How to Succeed in Minecraft

One of many incredible creations within Minecraft, a game that's being used as an educational tool.

Minecraft is all the rage in the gaming world at the moment and not surprisingly is the best selling game ever on the PS Vita and for good reason; it teaches strategy, creativity, practical skills, and communication skills. The rise in popularity of this game is causing more and more people to want to try their hand at it, but from an outsider’s perspective it can appear complex and intimidating despite its basic graphics. Here, we offer some guidance on how to approach your first Minecraft session in order to get a head start in this exciting game.

First Steps

Once you have all your equipment set up, including Minecraft server hosting if you are playing the PC version, the very first thing you will experience in your first game is your character being placed in a specific environment. Before you do anything, familiarise yourself with the controls; how to direct and propel your character, how to pick things up, how to run and duck, anything you think they might need to do. Next, take a look at the game’s tools for example the inventory function, and you might need to research how to access these so that you’re prepared if you need to act quickly.

Once you feel comfortable, the next step in your strategy is to take a good look at your surroundings and what they have to offer you. Raw materials and what you do with them is the key to success in Minecraft, so take note of any water, wood, stone, and grass sources for example. You will most likely have plenty of trees in your vicinity when you start, so it’s a good idea to collect some wood from them in order to begin building tools. As you don’t have tools yet, use the punching function to break it down. Remember to add any materials you collect to your inventory. The first tool you should make is a wooden pickaxe, and soon.

When Night Falls

When the sun begins to set you need to start moving quickly as this is a dangerous time on Minecraft. Once you’ve made your axe, look for a hill which you can carve a shelter into, remembering to add any stone you have removed to your inventory to make use of later. Use your wood to make a door to secure your shelter next and use your leftover stone to make stronger tools and a furnace. Next, burn wood in the furnace to create light and warmth. Most importantly, don’t venture outside at night in case you bump into monsters, and night-time lasts seven minutes in the game.

The Next Day

Your first official day needs to be used to search for and collect more resources. Fruit and wheat can be used as food, and if you’re feeling barbaric you can kill animals too. However, it is important to keep some sheep so that you can use their wool and breed them. For these tasks you will not only need your tools but also a sword, as various threats will come your way. The best way to treat these is by simply going on a killing spree! Remember to return home when night falls, and while you’re there continue to mine your shelter for stone and coal.

As you can see, Minecraft requires careful strategizing, including gathering raw materials to create tools in order to eat, build, and kill predators, as well as keeping an eye out for potential threats. There is a lot more to Minecraft then people might think, in fact Minecraft (as well as many other online games) are really helpful in building valuable skills for life, so it’s a good idea to consider playing it at some point in your life.

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About Simon Plumbe 1096 Articles
Husband, father and lifelong geek. Originally from the West Midlands, now spending my days in South Wales with my family and a house full of animals. Passionate about video games, especially retro gaming, the Commodore 64 and PlayStation Vita. Love pro wrestling, sci-fi and I'm an animal lover and vegetarian. Enjoyed this and my other articles? Why not buy me a coffee: http://ko-fi.com/simonplumbe