How to play

Everything you need for your first night, and help if something goes wrong.

Having issues with the game?

Getting odd error messages or can't load the game? Ask for help on the Discord server, or check the help section on the play page.

Creative or Survival?

First, the tall green things should be pet. Try that later for a nice surprise.

Minecraft has two main game modes, and you can play both in multiplayer. If you mostly want to build huge structures with unlimited resources, Creative is your best bet: no enemies, and every block is available out of thin air.

If you'd rather adventure into a world of danger, crafting out of necessity, play Survival. Monsters come out at night and want to break, explode or eat your bones, one pixel at a time, so build a shelter before dark.

Official Minecraft handbooks

The official handbooks cover finding resources, building shelters, redstone machines, tools, armor and weapons, with tips from Jeb and Notch themselves. They can be borrowed for free from the Internet Archive.

Minecraft Essential Handbook (May 7, 2015)
Minecraft Combat Handbook (July 28, 2015)
Minecraft Construction Handbook (May 7, 2015)
Minecraft Redstone Handbook (July 28, 2015)

Video tutorials

These community-made tutorials will get you going in no time. Still stuck? Try the community page.

Part 1: Controls and options

Part 2: How to punch trees

Part 3: Crafting basics

Part 4: How to use a pick

Thanks to Coestar for the videos above.