Motherload

Motherload is a digging game by XGen Studios.

History
Motherload was a free browser game released in 2004. While Adobe Flash Player support has stopped in 2021, it remains playable here on Miniclip. It also has a paid version, Motherload Goldium, that has some additional features, released around the same time.

In 2013, a sequel, Super Motherload was released, and could be bought here on the Steam store, which also includes Motherload Goldium. However, the style and gameplay of Super Motherload differs significantly. This wiki is about the original Motherload, unless otherwise specified.

Setting
Set at a vague time in the future where humans have colonised Mars (with extensive terraforming) and some of Jupiter's moons, and developed various advanced technology, including teleportation and force fields.

Gameplay
You begin the game as a drill miner on Mars, hired by Mr. Natas, the owner of a mining company. You drill underground in your mining pod to obtain various minerals and artifacts and do business with the four shops on the surface.

The mining pod can be controlled with WASD, or the arrow keys. It can move or drill left, right, or down. It can fly up, but not drill up. It can only drill left or right if standing on solid ground. Stones cannot be drilled into (unless you have the Multi-Drill upgrade in Goldium Edition), while lava and gas pockets will damage you if drilled into. Running out of health or fuel will cause the mining pod to explode, forcing you to restart at the last save point. Marsquakes may also disrupt your operation.

With the help of these shops, you can navigate obstacles, mine deeper and deeper into more dangerous and difficult areas with exponentially more valuable minerals, and prepare for the Ending (spoiler alert!) that awaits...

Walkthrough
At the very start of the game, you need to refuel as running out of fuel causes a game over. Propellent Vendor 12000 is right next to where you are dropped off.

Then, go to any spot outside of shops and start digging down. The most important mantra of Motherload is that you prioritise digging straight down. It is far better to do so to reach most valuable minerals as soon as possible. Mr. Natas also give you one-time $1000 and $3000 bonuses for going deeper than -500 ft. and -1000 ft., dwarfing the cash from early game minerals. Fuel is critical to watch to avoid running dry. Do not get too distracted by early minerals. Getting lost and running out of fuel is deadly.

Minerals are sold for cash at Mineral Processor 3000 (second shop from left). Upgrades are bought at Autobuy 2000 (third shop) and items are bought at the pod repaired at Emendation Station 3500 (fourth shop). Remember to save every time you surface at Quantum Particle State Analyzer 6000.

A fuel tank (e.g. Huge Tank) is usually the first upgrade you should buy, since the tank you start with will only last about 30 seconds of digging. Then, buy a drill (e.g. Goldium Drill) as your speed in digging depend strongly on it.

Stones start appearing around -1500 ft. and you cannot dig into them (unless in Goldium Edition with the Challenge completed). Buy Dynamite from Emendation Station 3500 to blow them up if they are in your way. While Dynamite seems very expensive at this stage, it is critical to have a straight, deep, single mine shaft so you can get back and forth efficiently, and getting to deeper valuable minerals will pay for it.

Lava pockets start appearing around -3000 ft. and potentially deals lethal damage to you, however they are visible and can be avoided or blown up safely.

Gas pockets start appearing around -4750 ft. and increasing common deeper you go. At -4000 ft., you may need to start digging horizontally for Ruby, and Diamond if you are lucky to buy Hull and Radiator upgrades to survive gas later, which also gets more deadly the deeper you go (see Damage page for details). Amazonite, once you reach them, is so valuable they would easily pay for absolutely anything.

Once you get to the bottom, only the Ending page can prepare you for it.

Challenges (Goldium Edition)

 * Main article: Challenge

Known issues

 * When idling, the mining pod may in rare occasions slowly sink (both down and sideways) into the soil. Since you can't dig up, you may become stuck if you don't have a teleporter. This is an old issue that predates the end of support for Adobe Flash.
 * Using Quantum Teleporter or Matter Transmitter from depth may cause the game to be stuck in a loop of the teleport animation, forcing you to restart at last save point.
 * Game sometimes randomly prevents movement or using any items other than Reserve Fuel Tanks or Hull Repair Nanobots, forcing you to restart.
 * This does not hamper gameplay, but the score may display "NaN" (Not a Number). Saving the game via Quantum Particle State Analyzer 6000 turns it to zero, and it will then function correctly.

Trivia

 * "Motherload" refers to a large amount of valuable items, which itself is a corruption of "mother lode" for ore veins.
 * With full upgrades from Autobuy 2000 and all relevant items from Emendation Station 3500, it takes 8-9 minutes to dig from the surface to the bottom.
 * The altimeter read ?XXXXX ft. with random flashing numbers starting precisely beneath -5813 ft. One square underground is -12.5 ft., therefore -5813 ft. is 465 squares deep underground. Afterwards, it can only be manually counted, with another 118 squares to dig, and Hell itself is another 8 squares, or 9 including the floor for a total of 592 squares, or -7400 ft.
 * The map is 32 squares across, or 400 ft. Therefore, the underground map is 18.5 times as deep as it is wide.
 * Minus the squares directly attached to shops that can't be dug into or blasted, there is an estimated 18636 interactive squares.