Hytale – Beginner’s Guide To Help You Get Started

Hytale is a deep sandbox adventure survival game that blends crafting, combat, RPG progression, and a unique Memories system that tracks creature sightings and grants rewards. In this world you’ll gather wood, stone, fiber, ores, food, hides, and more to craft tools, weapons, armor, and advanced stations.

1. Gather Basic Items 

Collecting flowers

Before anything else, you must collect the fundamental building blocks for survival and progression. These early materials are essential for crafting tools that enhance gathering, building your crafting hub, preparing food, and defending yourself.

Core Resource Types & How to Collect Them

• Wood: Chop down trees with a Crude Hatchet you craft from basic materials; wood is used for building, tools, and fuel.
• Stone (Rubble): Collect rocks scattered on the ground and near rubble to get stone that’s used for early tools and crafting stations.
• Plant Fiber & Tree Sap: Destroy bushes and foliage to get Plant Fiber and Tree Sap — essential for tools, torches, and light fabrics.
• Food (Berries, Carrots, Mushrooms): Interact with plants and small fruit fields near forests; required for eating and later enhanced cooking.

Essential Tool Recipes (Pocket Crafting)

• Crude Pickaxe: 2× Rubble + 2× Plant Fiber + 2× Stick — faster mining of stone and ores.
• Crude Hatchet: Same materials — chop wood quickly, essential for building and fuel.
• Crude Sword: 2x Rubble + 2x Plant Fiber + 2x Sticks, craft a sword to protect yourself and farm early mobs.
• Crude Torch: 1× Plant Fiber + 1× Tree Sap + 1× Stick — improves visibility at night.

Tips

• Collect every bit of wood and stone you see — these are the backbone of your progression.
• Explore thoroughly; early chests and surface caves often contain food and hidden materials.
• Store extra materials in chests rather than leaving them on the ground.

2. Craft & Place the Workbench 

Workbench

The Workbench is the first major crafting station you should build. It unlocks higher‑tier recipes, including weapons, armor, building components, and specialized workstations that shape how far you can progress in Hytale.

Workbench Recipe (Pocket Crafting)

• 4× Tree Trunks
• 3× Stone

How to Craft Workbench

1. Craft it from your inventory Pocket Crafting menu.
2. Place the Workbench inside your base or shelter.
3. Interact by pressing F to open crafting menus and access tabs (tools, stations, tinkering).

What the Workbench Unlocks

• Blacksmith’s Anvil: Weapons and armor.
• Armorer’s Workbench: Shields and armor pieces.
• Tanning Rack: Converts hides to leather (required for armor & backpacks).
• Farmer’s Workbench: Farming tools and seeds.
• Furnace: Smelts ore into usable ingots.
• Chef’s Stove: Advanced food recipes.
• Arcanist’s Workbench: Magic items and teleporters.

3. How to Build a Base

Base building

Surviving your first night is a core priority — hostile mobs roam after dark and can overwhelm you without protection. Build a small base close to a lake area to hold off enemies attacking from all sides. 

Steps to Build a Shelter

1. Chop logs and wood with your hatchet; mine stone for solid walls.
2. Place block walls 3–4 blocks high so mobs can’t jump in.
3. Leave a space for a door, which you can craft at the Workbench.
4. Craft a Crude Bedroll using wood and plant fiber — sleeping in it sets your spawn point and advances time.
5. Use Torches to prevent hostile mob spawning inside your shelter.

Tips

• Place chests for materials and food.
• Set a campfire inside for quick food cooking and warmth.
• Add stronger walls (stone or crafted bricks) and windows as you gather more resources.
• Choose flat ground near trees, stone, water, and food sources for convenience.

• Near water allows future fishing and farming projects.

Important: Build your shelter before nightfall — hostile mobs spawn and can overwhelm you without any cover.

4. How to Cook Food 

Cooking food at campfire

Cooking food is one of the most important survival mechanics in Hytale. Properly cooked meals restore more health than raw food and can provide temporary buffs that significantly improve stamina recovery, survivability, and resistance while exploring dangerous areas.

Cooking Food at a Campfire

A Campfire acts as your primary cooking station. Place the campfire on the ground, which allows you to turn raw ingredients into cooked meals that offer better healing and additional bonuses. Cooking is especially useful before:

• Entering caves or ruins
• Fighting elite enemies or bosses
• Exploring cold, toxic, or high-damage biomes

Campfires also serve as a safe preparation point, letting you manage food before long journeys.

How to Craft a Campfire and Cook Food

You can craft a Campfire anywhere using Pocket Crafting, making it accessible even while exploring. Once crafted, place the Campfire on flat ground to activate it.

