Blocks, tools and other resources in Minecraft are made through a method called crafting. Minecraft crafting is available only in Beta mode plus the now removed Alpha, Infdev and Indev modes. The player should shift resources from their inventory and place them in either the 2×2 crafting grid or a workbenches crafting grid in order to create an item. When this is done, the items should be arranged into the pattern that represents the item or items to be created. The position on the grid is not important as long as the pattern representing the resources is correct. Minecraft crafting recipes can be adjusted. For example, a bow can be made having the strings on the right rather than on the left.

A 2×2 crafting grid is part of the player’s inventory screen. This is available for use each time the screen is brought up by pressing the “i” key. Minecraft crafting recipes such as sticks, wooden planks and crafting tables (workbench) can be crafted on this grid.  If a 3×3 grid is required, then a crafting table has to be created. This can be done by placing it randomly on the ground and right-clicking on it. A pop-up screen will be displayed which permits the player to create any Minecraft crafting recipe in the game since the 3×3 grid is the maximum size for a recipe.

Armor and tools as well as certain other items are prone to item wear and tear, a process by which continuous use of the tool diminishes the number of uses available. The projected lifespan of the material will determine the number of times it can be used.

Initially, when you log into Minecraft, you will have nothing and will wonder what to do first. The game operates on a day/night sequence. During the day you are completely safe but at night or when engulfed in any type of darkness, evil things sneak out and are determined to kill you, causing you to respawn or comeback to life where you had start the game.

You will need some simple tools and a safe place to protect you for the first few days. Be sure to conceal yourself during the night and resurface during the day to continue exploring. After starting Minecraft you will be unequipped, but you can hurriedly gather some resources for tools and literally use a hole in the wall as your first house. Trees are popular in every Minecraft world and will have to be chopped down in order to acquire some resources. Each item you hit in Minecraft will be transformed into material that you can employ to create something else. Some items need more hits than others and some are collected faster when you use certain tools.