{"id":98175,"date":"2019-06-20T12:54:18","date_gmt":"2019-06-20T12:54:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=98175"},"modified":"2025-07-01T21:47:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T04:47:07","slug":"the-2018-beginners-guide-to-minecraft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/the-2018-beginners-guide-to-minecraft\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2019 beginner\u2019s guide to Minecraft"},"content":{"rendered":"

Minecraft<\/a>\u00a0is fast approaching ten years of being one of the world\u2019s most popular games, with hundreds of millions of active players across all platforms. It has revolutionized the industry and has turned some of its most talented players into multi-millionaires. It dominates YouTube, is on the shelves of every toy store, and it even has its own Lego range.<\/p>\n

Some people play Minecraft because it offers a lot of creative freedom; Minecraft has been used by architects and in schools as an educational tool. For others, it\u2019s the adventure; such a vast world can be explored endlessly and provides hours of entertainment.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re late to the party and have only just bought the game, you might not know where to start. The game drops you into a very vast world, and it can be a very confusing game to get started with. Each world is randomly generated from a string of numbers (known as a seed<\/strong>), so no two worlds are the same. Fortunately, once you’re armed with a few basics and a pickaxe, you’ll learn the ropes in now time. So let\u2019s dive into the basics.<\/p>\n

The 2019 beginner\u2019s guide to Minecraft<\/h2>\n

Crafting<\/h3>\n

Crafting<\/strong> is central to the game, and is used to make all kinds of different objects from the materials you have. Each item in the game \u2013 such as a sword \u2013 has its own individual crafting recipe. For example, to make a stone sword, you would craft it like this:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Placing a stick below two pieces of cobblestone would make a stone sword. Swap out the cobblestone for wood, iron, gold or diamond to create different variations, diamond being the strongest and most durable.<\/p>\n

Before you start crafting anything, however, you will need to build a crafting table,<\/strong> which is made from four pieces of wood. This is a very simple process and can be done as soon as you step foot into your first world.<\/p>\n

How to build a crafting table<\/h4>\n
    \n
  1. Locate a tree and then punch out some wood by holding down left-click<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  2. Press the e key<\/strong> to open your inventory and select the wood, placing it into the four boxes next to your avatar. Four oak wood planks will appear.\"\"<\/li>\n
  3. Click the oak wood planks and drag them to your inventory. The original piece of wood will disappear because you have turned it into planks.<\/li>\n
  4. Then, fill the four boxes where you placed your original piece of wood with the four wood planks. A crafting table will appear.\"\"<\/li>\n
  5. Drag the crafting table to your hotbar<\/strong> (the single line of boxes) and then exit your inventory. The crafting table will appear in your hotbar and you can select it by scrolling. When it\u2019s selected (i.e. it is in your hand), place it on the floor by right-clicking.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    You now have a crafting table, which is a 9×9 area that allows you to craft anything in the game; just right-click the crafting table<\/strong> to use it.<\/p>\n

    It is important to know how to utilize the crafting feature so you\u2019re ahead of the game when it comes to surviving your first night in Minecraft, because you won\u2019t have long until it\u2019s dark and monsters spawn. Speaking of which\u2026<\/p>\n

    The first night<\/h3>\n

    Your first night in the game is the hardest because you start with nothing. When you spawn for the first time, the in-game time is noon. You only have a short amount of time (ten minutes) to get a basic shelter together in order to survive. If you don\u2019t build a basic shelter, you\u2019ll spend your first night repeatedly getting mauled by mobs \u2013 not fun!<\/p>\n