Getting Started
Your first hour, and the basics that carry through the whole game
Priorities, in order
- Punch trees and rocks for basic wood/stone — you don't need a tool to start gathering.
- Craft a stone axe and a campfire as soon as you have materials. The campfire lets you cook and boil water, both of which you need almost immediately.
- Find or dig a defensible starting shelter before your first night. A half-collapsed building you can seal off beats building from scratch on day one.
- Sort out a water source — boil murky water at the campfire before drinking it. Raw murky water can make you sick.
- Don't wander far from your shelter on day one. Getting lost after dark with no light source is how most early deaths happen.
Note: Blood Moon horde frequency is a server sandbox setting now, so it may not be the classic "every 7th night." Check
Multiplayer & Servers or ask an admin rather than assuming.
Core survival stats
| Stat | What it does | Early tip |
|---|
| Health | Drops from zombie hits, falls, starvation/dehydration | Craft bandages early — cloth is cheap and stops bleeding |
| Stamina | Drains on sprinting, swinging tools/weapons, jumping | Don't sprint everywhere — you'll need stamina in a fight |
| Food / Water | Passive drain over time; hitting zero starts hurting health | Corn, potatoes, and boiled water get you through the first days |
| Temperature | Extreme heat/cold apply debuffs if you're unprepared | Check gear insulation before biome trips — see World & Biomes |
Basic crafting path
- Stone Axe — faster wood/resource gathering than punching.
- Campfire — cooking, boiling water, early light source.
- Bedroll — sets your respawn point; place it somewhere defensible.
- Wood Frames — patch shelter holes or start a basic base.
- Forge — unlocks metal tools and iron-tier gear once you have the resources. A big early power spike.
See Crafting & Tools for the full progression, and Food & Farming for what to cook first.
Common early mistakes
- Looting loudly during the day — gunfire and power tools attract zombies from well outside your view.
- Hoarding low-value junk instead of managing inventory space. Sell or scrap what you're not using.
- Ignoring temperature gear on biome trips — easy to underestimate until you're already debuffed.
- Fighting a horde in the open instead of falling back to a prepared position. See Combat and Base Building.