The first night in Minecraft is where most beginners die. During the day, the world feels safe. But as soon as the sun goes down, hostile mobs like zombies, skeletons, spiders, and creepers start spawning everywhere.

If you don’t have a bed, armor, or a shelter, you’ll most likely get chased, trapped, and killed.

The good news is: surviving the first night is easy if you follow the right steps in the first 10 minutes.

This guide shows exactly what to do so you can survive your first night every time.

What Happens on the First Night?

When the sun sets, hostile mobs begin spawning in dark areas, including:

caves
forests
behind hills
near trees
around your base if it’s not lit

The first night is dangerous because you usually have:

no armor
weak weapons
no food запас
no safe base

So your goal is not to fight mobs.
Your goal is to prepare before sunset.

Step-by-Step: How to Survive the First Night

1. Collect Wood Immediately (First 2 Minutes)

The first thing you should do is punch a tree and collect wood.

How much wood is enough?

Collect at least:

8 to 12 logs

This gives you enough to craft tools, a shelter, and torches.

Wood is the most important first-night survival resource.

2. Craft a Crafting Table + Basic Tools

After collecting logs, craft:

Crafting Table
Wooden Pickaxe

Then use the wooden pickaxe to mine stone.

Don’t waste time crafting full wooden tools.
Wood tools are slow and break fast.

3. Upgrade to Stone Tools Fast

As soon as you find stone, mine at least:

20 cobblestone

Craft these tools:

Stone Pickaxe
Stone Sword
Stone Axe (optional but strong)

Stone tools are a major upgrade and will keep you safe if mobs attack early.

4. Find Food Before Night Starts

Many beginners survive the first night but then die because they have no food.

Before sunset, get at least:

8–12 food items

Best early food sources:

cows (best)
pigs
chickens
fish (if river nearby)
sweet berries (taiga)

If you find a village, steal bread from chests.

5. Make a Bed (Best Way to Skip Night)

The easiest way to survive the first night is to skip it.

To craft a bed you need:

3 wool
3 planks

So you must find sheep and kill them for wool.

Best tip:

If you see sheep early, kill them immediately.
Don’t delay.

Once you craft a bed, your first night becomes completely safe.

If You Don’t Have a Bed: Build an Emergency Shelter

If you can’t find sheep, you must build a shelter before mobs spawn.

A shelter doesn’t need to look good. It just needs to keep you alive.

6. Best Emergency Shelter (Fastest Method)

Best option:

Dig into a hill.

Steps:

Find a hill or cliff
Dig a 3×3 area inside
Place crafting table + furnace
Place torches
Block the entrance with dirt or wood

This is the fastest and safest first-night base.

7. Don’t Build a Full House on Day 1

A beginner mistake is trying to build a big house on the first day.

That wastes time and you’ll still be outside when night comes.

Instead:

build a tiny shelter
survive the night
build properly on day 2

How to Light Up Your Area (So Mobs Don’t Spawn)

If you have coal, craft torches.

Torch crafting:

Coal/Charcoal + Stick = Torch

Place torches:

inside your shelter
near the entrance
around your base area if you have time

Even 5–10 torches makes a big difference.

No Coal? Use Charcoal (Survival Trick)

If you can’t find coal before sunset, use charcoal.

How to get charcoal:

Craft a furnace
Put logs inside
Smelt logs into charcoal
Use charcoal for torches

Charcoal works exactly like coal and is one of the best early survival tricks.

What You Should Do During the First Night

If you skipped the night using a bed, you’re already safe.

But if you’re trapped inside a shelter, use the night wisely.

1. Smelt Food and Make Charcoal

Use your furnace to:

cook meat
make charcoal for torches

This prepares you for day 2.

2. Craft Extra Tools and Storage

Craft:

chest
extra pickaxe
extra sword
sticks

This saves time tomorrow.

3. Organize Your Inventory

A messy inventory gets you killed later.

Put important items in chest:

extra wood
food
cobblestone
coal

Keep in hotbar:

sword
pickaxe
torches
food

What NOT to Do on the First Night (Common Beginner Deaths)

Here are the mistakes that destroy beginners:

❌ Don’t Fight Mobs Without a Shield

Skeletons will destroy you early game.

Until you have iron and a shield, avoid fighting at night.

❌ Don’t Explore Caves on Day 1

Caves look tempting, but day 1 cave exploration is risky.

You don’t have:

armor
enough torches
food запас

Save caves for day 2.

❌ Don’t Build in a Forest at Night

Forests are the worst place at night because creepers and skeletons hide behind trees.

If you spawn in a forest:

clear a small area
build shelter quickly
place torches early

❌ Don’t Dig Straight Down

If you dig straight down you can fall into:

lava
caves
deep ravines

Always dig stairs.

Best Locations to Survive Your First Night

If you have time before sunset, choose a safe place.

Best Biomes for Survival:

Plains Biome (best)
Savanna Biome
Meadow
Desert Biome (only if village nearby)

Risky biomes for first night:

Forest Biome (low visibility)
Taiga Biome (dark)
Jungle (very hard)
Snowy biomes (slow start)

First Night Survival Checklist (Quick Guide)

Before the sun fully sets, you should have:

✅ Stone tools
✅ 8–12 food items
✅ Shelter or bed
✅ Torches (coal or charcoal)
✅ Furnace + crafting table

If you have these things, you will survive easily.

Best Strategy: Skip Night or Hide?

Best Option:

✅ Craft a bed and sleep

If you can’t craft a bed:

✅ Dig into a hill and wait safely

Both methods work. The key is being prepared before the sun goes down.

Final Verdict

Surviving the first night in Minecraft is not about luck.
It’s about speed and priorities.

If you focus on:

wood
stone tools
food
bed or shelter
torches

…then the first night becomes easy and your survival world starts strong.

Once you survive day 1, Minecraft becomes much more fun because now you can build, explore, and progress without panic.

How to Survive the First Night in Minecraft (Beginner Guide)