Required Materials: 4× Sticks, 2× Rubble

Cooking Food Mechanics

After placing the Campfire, interact with it to open the cooking interface. The interface has two main slots:

• Fuel Slot: Insert Sticks or Wood to power the fire
• Food Slot: Place raw food items such as raw meat or other ingredients

When the fuel is active, the food will cook automatically after a short duration.

Tips

• Never eat raw food unless necessary — cooking always provides better value
• Prepare food before entering caves or high-risk zones where healing opportunities are limited
• Carry multiple cooked meals to maintain buffs during long exploration runs
• Combine different cooked foods to maximize healing and resistance bonuses
• Always keep spare fuel so you can quickly cook on the move

5. Best Weapons To Use 

Killing a Wolf

Different weapon types serve different combat roles — use the best ones to stay alive and farm materials efficiently. Combat in Hytale is more tactical than just swinging — stamina, weapon abilities, and positioning matter.

Daggers & Bows (Primary Picks)

These two weapon types synergize well: use the bow to chip away enemies from afar, then switch to the dagger when they close in.

Daggers

• Very fast attack speed and damage output.
• Charged attacks include a dash/forward lunge that helps reposition or escape danger.
• Great for hit‑and‑run tactics and crowd control.
• High‑tier daggers like Mithril Daggers offer speed and low stamina cost.

Bows

• Excellent for attacking from a safe distance and softening or killing enemies before they reach you.
• Charge shots (holding LMB) do greater damage and range.

Alternate Option — Swords

Sword

Swords are strong, all‑around weapons due to their balance of damage and reach. 

• Use Swords with shields for defensive play.
• The second hit from the Q skill combo needs timing to land, so adjust aim accordingly.
• Less raw damage than heavier weapons like hammers, but versatile and easy to use.

Core Combat Mechanics

• Left Mouse Button (LMB): Attack; hold to charge for more damage.
• Right Mouse Button (RMB): Block incoming attacks; this drains stamina, so manage it.
• Special Weapon Abilities: Each weapon has a special move (shown on the ability bar); use it before switching weapons, or it resets.
• Dodging & Movement: Crouch by pressing CTRL to sneak and charge attacks; sprint away to eat food and recover.

6. Explore the World Map 

Hytale map

Use the M key to open your world map for navigation — it’s key to planning exploration, tracking respawn points, and locating key structures.

• Zoom in/out with the mouse wheel.
• Right‑click to place markers, marking ore veins, bases, or dangerous areas.

Biome Progression

The world of Orbis is structured into progression zones with increasing difficulty. In the current Early Access, there are four primary zones you’ll travel through:

Emerald Grove (Zone 1) → Howling Sands (Zone 2) → Borea/Whisperfrost Frontiers (Zone 3) → Devastated Lands (Zone 4).

Step-by-Step Biome Progression

1. Start in Emerald Grove: Begin in this peaceful starting zone rich in Copper, Iron, Silver, and Gold. Use this time to upgrade your weapons, armor, and tools, scan the map for forest clearings, caves, and swamps that hide early-game crafting materials, and establish a base to stockpile resources for future zones.
2. Move into Howling Sands: Enter the desert and savannas when you are properly prepared, as enemies are tougher and distances longer. Explore abandoned mineshafts and oasis for ore veins and loot for crafting upgrades.
3. Upgrade Gear before entering Borea/Whisperfrost Frontiers: Only move into this cold, snowy region with Thorium-tier gear or better and ample supplies. Use the map to locate Outlander villages to farm Shadoweave scraps, and mine Cobalt ore to craft mid-tier tools, backpacks, and gear.
4. Devastated Lands: Approach this fiery, dangerous zone with the strongest gear you can craft, including Adamantite once available, and ensure each trip is well-supplied. Be ready for lava, ash storms, aggressive creatures, and high-damage combat, while marking rare structures on the map for potential high-value loot.

Tips

• Bring food, spare tools, and Repair Kits for long expeditions.
• Place bedrolls at temporary locations to respawn safely near your exploration points.
• Explore thoroughly to reveal location markers on the map and uncover hidden loot and materials.
• Each biome has unique materials and ores — move progressively from easier to tougher zones.

7. Repairing Items 

Repairing items

Items in Hytale lose durability with use, and when they break, they become far less effective unless repaired. Use a Repair Kit to restore tools, weapons, and armor before they break.  

Repair Kit Recipe

Repair Kits are essential consumables that let you fix damaged tools, weapons, and armor without returning to your base. They’re crafted at a Tier 1 (or higher) Workbench and can save valuable gear during long expeditions. 

