Welcome to this quick guide for Fill Up The Hole, a quirky incremental game where you automate trash production, manage peons, and dump garbage into a magical hole for profit. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to optimize your late-game strategy, these tips will help you master the mechanics and progress faster.
1. Extended Edition vs. Regular Edition
Player Perspective:
“The first thing to decide is whether to play the Extended Edition or the regular version. The Extended Edition makes buildings twice as expensive and slows down hole-filling, but it extends gameplay. To activate it, grab a piece of trash from the menu and drop it into the ‘O’ in ‘Hole.'”
Pro Tip:
If you enjoy longer, more challenging playthroughs, the Extended Edition is worth it. Otherwise, stick to the standard mode for a quicker experience.
2. Understanding the UI
Player Perspective:
“The UI has worker frames (empty = available slot, filled = occupied), level pips (white = current level, yellow = upgrade available), and teleporter pips (white = peon summoned, empty = housing available, yellow = affordable summon, red = overcapacity). Don’t miss the occlusion button—toggle it to manage trash visibility.”
Pro Tip:
- Keep occlusion on to monitor trash overflow (which halts production).
- Turn it off to easily click buildings.
- Check the top bar for unassigned/assigned workers to avoid micromanagement.
3. Managing Peon Happiness
Player Perspective:
“Peons have three moods: Happy (+20% speed), Content (normal), and Sad (-30% speed). They won’t jump into the hole (despite the warning), but happy peons boost efficiency. Houses make them happy, but you can demolish houses mid-game if space is tight—overcapacity peons stay even without housing.”
Pro Tip:
- Prioritize upgrades like Bliss (auto-happiness) to skip housing.
- Before an earthquake reset, max out peons by building temporary houses.
4. Rocks & Yellow Shards
Player Perspective:
“Breaking rocks unlocks building slots and grants yellow shards (for upgrades). Always build catapults near rocks and vacuum shards to prevent overflow (marked by exclamation points).”
Pro Tip:
- Focus on upgrades like Scaffolding (more peons on rocks) and Shard Multipliers.
- Clear trash manually or reassign peons to avoid overflow.
5. Durability = Progress
Player Perspective:
“Buildings lose durability and eventually break, but this is GOOD—it refunds 70% trash, grants yellow shards, and boosts future production. Use upgrades like Hardness (earthquakes reduce durability by 30%) or Durability Down (active ability) to speed up breaks.”
Pro Tip:
- Power Stations can accelerate durability loss (assign peons strategically).
- Never manually destroy buildings—it only refunds 20% and skips bonuses.
6. Red Shards & Mini-Games
Player Perspective:
“For the best ending, farm red shards. Get books from level 10 buildings destroyed naturally, then complete their mini-games (check the Help tab). Success unlocks red shards on future breaks.”
Pro Tip:
- Revisit the Help tab—it tracks which buildings already dropped red shards.
- Laser-focused upgrades in the red shard tree lead to the best ending.
7. Bonus: Cloud Popping
Player Perspective:
“Click floating clouds to drop trash directly into the hole. Upgrades and drones automate this, but manual clicking saves building slots!”
Pro Tip:
- Active players should prioritize cloud-clicking for instant gains.
Final Thoughts
Fill Up The Hole blends idle mechanics with strategic depth. Focus on breaking rocks, exploiting durability, and farming shards for upgrades. Experiment with housing strategies and stay vigilant against overflow!