The journey begins with constructing a crafting table, a cornerstone for all future creations. To start, players should approach a tree and hold the left mouse button on PC or the right trigger on consoles to break the wood. About 15 strikes will yield wood blocks, which can be collected. Any saplings that drop from the tree’s leaves should be replanted to ensure a future wood supply. Breaking leaves may also provide apples, a handy food source for later. Gathering around 16 wood blocks is sufficient for now, as trees are abundant.
Next, players can convert wood blocks into wooden planks. On PC, Mac, or Linux, accessing the inventory with the “E” key allows dragging a wood block into the crafting grid, producing planks. Console players can press “X” and select wooden planks from the menu. Four wooden planks should then be placed in the crafting grid’s four slots to create a crafting table. On consoles, the table can be selected directly from the crafting menu. Once crafted, the table is placed in the world by right-clicking on PC or pressing “L” on Xbox, enabling access to advanced crafting options.
Building Essential Tools
With a crafting table ready, players can craft tools to simplify resource gathering. The first tool to create is a wooden pickaxe. In the crafting table’s grid, two wooden planks are placed vertically to produce sticks. Then, three wooden planks are arranged horizontally above two vertical sticks to form a “T” shape, yielding a wooden pickaxe. Console players can select the pickaxe directly from the crafting menu.
Though the wooden pickaxe is basic, it’s vital for mining stone. Players should dig into a hillside to find stone blocks, using the pickaxe to break them efficiently. Bare hands will not yield stone, so the pickaxe is essential. The collected stone can then be used to craft a stone pickaxe, combining a wooden plank handle with stone tips for a sturdier tool. On consoles, players navigate the crafting menu’s axe options to select the stone pickaxe.
Additional tools, like an axe for faster wood harvesting or a shovel for collecting sand and clay, can be crafted similarly. These tools, while not immediately necessary, will prove useful as players expand their resources.
Creating a Shelter for Safety
Surviving the first night is critical, as hostile mobs like zombies, creepers, and skeletons spawn after sunset, especially outside Peaceful mode. A simple shelter can be built by digging into a hillside or the ground. Players can use collected dirt or stone blocks to construct walls, sealing themselves inside a small, enclosed space. This basic structure provides protection from nighttime threats.
While waiting for dawn, players can mine nearby resources or craft additional tools within the shelter. To improve the space, torches can be crafted if coal is available. Alternatively, charcoal can be made by placing a wood block in a furnace’s top slot and another flammable item, like wooden planks, in the bottom slot. At the crafting table, combining coal or charcoal with sticks produces torches, which illuminate the shelter and prevent mob spawning.
Managing Hunger and Next Steps
After surviving the first night, players should focus on understanding the hunger meter and gathering food. Apples from tree leaves or other food sources, like animals, will keep the hunger bar filled, enabling health regeneration and sprinting. With a secure base and basic tools, players can explore further, gather more materials, and expand their shelter into a proper home.