Are you ready to embark on an epic 2D sandbox adventure? As you boot up Terraria for the first time, your mind races with the possibilities - will you be an unstoppable force with the strongest armour and weapons, a master builder creating architectural wonders, or a keen explorer discovering the secrets of your randomly generated world? The options are endless!

To set you up for success in your new Terraria world, we've put together a checklist of essential things you must do as soon as you start. Follow these tips and you'll be well on your way to conquering the dangers of the night, amassing riches, and crafting powerful gear in no time. The adventure begins now - grab your pickaxe, build a shelter before nightfall, and let's get started! Victory and glory await.

Gather Resources and Prepare Your Shelter

The moment you spawn into your new Terraria world, it’s go time! There’s no time to waste - you’ve got resources to gather and a shelter to build before nightfall.

Gather Resources

Chop down trees for wood (you'll want at least 200) and mine stone to get started. You’ll need these materials to craft workbenches, furnaces, and your first tools. The more you gather now, the less you’ll have to collect later.

Craft a Workbench and Furnace

Place a workbench and furnace near your spawn point. The workbench allows you to craft basic tools. furniture and weapons, while the furnace lets you smelt ores into bars for upgrading your gear.

Build a simple shelter

You’ll need wood platforms, doors, walls, and a hammer.

Construct a small shelter with wood or stone walls, a floor, a ceiling, and a door. Add light sources like torches so you can see at night. Your shelter will protect you from enemies and the elements.

Don’t forget a bed - you’ll respawn there if you die! Place it in your shelter, then use it to skip to dawn.

 

With your essential resources gathered and a shelter built, you’re all set to explore your world! But be careful - dangerous enemies come out at night. If you’re not ready to face them yet, stay safe in your shelter until morning.

There’s so much to discover in Terraria. But by following these starting steps, you’ll be well on your way to building your own little paradise! Now go out there, gather more resources, build bigger structures, craft better tools and weapons, and enjoy this cheerful 2D sandbox adventure! The world is your oyster!

Craft Basic Tools and Weapons

Once you spawn into your Terraria world, it’s time to get crafting! The first things on your checklist should be basic tools and weapons to help you survive and progress.

Pickaxe and Sword

Two of the most important early game tools are a pickaxe for mining and a sword for fighting enemies. Aim for a copper or iron pickaxe and broadsword. These will help you gather better resources and defend yourself as you explore.

Multi-use Tools

As you progress, craft multi-use tools like the hamaxe (axe and hammer), Pickaxe Axe (pickaxe and axe), or Drax (pickaxe, axe, and chainsaw). These save inventory space and time switching between tools. The Picksaw and Shroomite Digging Claw are endgame multi-tools worth working towards.

With basic tools and weapons in hand, you’re ready to dig, build, fight, and explore to your heart’s content. Keep progressing by gathering ores, facing bosses, and crafting better gear. The world of Terraria is your oyster, now get out there and conquer it! Good luck!

Explore Your Immediate Surroundings

As soon as you spawn into your Terraria world, start exploring! There are treasures and resources just waiting to be discovered. Scout around for chests and pots - they often contain useful items like torches, rope, weapons and tools to get you started.

Dig into any caves you find. Caverns, grottos and tunnels are chock full of minerals, gems and natural features. You might stumble upon an underground cabin or find rare ore deposits to mine. The deeper and more twisting the cave system, the more rewards await!

Chop down nearby trees for wood. You'll need wood for crafting essential items like workbenches, doors, bows and arrows. Plant the acorns you get to grow your own little forest. The more wood you have, the more you can build and the further you can explore.

Forage for plants and mushrooms. Many surface plants can be harvested for food and dyes. Mushrooms provide light in dark areas when crafted into glowing mushrooms. Stock up on nature's bounty - you never know when you might need them!

Construct basic equipment. As soon as you have enough wood and stone, build a workbench to craft basic tools and weapons. A wooden sword and bow will help defend against enemies. A hammer can shape stone into sturdier houses and bridges.