Recipe: 2 Linen Scraps, 1 Iron Ingot, 1 Light Leather

• 2 Linen Scraps — dropped mainly by humanoid enemies such as Skeleton Fighters, Goblin Scrappers, and Trorks, or found in some camp chests.
• 1 Iron Ingot — smelted from Iron Ore in a Furnace (a Tier‑1 Furnace works fine).
• 1 Light Leather — made by processing Light Hide from small animals (rabbits, pigs, rats, etc.) at a Tanning Rack.

How to Craft Repair Kit

1. Go to any Tier 1 or higher Workbench.
2. Open the Workbench interface and switch to the Tools/Utility tab (usually the second tab on the left).
3. Locate the Repair Kit recipe and craft it using the materials above.

How to Use Repair Kits

1. Place the Repair Kit in your hotbar.
2. Select it and right‑click to open the repair interface.
3. Choose the item you want to fix — the kit will restore durability.

Durability Notes

• Each repair reduces maximum durability by 10%, so use kits wisely.
• Later, craft a Salvager’s Workbench to break down old gear for materials instead of repairing low‑value items.

8. Tame a Horse 

Riding a horse

Horses provide speed and convenience for long‑distance exploration — especially when biomes spread far apart. However, there is no detailed taming system available in the Early Access version, so you can not make a horse your pet. 

How to Mount a Horse

• Approach a horse and press F when the prompt appears to mount it.
• You can build a makeshift stable around your base using dirt or wood to store the horse and use it for easy remount later.

Tips

• Use horses to clear forts and loot locations faster — they reduce travel time significantly.
• Use a carrot or a Feed Bag to feed the horses or any other pets to catch them.

9. Essence of Life, Essence of the Void, & Voidheart

Hytale combat

In Hytale’s combat and progression systems, Essence of Life, Essence of the Void, and Voidheart are special resources tied to farming, exploration, and combat — and they play increasingly important roles as you move into mid‑ and late‑game crafting and upgrades.

How to Get Essence of Life 

Essence of Life is one of the most common progression materials you’ll accumulate naturally as you interact with the world. 

• Harvest crops and wild plants, such as wheat, pumpkins, flowers, and berry bushes scattered across biomes.
• Chop trees and foliage, where trees, bushes, and other plant life sometimes yield Essence of Life alongside regular resources.
• Defeat animals and normal mobs during exploration and combat, giving you additional Essence of Life as a supplemental drop.

Uses of Essence of Life

• Craft farming tools and items: such as Feed Bags and Capture Crates at the Farmer’s Workbench, helping you build and manage farms.
• Trading with NPCs: At hubs like the Forgotten Temple, certain merchants (e.g., the Rootling Merchant) accept Essence of Life as currency for food, basic items, and early game supplies.
• Craft seeds and saplings: Necessary for long‑term agriculture and resource production.

Tips

• Harvest actively while exploring — Essence of Life is easy to stack up just by collecting plants and engaging with mob encounters.
• Use it rather than hoarding it — many recipes and trades benefit from a steady supply.

How to Get Essence of the Void 

Essence of the Void is a rarer material tied directly to combat with Void creatures, hostile mobs that spawn at night or in hazardous areas across biomes. It cannot be mined or found in chests — the only way to obtain it is through defeating these enemies.

• Wait for nighttime, and Void creatures spawn primarily at night and in corrupted/void‑tainted areas on the world map.
• Roam around in open biomes like deserts or icy plains after dark, where it’s easier to spot and engage Void enemies.

Uses of Essence of Void

• Essential for crafting high‑tier gear and advanced stations, including the Arcanist’s Workbench and later Mithril/Adamantite‑related recipes.
• Since drop rates are limited and tied to combat, every unit of Essence of the Void matters for progression.

Tips

• Hunt at night: Spawns drastically increase once it’s dark, so plan to leave beds or avoid sleeping through nights if you want to farm Essence.
• Move between areas: Instead of waiting in one spot, hoping enemies spawn, roam around open regions (deserts, icy plains, void‑tainted forests). This increases the chance of triggering Void enemy encounters.
• Prepare for combat: Void creatures can deal significant damage and often attack in groups, so bring strong armor, healing items, and ranged weapons to handle multiple encounters in one night.

How to Get Voidheart 

Killing enemies for Voidheart

Voidheart is among the rarest combat drops in Hytale. It drops only from Void enemies like Void Spawns, Void Eyes, and other corrupted mobs encountered at night, and even then, it has a low drop rate.

