With Minecraft seeing another large resurgence online, it's important to note just how successful the game has been since its release. On top of being a prominent tool for education, the game allows players to actively use their imagination and problem-solving skills to overcome the world around them.
Some players consider themselves builders, while others are explorers trying to avoid creepers and other dangerous enemies. Knowing is half the battle, and having a few tips that help with thriving in survival mode can go a long way.
10 Pace Yourself Accordingly
Whenever a new game comes around it's easy to dive into it headfirst. Though Minecraft isn't exactly new, it's seeing a new wave of popularity thanks to the rise of popular Twitch streamers. The important thing to do is pace out the experience accordingly and avoid burning out before the best parts of the game are experienced. Minecraft can be rather addicting and the variety of ways in which it can be played make it easy to binge for hours on end. There's no shame in taking a breather and watching a movie or playing a different game, though, as hard as it may be.
9 Don't Be Afraid To Google
In its early days, Minecraft was a rather simple game with crafting recipes that didn't require too much thought. In the years since it's added hundreds of items and recipes, with new ones being added with every additional update. There's no shame in using Google in order to figure out what certain items do and if they're even worth building. Some gamers feel shame for doing this, but it isn't the early days of gaming anymore and players should look at the internet as a resource to accompany their gaming and not a cheat-filled handbook or crutch.
8 Swords And Pickaxes
Tools are a big part of the Minecraft experience and early on players will be making them out of wood and stone for the most part. As players begin to harvest better materials the question always arises about which tools should take priority when better materials are found.
The general consensus is that after a player has armor and iron tools across the board, that the first time they find diamond should be used on a sword and a pickaxe as those are the most used and most important items to a player.
7 Overuse Your Torches
Minecraft at its roots is a survival game with a sense of exploration and creativity. Torches are one of the most useful and important items in the game as they're the most efficient and cost-effective way to deter enemies from spawning. Placing a bunch of them on the ground can look gaudy at times, but it's worth it early on. As time goes on and the focus shifts to building aesthetically pleasing areas then players can worry about it, but until that time it's best to just avoid panic and stress in exchange for hundreds of torches all over the floor.
6 Gather Resources
Anyone who's ever played a role-playing game understands how important it is to keep their personal inventory full with all of the necessary and useful items they need. Minecraft is no different and at some point in playing the game, players will need to turn their attention to gathering resources. Whether it's in order to have building materials or simply to fill the hunger meter, the act of stocking up is a common one in Minecraft. The tip here is to put a heavy emphasis early on and then simply make resource gathering an occasional necessity moving forward.
5 Invest In Building A Safe Mine
Minecraft wouldn't be Minecraft if it didn't require the player to do their fair amount of tedious and repetitive actions. Digging out and formatting a safe mine is one of the best uses of time early on. Not only will it protect the player from enemies, but having a safe and efficient area to mine can exponentially speed up the early game. Having an effective way to gather coal, iron, and other resources will lead to the player being able to do a lot more of the creative and fun aspects of Minecraft a lot quicker as they're not struggling to keep inventory.
4 Don't Forget Your Armor
New players are often in the process of ingesting tons of info about Minecraft and it can become overwhelming. There are so many different items and systems at play that memorizing all of it can feel like an impossible task early on. This is why armor often gets forgotten about as a key item early on.
The moment the player starts acquiring iron ingots from mining they should shift their focus to building a set of armor. It will last the player a good amount of time and will often be the difference between dying or surviving when a surprise creeper explosion occurs.
3 Gather, Explore, And Build
Minecraft has survived and thrived due to how fun it is to play at a base level. It certainly has levels of complexity, but they're only there for those who wish to seek them out. Players who enjoy the monotony of gathering resources can have a good time. Those who love adventuring and exploring new lands and fighting foes have hours of entertainment at their hands. Lastly, builders have all of the materials capable of making their dreams come true. Players shouldn't limit themselves to one aspect and should try and experience all Minecraft has to offer.
2 Know How Enemies Attack
By understanding how and when enemies attack in Minecraft, comfortable and effective strategies can be formed by the player. Most enemies can be vanquished with a sword, but learning how to effectively use a bow and arrows could give a player a safer level of comfort when trying to eliminate ranged attackers like skeletons or high risk/reward foes like creepers. Spend some time learning how enemies attack and where they're vulnerable in combat and the fear can quickly turn to confidence as the prey becomes the predator.
1 Build A Temp Home
From the moment a new player loads into the world up until the first sunset, the primary objective should be finding shelter. This will be temporary so safety is more important than aesthetics at this point in time. Whether dirt, stone, or wood is the focus of harvesting, the primary focus is making a structure with four walls and a roof. Some players find this easiest to do next to an already existed wall, while braver players suggest building it into the side of an already existing cave system as two of the four walls and the roof are already accounted for.