Any tips for new players starting the game?

[BonTheCryptid]

Im planning to start the game soon and was curious if anyone nore experienced could give some tips for new players in general with things like what things to prioritize over others

[Enjen]

7 minutes ago, BonTheCryptid said:

Im planning to start the game soon and was curious if anyone nore experienced could give some tips for new players in general with things like what things to prioritize over others

HELLO!!! Welcome to the Forum!!

I only started the game about 2 months ago. What i've learned is to prioritize getting the cattails first to get your 4 baskets and acquiring a shelter! The shelter is a little less important if you have the whole grace period where monsters don't spawn for 3 days.

After I'd look for some clay! While you'er looking for clay acquire fish and berries for quick meat to cook over a firepit and berries to eat on the go  After finding Clay the cookpot is going to be so helpful!

Edited July 10, 2025 by Enjen

[Never Jhonsen]

I recommend your first ever world to be with all default presets, no mods. Get a feel for how the game plays out before changing things.

I mentioned in a different thread that "Exploration Mode" can be easier for new players than "Standard", so you could start with that if you so choose. Otherwise, a "Standard" world with no mods is what I suggest

Edited July 10, 2025 by Never Jhonsen
adding link on mobile

[MagpieOAO]

Familiarize yourself with the handbook! 

Hit H to open the handbook and anything you mouse over and hit H with, it'll jump to that thing in the handbook to show what you can use it for or how to get it. The handbook can walk you through pretty much the entire game but in a way that still feels exploratory.

Secondly I'd say walk around and take your time! You'll need to identify food sources and avoid things that see you as a food source, it helps to move slowly. And it burns less satiation.

Grass can be crafted into straw blocks which are extremely quick to break again, making it excellent for temporary structures and doors.

Sticks and a knife can craft wattle fencing which can act like windows, and wattle gates which can act like reliable doors. Cheap to make and very nice to get some light sources in your early home.

[LadyWYT]

35 minutes ago, BonTheCryptid said:

Im planning to start the game soon and was curious if anyone nore experienced could give some tips for new players in general with things like what things to prioritize over others

Welcome to the forums(and the game)! The biggest piece of advice I have to offer is that the handbook is going to be your best friend, and the best place to start is reading through the Guides section in order to get a general idea of what you need to pursue in order to progress. A good time to read through the handbook is while waiting for the night to pass--just make sure that you hit the Unpause option in the handbook so that time will actually pass while reading.

Vintage Story is a very meaty game, with most gameplay loops overlapping with one another in some way. The learning curve, as a result is very steep, and the game isn't very forgiving of mistakes, so it's best to take things slow and cautious, even if you have prior experience in similar games. There are three basic difficulties: Standard, Exploration, and Wilderness Survival. Standard offers a good balance of everything the game has to offer, but if it feels a bit too harsh you might play Exploration until you have a better grasp of how the game works. I don't recommend Wilderness Survival for new players given that mode has increased difficulty and is incredibly unforgiving of mistakes, but that being said, some players enjoy that kind of challenge right out of the gate. There is also Homo Sapiens mode, however, this mode removes all lore from the game and reduces the experience to pure survival, which I will note removes a lot of content from the game.

There are also several individual settings that tweak various aspects of the game world and difficulty, so you can also customize the world and experience to your liking. Most of those settings can be changed at any time after the world's creation, though you will need to familiarize yourself with console commands to do so and may need to reload the world for the changes to take effect. There is also a plethora of mods that can further customize your experience, however, I recommend picking one of the premade gamemodes and learning the game basics first, so that you have a better idea of how things work and what you would like to change.

It's a good idea to stop every once in a while and take a good look at your surroundings. Doing so allows you to spot potential threats, or resources that you may have otherwise overlooked.

Regarding the main story content, be on the lookout for a treasure hunter. They offer a special quest to start you on the game's story.

Last but not least, if you have questions or need additional help figuring out something, don't be afraid to ask about it on the forums. There's a variety of players here who've all been through the same trials at one time or another, who are happy to help newcomers learn the ropes. 

[dakko]

You've gotten some great tips.

1. When gathering cattails for your baskets, be sure to cut them with a knife; breaking them with your hands will destroy the root that allows them to regrow.

2. When gathering copper bits off of the ground, be aware that they indicate the presence of a shallow deposit underground so be sure to mark the spot so that you can come back later with a pickaxe.

[Thorfinn]

1. Have fun.

[Echo Weaver]

19 hours ago, BonTheCryptid said:

Im planning to start the game soon and was curious if anyone nore experienced could give some tips for new players in general with things like what things to prioritize over others

The big head-smacker that I discovered too late in the season is that low quality farmland is just not going to get you a harvest that will get you through the winter. You should run around enough to find medium quality if you can. I don't know what medium quality spawn conditions are, maybe that's recorded someplace, but I had a heck of a time finding any in my long-running game. Where I finally found it was pretty logical, which is a lush grassland area surrounding a pond. So probably it has smarter spawn conditions than I gave it credit for.

Run a lot if you hear wolf howls. Unless you're @Thorfinn, early game wolves are going to slaughter you before you see them coming.

Bears are bastards, will also slaughter you, and they can be hard to hear coming. Some death in early game is just to be expected.

I personally would advise Standard with a monster grace period over Exploration if you're going for the "uncompromising survival" experience that it advertises. But you do you. 

[BonTheCryptid]

Thank you all for the words of advice

[zand]

Wolves tend to spawn in forested areas. Wolves make bad roommates.

[LadyWYT]

One thing I forgot to mention--if you are playing with temporal stability enabled, the teal gear in the middle of your hotbar will be very important when choosing a place to settle. If it's spinning clockwise, you're in a stable area, which is a really good spot for a base. If it's spinning counterclockwise, the area is unstable and you don't want to settle there. If it's not spinning at all, you're either at 100% stability, or the area is neutral and still okay to settle in.

As for your stability percentage, you don't need to worry about it too much when out and about doing things. Just makes sure it stays above 25%, as if it falls below that monsters will start spawning nearby. If it drains to 0%, then it will start draining your health until you recover your stability. Killing monsters or hanging out in a stable area will restore stability, however, you can also replenish a good chunk instantly by sacrificing a temporal gear and a bit of health.