Welcome to Hytale! If you've never played survival sandbox games before, or you're coming from Minecraft and want to learn what's different, this guide will help you get started on the right foot.
Your First Moments in Hytale
When you first spawn into the world, there are no tutorials or directions. Don't panic - here's exactly what to do.
Gathering Your First Resources
Start by collecting these basic materials:
- Plant Fibers - Break bushes to collect these
- Sticks - Found on the ground or by breaking small plants
- Stone Rubble - Pick up rocks scattered on the ground
- Wild Berries and Apples - Found on bushes and trees for food
Press Tab to open your crafting menu. Click on the tool you want to craft to see the required ingredients.
Crafting Your First Tools
Your crafting priority should be:
- Crude Sword - For self-defense (you'll need this soon)
- Crude Pickaxe - For mining stone and ores
- Crude Hatchet - For chopping trees
A great feature in Hytale: when you cut down the bottom block of a tree, all the blocks above it drop automatically. No more climbing trees!
Building Your First Shelter
Look for an existing structure like the spawn building or a small ruin. These make excellent starter bases:
- Place a Workbench inside for advanced crafting
- Patch any holes in the roof with dirt or wood blocks
- Hostile mobs spawn at night, so having walls helps
Tip: Hytale days are longer than Minecraft days, so you have plenty of time to prepare before nightfall.
The Forgotten Temple - Your #1 Priority
The most important thing to do early in Hytale is visit the Forgotten Temple. Here's why:
What is the Forgotten Temple?
The Forgotten Temple is marked on your map (press M) with a spiral symbol. Inside, you'll face a golem guardian boss.
Why Visit It First?
Defeating the golem unlocks the Memory System:
- Access to the hub world (fast travel point)
- Every creature you defeat now drops blue memory tokens
- These tokens can be traded for valuable rewards
How to Prepare
Before heading to the temple:
- Craft a Crude Sword at minimum
- Gather plenty of Wild Berries for healing
- Consider crafting better gear if you find materials
Combat Basics
Hytale's combat is more tactical than simple button mashing.
The Skill Bar System
- Your weapon skill bar charges as you land successful hits
- Press Q when the bar is full to unleash a special attack
- This rewards aggressive, skilled play
Stamina Management
- Stamina drains when blocking, not when attacking
- Use this knowledge to stay aggressive while defending smartly
- Watch your stamina bar and don't over-block
Exploration Tips
Use Horses for Travel
Unlike Minecraft, horses in Hytale are easy to use:
- Find an adult horse and press F to mount it
- Sprint for much faster travel
- Horses stay roughly where you leave them
- Build a simple dirt corral to keep track of them
Cave Exploration
Caves contain valuable ores and resources. Here's how to explore safely:
- Craft plenty of Crude Torches before entering
- Place torches on the right-hand wall as you go deeper
- To exit, follow the wall with torches on your left
- Look for Iron Ore to upgrade your gear
Death and Recovery
When you die in Hytale:
- You lose half of your consumables and resources
- Tools, weapons, and armor lose 10% durability
- Your death location appears as a gravestone on your map
- You respawn at your bed (or initial spawn if no bed is set)
Tip: In World Settings, you can adjust these penalties if you prefer a more relaxed experience.
Recommended Settings
Before diving in, consider these settings:
- Enable enemy health bars - Helps you track combat progress
- Increase FOV - Better peripheral vision
- Adjust day cycle length - Longer days = more exploration time
- Item drop settings - Set to "None" for a more casual experience
Early Game Progression
Here's a rough path for your first few hours:
- Gather basic materials (fibers, sticks, stone rubble)
- Craft crude tools and a sword
- Find or build a basic shelter with a workbench
- Visit the Forgotten Temple and unlock Memories
- Explore caves for iron ore
- Craft iron tools and armor
- Start building a proper base
Quick Tips Summary
- Trees auto-fall - Cut the bottom block only
- Press M for your map - Find the temple marker
- Press F near horses to mount them
- Tab opens crafting - Shows all available recipes
- Torches on right wall - Cave navigation trick
- Q for special attacks - Use when skill bar is full
Ready to explore more? Check out our Combat Guide or learn How to Play with Friends.
