sale pays for itself well inside the first season.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Buy the Mining Licence for 250 Permit Points before anything else. Ore feeds the copper and iron tool recipes on every other licence line, so mining is the bottleneck that unblocks the rest of the island.
- Chase milestones rather than money in the first week. Permit Points come from milestones like trees chopped, bugs caught and distance walked, and those are what actually unlock new activities.
- Take Fishing Licence level 2 at 1,000 points specifically to open the Commerce Licence. That licence costs 750 and adds a 5 percent bonus to everything you sell for the rest of the save.
- Upgrade the Toolbelt line early. Each of the three levels costs 250, 1,000 and 3,000 points for one extra slot, and running back to a chest mid job wastes more time than the points are worth.
- Never enter the Deep Mine without a weapon and food. Bush Devils and Glowing Crocos live down there, and the trip back up from a low level floor is long enough to kill you twice.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Dinkum Guides
- Dinkum Dinkum Overview
- Dinkum Best Builds
- Dinkum Tier List
- Dinkum Beginner's Guide
- Dinkum Tips & Tricks
- Dinkum Weapons Guide
- Dinkum Combat Guide
- Dinkum Boss Guide
- Dinkum Maps & Locations
- Dinkum Crafting Guide
- Dinkum Classes & Characters
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