10 Essential Tips to Help you Survive and (Eventually) Master Minecraft

First off, let’s set the record straight… Minecraft kicks ass. If you don’t own this masterpiece of video game crack, stop reading right now, open a new tab, go to minecraft.net, and buy it. At under $27, it’s a bargain considering the near unlimited replay value and immense loads of fun it provides.. Don’t worry, I’ll be here when you get back.

Ok, now that you’ve gotten to know and understand the greatest of this game, what do you do next? After all, Minecraft isn’t exactly known for its tutorials. But that’s ok, because tutorials are for pussies. It just sort of throws you into this massive world of randomization, giving you nothing but your blocky fists, and your sharp wits to build an empire, and fend off the various creatures of the night, all of whom want you dead.

As someone who has probably put in over 100 good hours of Minecraftin’, I have fought through the hell and the awesomeness that this game entails. I have triumphed in glory, died horrible deaths, and gone through all the trial and error of the seemingly endless random situations this game throws at you. Like life itself, it is you against the world, and you don’t know what to expect. There’s going to be a lot of multitasking going on. You can use your skill and your intuition to rise to the top, or in your incompetence and greed, lose it all at the hands of an explosive green guy known as a “Creeper.” Alright, so maybe that last part isn’t exactly like life. But this game certainly brings out the real life adventurer in us all, and exploits the hell out of the human desire for exploration, acquisition and triumph.

Anyway, let’s cut to the chase: As a first timer walking through your world, I’m sure you are overwhelmed at the sheer scope of the world, and the freedom granted to you. While this game is extremely fun and addictive, certainly takes awhile to wrap your head around of, despite its seemingly simple mechanics. This is why I have felt it appropriate to give you a rundown of some basic tips and notes about the game, so that you can be off and running. Before you know it, you will sit atop a castle of gold as you defeat hundreds of spider-riding skeletons with your diamond sword.

#1: Mine wood.. A CRAPLOAD of it

This one is absolutely key. Wood is essentially the foundation of the minecraft. You use it to create almost EVERYTHING: shovels, swords, building blocks, doors, picks for mining, you name it. And those items you DON’T use it for, I promise you that wood will be required in some form to at least build up TO that item. Do this very early in the game. Spend at least a few days dedicated to this, (Minecraft days, not real days, you crazy..) and seriously just keep chopping wood from trees with your axe. I’d recommend scoping out a very woodsy area.

It may seem tedious now, but you will thank yourself later. I can’t tell you how annoying it got during the several times I ran out of wood during my first game. And it always seemed to happen when I urgently needed it. So suck it up and get the lame work out of the way first. Fill a whole large treasure chest’s worth. Congratulations, the boring shit is over. Now you’ve got this game by the balls, and you haven’t even built anything yet.

#2: Have some sort of temporary protective “base” early in the game

This should probably be done before your wood chopping marathon, or at least in conjunction with it. Otherwise you’re going to be spending some hellish nights running away from all sorts of deadly monsters who will take you down in a heartbeat. Or, if you want to be cheap like me and simply don’t have the time and/or patience of building anything early in the game, stack a tower of blocks directly below you, creating a tall tower, which will protect you from the things that go bump in the night. Just be sure you’re out of reach of the skeleton’s frightening arrows, and be prepared to sit out a whole boring night a top your thin tower as you wait for your friend, the sun, to return. Oh and if you DO build a tower, be sure to put a lip around the exterior, as spiders can crawl up the top and give you an unpleasant surprise. Trust me, that is not a fun experience. Sneaky bastards spiders..

But anyway, you will definitely want some sort of temporary safe haven to retreat to during the night, while you gather resources for your more permanent mansion. Just remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

#3: Always Watch your Back…

I know it sounds simple and stupid, but this is a very neglected move, that may in fact save your life on multiple occasions, as well as several valuable items in your inventory. I’m not just talking at night here, but during the day too. For those damn sneaky Creepers roam lands during the morning hours as well, and they always seem to sneak up behind you with their explosive greetings right as you are calming your nerves from the previous night. The worst part about them is, they are so damn silent, that you generally don’t hear them until it’s too late, in the form of a snake-like HISSSSS.. And while you are far less likely to run into your unwanted buddy during the later afternoon hours, never just assume they wont be there. I’m telling you, they can sense your feelings of ease.

#4: Expand your Mining Business: Branch Out

Once you’ve settled in with an ample supply of wood, picks, and a decent shelter, it’s time to quench your thirst for riches – time to dig!

While you can essentially have the freedom to create any sort of underground tunnel/path that you wish, I would recommend getting some sort of organized tunnel system planned out. Basically, allow yourself maximum room to mine, with easy access to all compartments/corridors of your mine. Perhaps the simplest way to achieve this is to carve out sort of a central mining “hub” for yourself, at which point you dig several corridors that branch out from it in all different directions. From there, you can dig farther and farther in one direction, or farther down, with little chance of running into one of your other corridors.

Or, if you want to get a bit more advanced, you can try more of a vertical branching system, where you have several smaller hub “floors”, if you will, and from there, branch out sideways on each floor. Here is a nice example of what I’m talking about.

Or, if you’d rather be more lazy about the whole thing, just keep on digging and randomly branching out at different points. I warn you though; while this method may seem like an easy and quicker short-term plan, it could grow to be a burden in the long run, as you find yourself getting lost in your own cave. And if you don’t get lost from this, you almost CERTAINLY will once you’ve inevitably stumbled upon the large pockets of natural cave systems already underground. If you’re going to take this route, I’d advise you at least have a large supply of signs that can help navigate you around, either with simple arrows, or with text labeling each “area” of your cave, like “1-A, 1-B, 2-A…” and so forth…

#5: Get to Love Cobblestone

Chances are you’ll be using LOTS of it, much like wood. It is the easiest element to mine, and it is in abundance. Seriously, it is EVERYWHERE. Once you’ve made your way underground, you’ll see what I’m talking about. Consider them the lego pieces of your game, which you will use to build your master creation. So get yourself well stocked on the stuff. Happy building!