• Go to Zone 3 biomes (especially flat, icy regions), which tend to have higher densities of Void enemies at night, making them efficient places to hunt for Voidheart.
• Deserts and volcanic areas can also spawn Void creatures after dusk, offering additional opportunities.

Uses of Voidheart

• One of the key materials needed to upgrade the Armorer’s Workbench to Tier 3, unlocking Adamantite and Mithril gear, the strongest armor and weapon tiers.
• Use for advanced backpack upgrades (e.g., Backpack Upgrade II after unlocking 100 Memories) — expanding inventory space with high‑end crafting.
• Voidheart is always paired with other rare materials like Adamantite Ingots and Storm Leathers in high‑tier recipes.

Tips

• Kill as many Void enemies as you safely can each night — consistent movement and clearing increases spawn rates and kill count.
• Using ranged weapons like a hand crossbow or bow helps against flying Void Eyes and reduces self‑damage.
• If Voidheart farming feels slow, consider Ancient Gateway void arenas (when available) to fight groups more efficiently, though they can be challenging.

10. Backpacks & Inventory Expansion 

Your base inventory fills up fast. Expanding it is critical for long expeditions and loot collection as you progress to mid-game biomes.

How to unlock Backpack 

Before you can craft a backpack, you must first upgrade a Workbench to Tier 2. This unlocks the backpack recipe in the Workbench’s Tinkering tab.

Materials needed: 30 Copper Ingots, 20 Iron Ingots, 20 Linen Scraps

How to Craft the Backpack

Once the Workbench is Tier 2, open the Tinkering tab and craft the backpack unlock item.

Recipe: 8 Iron Ingots, 16 Medium Leather

After crafting it, the backpack appears as a consumable item in your inventory. Equip it on your hotbar and right‑click to consume it. This permanently adds extra inventory space to your character — nine new slots accessible via the backpack icon in your inventory screen.

Upgrading the Backpack

• Backpack Upgrade I: At Workbench Tier 3, using 40 Cindercloth Scraps, 8 Cobalt Ingots, and 24 Heavy Leather — provides more slots.
• Backpack Upgrade II: You need 100 Memories recorded and materials like 1 Voidheart, 8 Adamantite Ingots, and 16 Storm Leather — unlocks maximum inventory space.

Tip: Store less‑important items in your backpack to keep your main slots free for core gear.

11. Acrobatics 

Hytale gameplay

If you jump, you can actually climb on ledges. If you jump down and quickly press the roll key, Left Ctrl, you can actually break your fall. Otherwise, it’s going to be a pretty painful fall, and you lose a lot of HP.

For climbing different areas like a mountain, use blocks like dirt and build up, jump, and build blocks under you to keep building up to reach higher places. 

12. Unlocking Memories 

The Memories system in Hytale functions as a bestiary and progression track that unlocks powerful rewards when you record creature encounters.

How to Unlock Memories

1. Open your map and go to the Forgotten Temple Gateway icon — usually close to your world spawn.
2. Enter the temple, bypass or defeat the golem guard, and use the central portal to reach the Edge of the Echo.
3. Find and interact with the Heart of Orbis statue to unlock the Memories system.

How to Record Memories

Before you can record any Memories, you must activate the system by visiting the Forgotten Temple near your spawn point and interacting with the Heart of Orbis statue.

• Approach any new mob or creature type, and the game will automatically add it to your unrecorded Memories.
• You do not need to defeat the creature — simply being close enough for the first time is enough to record it.
• A small notification confirms each unique discovery as you explore.
• Return to the Heart of Orbis statue periodically to submit and officially record new Memories.

Rewards For Collecting Memories

• 10 Memories: Decorative chests & seeds for farming.
• 25 Memories: Extra teleporters & eternal seeds.
• 50 Memories: Morph potions & seeds.
• 100 Memories: Ancient Gateway recipes, backpack upgrade II, teleporters.
• 200 Memories: Harvest trophies & teleporters.

These rewards enhance farming, mobility, gear progression, and inventory space.

13. Teleporters 

Teleporter

Once you craft an Arcanist’s Workbench and unlock teleporter recipes (which may depend on memory progression), you can create teleporters for fast travel.

How to Craft & Use Teleporters

1. Upgrade your Workbench to Tier 2 first.
2. Craft an Arcanist’s Workbench (requires thorium, linen scraps, and Essence of the Void).
3. Use materials like Azure Kelp, Azure Logs, and Stone to craft teleporters at the Arcanist’s Workbench.
4. Place two teleporters at different locations and link them by naming one and selecting the other as its destination.

Teleporters make exploration, farming, and base hopping much faster and more efficient once you have them in place.