Minecraft, at first glance, might seem like a simplistic sandbox game made of blocks, but it’s an incredibly deep and rich world full of adventures, challenges, and creative opportunities. While the game doesn’t tell you exactly what to do, there are certain things every player should do—not just to survive, but to truly thrive. In this article, we will be looking at some of the most nuanced stuff you can imagine doing to thrive.

Punch Trees (But with a Purpose)

The first thing you should do when you spawn in a new environment is gather wood. It serves as the foundation for nearly everything else, including tools, housing, and crafting tables. But don’t just grab a few logs and quit. Spend your first day gathering at least a stack of wood (ideally oak or birch) so you’ll be prepared for a while. Turn part of it into boards and sticks to make tools, and then start thinking about your foundation.

Build a Base before Nightfall

Once you’ve got your wood, find a flat area or dig into the side of a hill to set up a basic shelter. This isn’t about aesthetics but more so about safety. As night falls, hostile mobs like zombies, skeletons, and creepers will begin to spawn. Having a roof over your head and a door in place gives you a safe zone to regroup, craft, and mine through the night if needed. Eventually, you’ll want to upgrade your base, but a dirt or cobblestone shack is fine at the start.

Craft Basic Tools and Gear

Before you go exploring, you should craft the essentials: a wooden pickaxe to get stone, then upgrade to stone tools quickly. Get yourself a sword, shovel, axe, and pickaxe, plus a furnace and a chest to store items. Don’t bother crafting armor until you have iron. Your goal in the first few days should be upgrading from wood to stone to iron as soon as possible.

Start some Mining!

Mining is core to Minecraft—after all, it’s in the name. Don’t just dig randomly, though. Start a staircase down to level Y:-53 to find diamonds. Use torches to keep the path lit and prevent mob spawns. Use the branch or strip-mining method to maximize your resource yield. Collect iron, coal, and copper early on, and eventually redstone, gold, lapis lazuli, and diamonds. Make sure to smelt iron early so you can craft armor and tools. An iron pickaxe is also required to mine precious ores like diamonds and redstone.

Use Torches to Make it Lit!

A common mistake for new players is forgetting to use torches generously. Hostile mobs spawn in darkness, so lighting your base, mine shafts, and paths around your home base is crucial. Use coal and sticks to craft torches and keep a stack with you at all times.

Explore the Netherworld with a Portal!

The Nether is dangerous but necessary if you want to beat the game or access advanced resources like blaze rods, nether quartz, and ancient debris. Once you’ve found diamonds and crafted a diamond pickaxe, mine obsidian and construct a portal (minimum frame size: 4×5 blocks). Before going in, prepare by wearing at least iron armor, taking a bow, plenty of food, blocks for bridging, and gold armor to prevent attacks from piglins. Know your exit route—and don’t forget flint and steel in case your portal gets destroyed.

Players can enjoy playing Minecraft on a bigger screen of their PC or Laptop via BlueStacks along with your keyboard and mouse.