Treasure Hunt Simulator never explains why there’s so much gold buried on its tropical beach, but there’s a reason the developer, HenryDev, didn’t call it “Figure Out Why This Treasure is Here Simulator.” When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade; when life gives you dozens of trunks stuffed with doubloons, you grab a shovel.

Basically, until they develop Buttery Garlic Knot Simulator, you’ll find me on the beach. And hey, this is easy! They said I’d have to dig for treasure, but there’s some right on the…

Come to think of it, the developers also didn’t call it “Spotting Treasure Immediately Simulator.” Digging it is!

I start with two pieces of equipment: a bucket for scooping up sand and a backpack for dumping it into. This is an important second step, and not just because treasure hunting is no excuse for littering: you’ll make a lot of your money in the early game selling it off to the local sand merchant, who will presumably export it to Wisconsin as an exotic luxury item.

Very soon my thriving digging business turns enough profit for me to buy an honest-to-goodness shovel and a better backpack. A few hundred treasure chests later, I think I’m qualified to pass on some advice to new fortune-seekers.

Firstly: don’t be too proud to be a dirt farmer. Treasure is nice when you can get it, but two things won’t change. You’ll be digging up huge amounts of sand and the merchant will take it off your hands for a fair price. When your backpack fills up, by all means…empty it!

Secondly: the treasure gets better the deeper you dig. This means that the people who can afford really, really good equipment (your jackhammers, your drills, your thermonuclear bombs) only care about the chests down deep in the hard-packed dirt that’s really hard to move with cheap ol’ shovels. On their way to vaster fortunes, they’re going to blow past a bunch of perfectly good treasure chests they’re too rich and busy to take.

But until you get all that cool stuff (and you will!), you’re not too busy to pick up what they were happy to leave behind. Next time you see someone zip straight to the center of the earth, peek down after them and start digging towards any good treasure chests they’ve left behind. It’s still a little bit of work, but it’s more efficient than poking around blindly.

Finally: while the game’s music is delightful and relaxing, you might need backup for an extended digging session. There’s nothing wrong with blasting your own tunes or even watching a movie to keep you company on the hunt. Make the most of your digging time!

I may not have my private island yet, but I’m far from finished with Treasure Hunt Simulator! You can try the game for yourself here. Also, uh, let me know if you spot a pair of car keys. I think I might have dropped mine two, three…no, four hundred feet underground. Thanks!

Did you know that Treasure Hunt Simulator is also now available on Xbox One? You can read all about HenryDev’s inspirations behind his treasure paradise in our recent interview with him by clicking here!