There's no time to waste - adventure calls! The discoveries you make in those first few in-game days will set you up for success. Keep exploring outwards from your starting point, gather essential resources and gear up to defend yourself. The world of Terraria is your oyster! Crack it open and see what treasures await.

Build Defences Against Early Enemies

When starting a new game in Terraria, there are a few key things you’ll want to do right away to give yourself the best chance of survival. Building solid defences should be at the top of your list! The early enemies in Terraria can overwhelm you quickly if you’re not prepared.

Place Nimbus Rod Clouds on Platforms

The Nimbus Rod is an extremely useful early-game weapon that summons clouds to rain down lightning bolts on your foes. Placing these clouds on raised platforms, around 15-20 blocks high, allows them to attack grounded enemies while keeping you out of harm’s way. This strategy works great against zombies, slimes and demon eyes.

Add a Roof to Your Arena

An arena, or open area for combat, is essential in Terraria. Add a roof made of dirt, stone or wood approximately 15 to 25 blocks above the ground for protection against flying enemies like harpies or vultures. The roof will block their attacks so you can focus on enemies at ground level.

Get the Golden Shower

The Golden Shower spell book inflicts the ichor debuff, which lowers enemy defence by 20 points. This is invaluable when facing tougher early foes like the Eye of Cthulhu. Combine the Golden Shower with your Nimbus Rod clouds and arena for a killer combo against most pre-Hardmode bosses.

Other Useful Tips:

• Build multiple houses for NPCs to move into. The extra help from NPCs like the nurse, guide and merchant will aid your survival.
• Explore surface caves for useful loot like life crystals, accessories and ores.
• Craft the best gear you can, including armour, weapons and tools. Early game metals like silver or tungsten can help a lot.
• Set up gardens for gathering wood, gel, stone and other resources.

With solid defences and the right strategy, you'll be conquering Terraria's early enemies in no time. Stay vigilant, keep exploring, and may good loot come your way!

Locate the Corruption, Crimson and Priority Biomes

Once you’ve got your shelter set up and tools crafted, it’s time for the fun part—exploration! Locating the Corruption, Crimson and other key biomes should be at the top of your checklist. These areas contain crucial resources and loot to help boost your progress.

The Corruption consists of sinister purple caves and chasms, while the Crimson features creepy red tunnels and mounds. Either biome will spawn in your world, filled with shadow orbs/hearts to smash, enemies to battle, and loot to grab. Gear up and prepare to delve deep into the dangers below!

Scour the surface for a massive tunnel leading down into a weirdly coloured cavern. This marks the entrance to your world’s Corruption or Crimson. Journey down and start smashing those shadow orbs and crimson hearts with your hammer! Each one destroyed has a chance to drop rare items, so keep swinging. But be on guard, as breaking these orbs/hearts also summons a nasty boss creature. Come prepared for a fight!

Other biomes to scout include the:

• Jungle - Filled with vines, man-eating plants and precious life crystals.
• Dungeon - Guarded by an old man, this place is crawling with loot and danger.
• Ocean - Both sides of the map hold coral, sharks and sunken treasure.
• Desert - Pyramids and antlions galore, with gold coins buried beneath the sand.

There’s no set path or order to explore Terraria. Roam free and go wherever adventure calls you! Dive deep below the surface into the unknown, gear up with the spoils from each victory, and prepare to battle foes in fantastical biomes as you journey ever closer to hardmode. The world is your canvas—now get out there and explore!

Conclusion

So there you have it, your complete getting started checklist for Terraria. With these essentials taken care of, you're ready to start building, exploring and crafting to your heart's content. The world is your canvas and adventure awaits around every corner. Who knows what mysteries and treasures you'll uncover in those uncharted lands and deep caverns beneath your feet. The possibilities are endless. Now get your Terraria Server Hosting, get out there, start digging and don't forget to craft yourself a sturdy weapon - you never know what creatures may emerge after dark. The journey begins! May your pickaxe strike true and your base be zombie-proof. Most of all, have fun and enjoy this wonderful game. The adventure of a lifetime is out there, so get playing!