#6: ALWAYS prepare for Battle During Cave Exploration:

Seriously, I know you probably think you’re on top of the world and can kick the ass of anything that gets in your way, but all it takes is a quick humbling from an arrow to the face to bring you back down to earth with empty pockets.

If you’ve been at work mining for a long enough time, chances are you have stumbled on a few natural caverns crawling with monsters, maybe some so gigantic and awe-inspiring that you can’t even find your way around it. A word of advice before you go recklessly trotting out into the underground depths, ALWAYS be prepared.

This means:

– LOTS of torches (a full pack of 64 for almost any sized cave, two or three full packs for those extra large ones)
– A few weapons at hand – preferably close AND long range
– Armor – Iron would be ideal, but if nothing else, go with the leather, made from cow hide
– Plenty of Picks – After all, half the fun of exploring these massive caves are the bounty of treatures that await. Plus, you may need to dig your way to the surface in case you get lost.
– FOOD – Bread is good, cooked pork is better. Bring LOTS of it, depending of course on how big and dangerous the cave appears. If and when you run out of these lifelines during your exploration endeavors, consider turning back, unless the end of the cave is in sight and you feel you are clear of baddies.
– Wood for boxes – This one isn’t quite as imperative, but you may find it a good idea to drop all your valuables in a box that you craft, just in case things get dicey and you find yourself close to death. As long as your things are in a box, they will not disappear.

As I said before, if you on your last legs, just dig your way back to the surface. If you are out of picks however, then you are SOL my friend. Just don’t carry any valuables with you other than the essentials for survival, so if you DO meet your tragic end, it’s not the end of the world.

#7: Lava is your Friend – AND your Enemy

If you are mining and run into a pool of the deadly molten rock, don’t get too daring. Keep your distance, and mine AWAY from that shit. Yes, lava cannot hurt you unless you actually touch it yourself, but you’d be amazed how many times people have met their fate with this force of nature just because they delved too greedily and too deep. You can back into it accidentally, it can suddenly pour out of a hole you’ve mined, or the arrow of a sabotaging skelly can knock you right in. Basically, don’t neglect its danger.

However, at the same time, lava CAN be useful. If you find a pool, try an carve out an easy passage to it, as it can be used for destroying old garbage to make room in your inventory, a light source, an efficient substitute for coal (in a bucket of course), an instant cobblestone generator (when touching water), or as a powerful destructive force against enemies. You can also make a pretty badass lava-fall that pours down from your palace. Work well with nature, and it will work well for you.

#8: Take up Farming

You you quickly find that slaughtering pigs isn’t exactly the most efficient method for maintaining your food supply, which you will constantly need. While I suppose you COULD resort to the delicious hog meat to survive, especially since the implementation of beds, which restore health, there is a smarter, more efficient method; farming.

So how do you make a farm? It’s really quite simple, as long as you’ve got the patience to let nature do its thing..

– First, makes some hoes (not THOSE kind, wise guy). You’ll need two sticks, and two blocks of wood/stone/iron for the top row.
– Next, find a patch of flat grass, however large or small is up to you, and right click with the hoe to till the soil. Try to get an area near water, as hydrated soil will help your crops grow quicker.
– Then, take some seeds (which you gather by punching tree branches) and lay them on the tilled soil.
– Give it a few days, and BAM! You’ve got wheat. Just click on the crop and wheat will usually emerge, as well as more seeds. A row of three wheat will make you a scrumptious loaf of bread, which will heal two hearts. Congrats! You are now a farmer!

#9 Build yourself a Highway for Optimal Adventuring

What is an empire without a highway? As you’ve gone deeper into your Minecraft experience and seemingly collected as many riches in your immediate area as you can get your hands on, you will soon likely find you want to travel outwards – not just downwards. You will find yourself gazing out atop your tower or palace to an endless wilderness just waiting to be explored and plundered.

Problem is, Minecraft is paradoxically set up in such a way that it is nearly impossible to travel significant distances and actually EXPLORE your endless world without getting into major trouble.

If you thought those massive caves were dangerous, just try wandering off your property into the depths of a dark forest. You won’t last very long, I promise you. So what to do? Build a highway! Or at least some sort of protected road that can protect you from the enemies of the night while you can safely journey farther and farther from the friendly confines of your home. Just make sure your wall/road is tall enough to avoid or protect you from skelly arrows, and is lipped on the top to block the path of spiders. You might also find as you’re highway expands farther, walking is no longer a sufficient means of travel. So slap a railroad track on that beast, and sit back while you enjoy your roller-coaster ride through your massive world of blocky wilderness.

#10: Try new things! Be Creative!

Minecraft is all about exploring outside the confines of what we know. Exploit this awesome feature of the game.. Think out side the box. Be creative with your structures. Make an underwater dome of glass. Mess with redstone and set up traps. Maybe just up and leave your home one day with only a few items of survival and start anew in a distant land. Basically, leave all options on the table, and don’t confine yourself to the same old routine. Challenge yourself to push the game to its limits. After all, the game’s given you the freedom. Use it!

Hopefully these nuggets of tips and information were sufficient to provide you with the foundation (no pun intended) to get yourself going at this endlessly fun sandbox game. So go forth, unnamed pixelated adventurer, and hunt and build your way to glory!