Minecraft is one of the most influential, if not, the best-selling video game titles in modern gaming. If you have yet to experience the brilliance of Markus “Notch” Persson’s magnum opus, then, you do not know what you’re missing. Nevertheless, if you are reading this, then, there’s a huge probability that you already own the game. If so, then, feel free to check out the brief beginner’s guide below.
What is Minecraft?
Before we get into the specifics, let’s take a quick overview of Minecraft to benefit new players. Minecraft is an open-world sandbox game developed by Markus Persson. The game has undergone a plethora of changes and updates before becoming the iconic game we know today. Minecraft is known for the unlimited freedom and emergent gameplay it provides to its players.
Since its inception, Minecraft has sold over 200 million copies, with over 126 million monthly users across various gaming platforms. This impressive performance in sales and notoriety resulted in multiple recognitions from prestigious award-giving organizations in the video game industry. Today, Minecraft remains one of the most played video games on the planet. With that said, if you are new to the game, then, know that you are in for a treat. To help you get started is our short beginner’s guide below.
Getting to Know Minecraft
The first thing any new players should know about Minecraft is that it features similar gameplay mechanics as open-world games. This point means that you will have unlimited freedom in terms of exploration. Minecraft also features a dynamic day/night system where nighttime posts a lot of danger.
All the models and environmental elements in the game are cubical, or some would call it pixelated. This unique or old school way of presentation may seem new to most players since the map items are in different forms than their real-world counterparts. In other words, Minecraft is an alternate version of the real world in cubical form.
Starting a New Game
Starting a new game in Minecraft (assuming that you already have the full game installed on your PC) is easier than finding the crafting materials. It would be best for new players to start the game in Peaceful Mode, which is the lowest difficulty setting in the game. In Peaceful mode, hostile mobs (aggressive antagonists) do not spawn naturally except for evokers (spell caster found in raids and woodland mansions).
Shulkers (a box-shaped mob found in end cities), hoglins (warthog-like mob), piglins (neutral mobs in the Nether), and vindicators (illager equipped with an axe). Besides, only the ender dragon (the final boss) is the only entity that can harm the player. Also, TNT does not directly affect the player, and the hunger bar does not deplete. Portals in Peaceful mode require player intervention. However, there is a one-in-a-trillion chance that it activates with it.
In a nutshell, Peaceful Mode is the best difficulty for those who want to know the game’s essential elements. Especially the crafting side of it — making it the perfect mode for new Minecraft explorers.
Minecraft Controls (Keyboard & Mouse)
Minecraft comes with the default keyboard and mouse configuration commonly used in other games. Character movements are made by AWSD keys. With the W key, you can move the character forward and the S for backward. The ESC is for opening the menu, pauses a single-player game, closes any open GUI, and closes the chat window. The F1 key is for the HUD or heads-up display while the F2 button is for taking screenshots.
Moving the mouse controls the tuning, aiming, and camera movement. Right-click is for picking an item from a slot, evenly splitting a stack, and sorting loose things on a stack. Left-click is to determine an item from a slot, pick an item on the slot in half, and to stack the inventory slot. The Scroll is for the Hotbar in the chat box.
New players should know about those default controls to go to the button configuration menu and adjust the configuration according to their preference.
Get Ready to Mine & Craft
Minecraft is one of those games that induce creativity, planning, management, tactical skills, and much more. Now that you know the game’s basic mechanics and elements, it’s time to begin your adventure. For those who are still having a second thought on getting the game, then you are missing one of the best video game titles ever developed in history. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to play Minecraft on your PC for some exciting mining and crafting fun.
