Mining Suddenly Got Way Harder?

[ImaginaryColours]

I've been steadily working my way down the levels in the original mine (near Linus' tent). In the last few mining sessions, I've had maybe a dozen occurrences where I go down a level and suddenly it changes from what that level usually looks like to a dungeon level with flying skulls, harder-to-break rocks, etc, which is WAY harder to get through. I don't have the weaponry, defensive clothes, etc to be able to get through those levels yet, so I always have to leave. I don't think I've ever had a dungeon level before, or if I have it's been extremely rare. Now it's happening one or more times almost every time I go mining. It's getting really frustrating and slowing down my progress considerably because of how often it happens.
Has there been an update to the game that drastically increases the frequency that dungeon levels spawn, or have I just been getting extremely unlucky? And does anyone have advice for getting through those levels when you're early in the game and don't have great equipment yet?

[EleventhStar]

do you have the quarry unlocked (bridge repair in community center) and have you been into the quarry entrance to the mine. i'm fairly certain it's tied to that.

unless you are talking about the normal progression of the mines, every 10 levels orso has some changes with big changes happening at lvl 40 and 80.

[Queen Droxxanna]

think you are just unlucky. check your luck on tv before heading to mine each day. . I suggest doing the upper levels repeatedly until you get stronger. You can get iron on levels 30-39 to upgrade your tools.
To test you luck, when you run into a dungeon level, leave the mine right away, go outside so it resets, then take the elevator back down and see if it changed.

Level 40 is where the mine gets dark and more dangerous and that is normal.
Then on level 80 you get lava mobs, so it is dangerous as well.
And yes its normal for the mine to get harder as you go down.

There are Qi quests that make the mine DANGEROUS, but it doesn't sound like you have reached that point in game yet.

[Snowy Sprout]

This sounds like the "Danger in the Deep" quest, that is normally supposed to only come as a Qi quest, or by unlocking a special shrine at the bottom of the mine.

But you say this is still early game for you, and you haven't even reached the bottom of the mine yet? And it's the regular mine, not the quarry mine? That is extremely odd.

I'm sorry, but I don't know the answer. It sounds like a game glitch. Flying skulls aren't supposed to be a part of the first descent through the regular mines in early game.

[Nakos]

Originally posted by ImaginaryColours:

I've had maybe a dozen occurrences where I go down a level and suddenly it changes from what that level usually looks like to a dungeon level with flying skulls, harder-to-break rocks, etc, which is WAY harder to get through.

That sounds like the Quarry Mine. Which shouldn't interact or be part of the primary mine at all.

https://stardewvalleywiki.com/Quarry_Mine

Are you running any mods?

[lizardmang]

It's not a glitch or a mod. As OP stated, it's called a dungeon floor. They can randomly replace normal floors in the Mine after the Quarry has been unlocked.

https://stardewvalleywiki.com/The_Mines#Dungeon_Floors

I'm fairly certain the frequency of dungeon floors hasn't been increased. I think you've just had a run of bad luck. The easiest way to deal with them early on is to use a staircase, so I would consider taking some with you in case you run into another one.