Survival 101: 10 Minecraft Tips You Might Overlook For Hardcore

When you’re new to Minecraft, you may have difficulty learning how to survive and find the items you need. This learning base can similarly be overlooked for advanced players as they attempt their first hardcore run. Fortunately, we’ve compiled these helpful and overlooked Minecraft tips to ensure your hardcore run is fruitful. You’ll be playing like a pro in no time.

With over 122 million copies sold, Minecraft is still going strong. Of course, if you’re brand new to the game, the game’s Survival mode can feel quite intimidating but even returning players may find themselves struggling due to the wealth of mechanics that have likely been added since your last game.

Not to worry, we’re here to help! Here are 10 Minecraft tips to help you survive to build another day.

1. Download Seeds For a Headstart

While part of the fun of Minecraft is creating your own world, sometimes you don’t have an afternoon to spend crafting and building. That’s where Minecraft seeds come in handy. Downloading a seed grants you access to a starting point in a pre-existing world or lets you copy elements of another player’s game world into your own. Maybe there is a particular element of the game you dislike (like hunting for a settlement or the long trek for monuments in the late game) which is where seeds can help eliminate these aspects.

2. Prioritize Wood Early

While materials like copper and stone are certainly important, when you pop into a game world, your priority should be finding wood given its flexibility in creating all manner of vital items. While an expert player might look for stronger resources early you can quickly find yourself blocked due to the lack of wood.

3. Ignore Enemies At First

As any Minecraft player can tell you, the game world is a much different place at night and definitely so when playing on the harder difficulties. Enemies spawn more frequently in an attempt to thwart your crafting efforts. It can be tempting to get some quick EXP from fighting them. But trust us, it’s better to dodge them and keep crafting, at least until you get some stronger weapons.

4. Build Torches To Light Up Your World 

Terrible pun withstanding, torches really do make a huge difference in Minecraft. After all, you can’t expect to hit an enemy if you can’t even see them. Before the first night, make sure you have plenty of torches on hand so you can see your surroundings and place them strategically around your main hub.

5. Pay Attention To Your Surroundings

If you’re new to the game it’s easy to get lost. After spawning into a new game world, orient yourself according to the sun. It’ll always set in the west and rise in the east. It may sound like one of those Minecraft tricks that won’t come in handy all that often, but if you get lost, you can use the sun or moon to find your way back to camp.

6. Don’t Dig Straight Down (Ever)

If you’re trying to see how long you can last, falling into a hot pit of lava isn’t a great tactic. If you must dig beneath your character, make sure not to dig too deep. At a certain point, you’ll fall and perish.

7. You Can Go Underwater (And You’ll Have To For The Water Monument)

You can search watery areas for extra materials like sand and ocean monuments. Make sure you keep an eye on your oxygen levels, as your character can drown if they remain underwater too long.

8. Lava Can Be Useful

If you touch it or fall into it, lava can cause a great deal of harm to your character. However, it’s an essential component in creating obsidian portals, so stocking up on a few blocks of lava may not be a bad idea if you’re careful.

9. Keep Extra Blocks In Your Inventory

It’s always a good idea to keep some extra building materials on hand, especially if you’re far away from your base. If night falls and you’re lost, you can simply build a small makeshift base to keep yourself safe.

10. It’s Okay To Use Cheat Codes

Minecraft is all about fun. If your idea of fun is using cheat codes to enhance your game, don’t feel ashamed to use them! Adding a few extra blocks or turning on invincibility can take the stress out of Survival mode and allow you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the game.

Use these Minecraft tips to conquer the world one block at a time Minecraft is a ton of fun, but staying alive in Survival (and Hardcore) mode can be quite the challenge.

Make sure to follow these helpful tips to get the most out of your game and check out our other Minecraft guides here on GameSkinny!