Survival Mode is Minecraft's original and most-played game mode, and it isn't difficult to see its appeal. While building and crafting in their world, players must battle monsters and traverse dangerous dimensions before ultimately defeating the Ender Dragon to conclude the mode's story.
Though Minecraft veterans are well-versed in how to proceed through Survival Mode, newer players may be a bit lost as to what they should do. New players can do whatever they like, but they may not survive long without some crucial tips. After establishing themselves, newer fans of the game will have more freedom to do what they want without fearing the dangers of the world.
There are plenty of Minecraft survival tips, but it's wise to stay focused on what's most important.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinion.
Vital survival tips for new Minecraft players
1) Your first few days are crucial
There are a few necessities when Minecraft players begin in Survival Mode. Among them are food and a well-lit shelter. Right from the beginning, start by constructing a shelter from whatever materials are around you, be they wood from trees or at least dirt/sand blocks if there are no trees present. Ideally, you'll want wooden logs, as they can be crafted into wooden planks to construct shelters and crafting tables to create tools.
Once you've made yourself a pickaxe out of wood, it's best to head underground or to a surface area where you can find coal blocks, such as mountains or hills. Coal will be vital, as you can combine it with sticks to make torches to keep you safe from hostile mob spawns. Alternatively, you can create a furnace by mining cobblestone and using wood to smelt wood logs into charcoal.
With a well-lit shelter in place, it's time to find food. This can be obtained from killing certain animal mobs like cows and pigs, but you can also break tufts of grass to collect seeds for a farm. With a shelter, the ability to create tools, and a food source to keep you healthy, the real Minecraft adventure can begin.
2) Keep extra torches
Minecraft worlds are dangerous places when darkness falls, as hostile mobs spawn, and those aren't the only problems. A false move can lead to a fatal fall when traveling through a cave or an underground mine. Due to this, it's always wise to keep torches available and place them often. This will keep Minecraft's hostile mobs at bay to a significant degree and ensure that you don't take a bad step into a dark pit.
3) Seek Safety in Mushroom Biomes
While they aren't the most common Minecraft biomes, mushroom field biomes are an excellent safe place for newer players. Not only do they prevent hostile mobs from spawning, but they also provide an abundance of food sources. Brown and red mushrooms can be used to create mushroom stew, and players can even milk the roaming Mooshrooms, which also provide both milk and mushroom stew, depending on whether a bucket or bowl is used.
Additionally, Mooshrooms can be killed for beef if the need arises, and they can be bred with wheat to ensure that you don't wipe out the population of these wonderful creatures. Mushroom fields may not have much in the way of building materials, but you won't be attacked or go hungry while residing on them.
4) You can always have more storage
Minecraft only gives so many inventory slots to utilize as players travel, and time spent collecting materials and items will inevitably lead to a lack of storage. Fortunately, players can very easily create chests through the use of wooden plank blocks. By creating double chests, it's possible to vastly expand the available space and keep a large collection of items and blocks safe while you're out about your business.
There are also specialty storage units such as barrels, Shulker Boxes, and Ender Chests that can vastly improve one's storage situation for the foreseeable future.
5) Automation is incredibly helpful
Though new players may not want to fiddle with it right away, redstone mechanics in Minecraft are incredibly rewarding. Even simple machines made with the bare minimum of materials can yield impressive results. Players can create automatic farms from as little as one block of space, but they save time otherwise spent by the player manually farming their crops or items.
New Minecraft fans won't want to start figuring out redstone machinery until they have their basic survival needs met. However, automation is an excellent way to improve your intake of resources once you've learned how it works.
6) Beware the Nether
The Nether is a necessary location to visit to finish Minecraft's story, but it's best not to rush into it if you're a newcomer. Collecting Blaze Rods to create Eyes of Ender is important to battle the Ender Dragon, but the Nether is a very dangerous place, especially for players who haven't explored it before. It's full of mobs with varying degrees of hostility, and there are plenty of hazards, such as deadly cliffs and random pits of lava.
Before completing a Nether portal and venturing into the hellish Minecraft dimension, be sure you're well-equipped and have plenty of items and blocks in your inventory to avoid dangerous situations.
7) Be sure to upgrade
Though Minecraft players will start with wooden and stone tools, it's wise to upgrade as soon as they can. Even the difference between a stone pickaxe and an iron pickaxe is a huge improvement. The higher your tool quality, the more durable and effective they'll become. This means more harvested materials and fewer trips to the crafting table to make additional tools.
Enchantments can improve quality tools even further if a Minecraft player has some extra experience levels and Lapis Lazuli available. With the right tools and enchantments, players can collect all the resources they need without worrying about their tool breaking for a considerable amount of time.