Beginner's Guide to Terraria

New to Terraria? This guide covers surviving your first night, exploring, defeating bosses, and progressing to Hardmode.

First Day Survival

  • 1Chop trees immediately to get wood. Build a Workbench.
  • 2Craft a wooden sword, pickaxe, and axe right away.
  • 3Build a simple house before night: 6 blocks wide, background walls, a door, a table, and a chair.
  • 4Place a torch inside for light. NPCs need housing to move in.
  • 5Kill slimes for gel to make torches (gel + wood).

Exploration Basics

  • 1Explore caves for ore, heart crystals, and chest loot.
  • 2Use heart crystals to increase max health (up to 400).
  • 3Build multiple houses to attract NPCs - each needs unique furniture.
  • 4Place rope and platforms for easy cave navigation.
  • 5Mark your base location - it is easy to get lost underground.

Gear Progression

  • 1Copper/Tin -> Iron/Lead -> Silver/Tungsten -> Gold/Platinum -> Demonite/Crimtane.
  • 2Mine ore from underground and smelt at a Furnace.
  • 3Craft armor at an Iron/Lead Anvil.
  • 4Look for accessories in chests: Hermes Boots, Cloud in a Bottle, etc.
  • 5Use the Goblin Tinkerer to reforge weapons for better modifiers.

Boss Preparation

  • 1Build a flat platform arena (100+ blocks wide) for boss fights.
  • 2Place campfires and heart lanterns for passive health regen.
  • 3Craft potions: Ironskin, Regeneration, Swiftness are essential.
  • 4Eat food for the Well Fed buff before every boss.
  • 5Always have a Nurse NPC nearby for emergency healing.

The Path to Hardmode

  • 1Defeat Eye of Cthulhu, Eater of Worlds/Brain of Cthulhu, Skeletron, then Wall of Flesh.
  • 2Wall of Flesh is fought in the Underworld - build a long bridge first.
  • 3Defeating Wall of Flesh permanently activates Hardmode.
  • 4Hardmode adds new ores, enemies, biomes, and bosses.
  • 5Immediately break Demon Altars with the Pwnhammer to spawn Hardmode ores.

Essential Tips

  • 1NPC happiness affects shop prices - place them in preferred biomes.
  • 2Use recall potions or Magic Mirror to teleport home instantly.
  • 3Fishing provides powerful early-game gear from quest rewards.
  • 4Reforge accessories at the Goblin Tinkerer for Warding (+4 defense each).
  • 5Combine accessories at the Tinkerer's Workshop to save slots.