Hytale has finally seen the light of day after many upheavals! The blend of Minecraft, Terraria and a touch of Valheim is already delighting players who have waited years for the title. We’ve dived into Hytale ourselves to see what the game has to offer. But every beginning is hard, and Hytale does a few things differently from what you may be used to. So we’ve put together the most important tips and tricks that stood out during our first hours and that we want to pass on to you.
Hytale settings: optimise gameplay, world and performance
Before you set off on your adventure, take a look at the settings. Hytale performs quite well, but you may be able to fine-tune a few things. Enable enemy health bars and raise your FOV.
When creating your world, click the cog icon there as well to access more options. Set the length of the day–night cycle and choose whether, and how many, items are dropped on death. Select None if you prefer a gentler start and don’t want to lose anything.
Farming resources in Hytale: fibres, sticks and stones
Once you’ve left your spawn cave, you’ll find green meadows and dense forests. As in any good survival title, it’s all about crafting tools and gearing up. In Hytale, that means smashing bushes to gather fibres and sticks. You’ll also find loose stones that you can pick up.
You can then craft your first tools in your inventory. Use the axe and pickaxe to chop wood and mine stone. Trees will actually topple over when you chop through the trunk.
Crafting a Workbench in Hytale: the foundation for better gear
In your inventory you can also craft a Workbench, which not only grants access to better equipment but also unlocks further specialised workbenches. We’ll cover these in detail in another article, but bear in mind they are important for additional functions. Most of these workbenches can also be upgraded as you progress, unlocking new recipes. Early on, though, this isn’t crucial until you’ve advanced a bit further.
Find the Forgotten Temple: unlock memories and upgrades
One of your first tasks should be to find the Forgotten Temple. There are often several; head to the one marked on your map nearby. There you’ll find a basement with a golem. Kill or ignore it and loot the two hidden chests.
Then go through the portal. On the other side awaits a paradise where you can’t break blocks. Head to the statue in the centre and activate your memories there. They allow you to record memories of monsters and animals. Up to 48 slots are available, so keep coming back here to unlock new upgrades for some of your workbenches.
Never go hungry again: find food, cook and heal in Hytale
Thankfully, Hytale doesn’t make you manage a hunger bar, but it’s still wise to carry food. It lets you heal if you take damage from enemies or falls. Red berries are everywhere and give a small boost. Later you can cook meat from animals; craft the cooking set in your inventory for that. Use sticks, fibres or logs as fuel to cook it. You’ll also get charcoal from this.
Hytale combat tips: weapons, shields and special attacks
Monsters and dangers lurk both day and night. Skeletons, wolves or bears will likely be your first opponents. A quick introduction to combat won’t hurt. Craft a short sword in your inventory.
Attack is left-click and blocking is right-click (as shown at the bottom right). When you attack continuously with a weapon, your special attack on Q charges up. Later, you can use other weapons, each with different special attacks. You can also find or craft shields later and equip them in your off-hand. This kind of gear is sometimes dropped by skeletons.
Movement and inventory: control tricks for Hytale
Movement and general controls feel very smooth. You automatically step up one block. When sprinting, you’re even faster. Better yet, you can jump up to four blocks high. From the third block, your character pulls themselves up to clear the height.
Press V to switch between third- and first-person, depending on your preference. And press Y to control your off-hand, switching between a torch and your shield. Several F-keys are also mapped. You can hide your HUD and hand (F8), show info such as coordinates and FPS (F7), or take screenshots (F12). You can rebind all keybinds to your liking.
Build a base in Hytale: bed, chests and workbenches
Once you’re familiar with the basics of Hytale, it’s time to build your first little base. There you can set up your workbenches and craft your first chests to clear out your inventory. Use wood and stone and process them at the building workbench to make your home look nice — but that’s entirely up to you.
Finally, we recommend you craft a bed. You’ll need light leather, which some small animals drop (for example, boars). The bed is your respawn point, and it also lets you sleep through the night. Later you can craft nicer beds, but the bedroll will do for now.
Conclusion: Hytale Early Access and tips at a glance
Hytale already offers a lot in Early Access, and we’ve only scratched the surface here. There’s much more, from advanced workbenches and new biomes to stronger ores. Bear in mind, of course, that the game is still in Early Access, and after Riot’s buyout the game effectively lost around four years of development time. But Simon and his team are working hard to finally make Hytale a reality. We’ll continue to cover the release with more tips and tricks.
Hytale naturally plays great in multiplayer too. Rent your own Hytale server from us, and set off on an adventure with your friends. Build together and explore the world of Orbis.
