Vintage Story Beginner’s Guide: Classes, Tools, & Day 1 Walkthrough

Perhaps you were enamored by Vintage Story’s Minecraft-like aesthetics. Maybe it’s the Eldritch horror themes the game provides. Nonetheless, you must start with Day 1 of this sandbox survival title. So, keep reading this Vintage Story Beginner’s Guide so we can help you survive the first day and beyond.

Vintage Story: An Overview

Before starting a new game in Vintage Story, gaining insight into what this video game holds for you is important. For starters, Vintage Story was once developed as a standalone Minecraft mod called Vintagecraft. But after about a year’s worth of developing the mod, Tyron Madlener, the mod’s developer, set himself up for bigger sights – a standalone game. After over a year of development, Vintage Story emerged, allowing excited fans to try out its content and features first-hand. But don’t mistake Vintage Story for being nothing more than a Minecraft clone. It has unique features to help separate itself from its inspiration. For example, this game isn’t typically for beginners of the genre. It mixes hardcore mechanics with various challenges and difficult enemies. Some players might even find surviving the first day more difficult than playing Vanilla Minecraft. So, move forward to the next section of this Vintage Story Beginner’s Guide to know how to survive Day 1 in the game.

Vintage Story Beginner’s Guide: How to Survive Day 1

Note that the following Vintage Story Beginner’s Guide won’t discuss certain basic information, such as the game’s controls. Keep in mind that the developer likes to release frequent updates for this game, making some features and systems obsolete over time. However, some core mechanics remain even after several patches. Still, it’s essential to mention that the details you’re about to gather may not be 100% accurate in future patches. With that, here are the things you should do to survive Day 1 in Vintage Story:

Step #1: Create a Character - Pick Your Class

Aside from designing your character, Vintage Story lets you choose a class. Various character classes are available, including the following:

• Commoner: No defining skills, but this class has no significant strengths or weaknesses.
• Hunter: A long-ranged fighter skilled with a bow and arrow but has trouble with melee combat.
• Malefactor: A class that is frail and weak but an expert at gathering loot and resources.
• Clockmaker: A dealer of significant damage to specific enemies but gains increased damage from opponents outside this class’s expertise.
• Blackguard: A durable fighter with a voracious appetite.
• Tailor: A crafter and repairer of clothing.

Step #2: Mark Your Spawn Point

After creating a character and choosing a class, you’ll immediately jump straight into the actual game. First, you should open your map by pressing “M” (by default). Next, place a marker on your current location. This marker lets you know your spawn point, allowing you to catch your bearings upon respawning after death.

Step #3: Collect Basic Resources and Craft Tools

Look at the ground near your initial spawn point. Then, gather as many sticks and stones as you can find. Then, hold a stone in your hand and press the right mouse button. Choose the Flint Knife Blade from the window that appears. Once chosen, a stone block should appear on the floor before you. Now, you must chip away the highlighted areas on the block to make the Flint Knife Blade. Repeat the same process for the Flint Axe. But the crafting procedure isn’t finished because you only crafted the blades. This time, gather sticks by cutting nearby bushes. Next, open your inventory using the “E” key (by default) and place the Flint Knife Blade and a stick on the grid. Again, repeat the same process for the Flint Axe and the stick. If successful, you should have a set of basic tools to gather more resources and damage early-game enemies. Equip your completed Flint Stone Knife and cut reeds from a nearby shore. Gather Cattails and Cattail Roots using this tool. The former resource allows you to craft baskets for extra storage, while the latter is a good food source during the early game. Note: Craft a Hand Basket by placing Cattails on the first, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth box (from left to right and top to bottom) on the 3x3 crafting grid.

Step #4: Gather Food While You Can

Search for berry bushes in a nearby forest. Once found, you can right-click on a bush to gather berries without breaking the plant. On the other hand, left-clicking breaks the bush, allowing you to keep it in your inventory. Doing so lets you replant the bush, giving you a steady supply of berries when you build your base or camp. Next, look for mushrooms to keep in your inventory and eat at a later time. However, don’t eat the red mushrooms as they are poisonous. Also, avoid hunting animals for food at this time. Although creatures like boars and wolves can be a good food source later, attacking them now will most likely transform your character into past tense.

Step #5: Make Fire and Shelter

Equip your Flint Axe and smack or chop the base of a tree. After some smacking (or chopping), the entire tree should break into small wood blocks. Next, place your Flint Axe on the center box of the crafting grid. Then, place the wood blocks directly below the Flint Axe. This recipe makes Firewood. Note that this procedure will reduce your Flint Axe’s durability. Cut pieces of dry grass from the ground afterward. This time, create a Firestarter by placing a piece of dry grass on the first block of the crafting grid. Then, place two sticks adjacent to the dry grass. But don’t make the fire yet. Instead, gather dirt blocks and create a small perimeter to protect yourself from the creatures of the night. If you don’t, you’ll likely die from the assault. A two-block-high wall surrounding your character should suffice at this stage. Note: Some enemies can jump over one-block-high walls. Go inside your makeshift shelter or perimeter, and place a piece of dry grass on the ground. Then, place at least four pieces of Firewood over the dry grass. Equip your Firestarter afterward, and hold right-click while facing the cold fire pit. If successful, you should be able to start a fire.

Step #6: Don’t Move!

As mentioned earlier, Vintage Story is more difficult than the standard Vanilla Minecraft experience. So, don’t move from your small campsite when night falls. Enemies will likely try and fail to reach you while you’re inside the perimeter. Resist the urge to move away from that location. Instead, take this time to craft more tools or eat food. Once dawn breaks, pat yourself on the back for surviving Day 1 of Vintage Story. Just realize this is only the beginning!