What should I do first?

Chop a nearby tree with your axe, craft a workbench, and put up a small house. Zombies and Demon Eyes show up on the first night, so a safe room with walls, a door, and lighting is your top priority. While you build, dig for stone and ore to start gearing up.

NPCs move in when conditions are met and you've built a suitable home — a sealed room with background walls, a door, lighting, and basic furniture. The Guide is there from the start; once you have a bit of gold, the merchant arrives, then the nurse for healing, and so on as you progress.

What gear should I aim for in the early game?

Start by stacking ore armor (copper → iron → gold) for defense and pick up a sword or bow for damage. Don't worry too much about class in the early game — use what drops. The big early-game milestone is Molten gear, crafted from materials found in the Underworld.

Which boss should I fight first?

The Eye of Cthulhu is the canonical first boss. It spawns at night under certain conditions, or you can summon it manually with a Suspicious Looking Eye. If you're unsure about the order, check the boss-order guide.

Terraria Beginner Guide｜Early Steps, Gear, and First Boss

The Big Picture of the Early Game

Terraria's early game is best thought of as three steps — build a base, gear up, prep for the first boss. Once that loop clicks, the rest of the world opens up naturally.

1

Build a starter base on day one

Chop wood, craft a workbench, put up a simple house with walls, a door, and lighting. Surviving the first night is the priority.
2

Mine stone and ore for gear

Head underground for stone and copper through iron. Build a furnace and anvil, then craft ore armor and weapons.
3

Bring in NPCs and prep

As you build more houses, the merchant, nurse, and others move in. Stock healing potions and accessories for boss fights.
4

Take on the first boss

Once geared, summon the Eye of Cthulhu. Winning unlocks the next tier of materials and progression.

Surviving the First Night

Zombies and Demon Eyes spawn at night in Terraria. Have a basic house up before the first night — there's no excuse to skip this.

For a room to count as a house, it needs background walls, a door, a light source, and furniture in a sealed space. It can be rough; just get one small safe room up. That same room becomes your first NPC housing later.

Gear Priorities

In the early game, forget about class commitment and focus on getting any defense and damage you can.

Task	Details	Priority
Ore armor	Copper → iron → gold tiers — defense first	Top priority
Weapons	Sword and bow. Molten gear from the Underworld is the early-game goal	High
Accessories	Double-jump, movement speed, wings — mobility wins fights	High
Potions and torches	Consumables that boost exploration survival	Medium

The Underworld (the bottom of the world) is the early-game treasure trove. Crafting Molten gear and weapons makes everything up to the Wall of Flesh dramatically easier.

Next Steps

Once your gear is set, it's time to take on the bosses. Which boss in what order is covered in the Boss Order Guide. To pick a fighting style, read the Class and Build Guide, and if you're short on gold, the Money Making Guide is worth a look.

★Honest Take: Push Through the First Hour and It Clicks

Honestly, Terraria's first hour is the least friendly part of the game — it's where most quitters drop off. But once your base is up, gear comes together, and you beat the first boss, the "what's next?" momentum just doesn't stop. Use a guide for the opening stretch if you need to, and aim for the Eye of Cthulhu as your first milestone.