In ARK: Survival Evolved, your first priorities are simple: spawn on a relatively safe southern beach, gather by hand, craft a stone pickaxe and hatchet, place a bed, and build a small thatch shelter before dark. Stay out of deep water, watch for predators, spend early levels on food, health and weight, and postpone taming until roughly level 20. The exact balance and creature behavior can vary by map, server settings and game version.
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Confirm which ARK you are playing
ARK: Survival Evolved and ARK: Survival Ascended are separate releases. They share the survival formula, but interfaces, maps, creature behavior, balance and guide instructions can differ. This guide is written for Survival Evolved. If the title screen or server identifies Ascended, treat level requirements, spawn advice and crafting details as suggestions rather than guaranteed values.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesServer administrators can also change harvesting, experience, damage, taming and day-night rates. A single-player world with boosted settings will not progress exactly like an official-style multiplayer server. When a step below uses a level—especially the approximate level-20 taming point—regard it as a practical milestone, not an immutable rule.
Where to spawn and what to do in the first minutes
Choose a southern beach when the map offers one
For a new survivor on maps with several spawn regions, a southern beach is usually the least punishing starting choice. Community guides describe these areas as having fewer immediately dangerous predators and a dependable supply of basic materials. Select the easiest southern option available rather than a region labeled difficult, cold or high level.
#1 Best Overall
- Use cunning strategy and tactics to tame, train, ride and breed the 100+ dinosaurs and other primeval creatures roaming the dynamic, persistent ecosystems across land, sea, air, and even underground Build your character's strengths and gain items, skills, and pet creatures using in-depth role-playing systems
- Start a tribe with hundreds of other players to survive and dominate competing tribes...and ultimately discover ARK's true purpose
- Build a fire or shelter, then craft customizable clothing & armors to help protect against damage and extreme temperatures on your way to unlocking advanced technologies and equipment
- Chop down trees and mine metal and other precious resources to build massive multi-leveled structures composed of complex snap-linked parts
Do not travel far after spawning. Stay close until you have gained several levels, made basic tools and established a respawn point. Wandering inland or into a high-danger biome before you can replace your equipment turns a small mistake into a long recovery trip.
Take inventory of the shoreline
Before running, look around from your spawn point. Identify a flat, visible patch for a temporary shelter, nearby trees and loose stones, and a route that keeps you away from cliffs and dense vegetation. Check the waterline for threats before collecting anything. Deep water can look inviting but is especially dangerous to an unequipped character; early exploration should remain on land or in very shallow water.
Gather by hand before opening the crafting menu
Pick up a loose stone, then punch trees and collect fallen wood. These actions provide the first materials without requiring an engram or tool. Keep moving along the beach so you can collect fibers and other visible resources while watching for hostile creatures. Your first objective is not a large stockpile; it is enough material to make tools, a weapon and a minimal shelter.
Craft the first tools in the right order
The stone pickaxe should be your first major craft. It lets you obtain flint from rocks, and flint is needed for early weapons and armor. Make the hatchet immediately afterward. The two tools overlap, but using the appropriate one makes gathering faster and gives you a reliable supply of wood, thatch, stone and flint.
| Order | Item | Why it matters now | What to do with it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stone pickaxe | Unlocks practical flint gathering and improves early resource collection. | Use it on rocks and other hard resources; collect enough flint for the next crafts. |
| 2 | Stone hatchet | Improves wood and thatch gathering and gives you a dependable second tool. | Use it on trees and objects where the pickaxe is inefficient. |
| 3 | Early weapon and basic protection | Flint and gathered fiber support the first defensive equipment. | Craft only what you can replace; do not spend every material before building a shelter. |
Keep both tools on your hotbar. If one breaks while you are away from camp, the replacement materials are easier to collect when the other tool is still available. Repair or recraft before making a long trip, and carry only the resources you are willing to lose.
Rank #2
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety, and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes, and styles
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout
Spend early levels on survival, not specialization
Early deaths usually come from hunger, an inability to carry enough materials, or taking damage that you cannot recover from. The most consistent beginner advice is to put initial stat points into food, health and weight.
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- Health: provides a larger margin for mistakes when a small predator or environmental hazard catches you.
- Weight: lets you bring building materials, replacement tools and supplies back to camp in fewer trips.
Do not spend every point immediately. Read each stat description, consider what prevented your last death, and make the next point solve that specific problem. A character who cannot carry enough wood needs a different investment from one who repeatedly runs out of food. The recommended trio is a starting priority, not a rule that forbids later specialization.
Build a shelter before night
Use thatch for the first hut
Thatch is the practical first building material because it is quick to gather and allows you to establish a protected respawn location before sunset. The first hut can be tiny: enough enclosed space for a bed, storage and crafting stations. It is a foothold, not a permanent base.
Choose the site carefully
Build on a reasonably flat, shady patch near water, but not at the edge of deep water. Staying near water reduces unnecessary travel, while shade makes the location more comfortable during the hot part of the day. Keep sightlines open so you can see approaching creatures, and avoid placing the entrance beside thick foliage, a cliff or a narrow path that funnels wildlife into your walls.
Upgrade to wood when your routine is stable
Once you can gather consistently and replace your tools, upgrade the thatch structure to wood. Wood takes more work but is a better medium-term home. Do not delay the bed while collecting enough materials for a perfect wooden base: a small thatch shelter with a respawn point is more valuable than an unfinished project.
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Rank #3
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game. Run too far and not only will you be exhausted, but you will also quickly get hungry and thirsty. Weather effects are based on real-world climates, and so you'll need to hide out from rain and snow, while making the most of sunny days
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Gather Resources, Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes and style of everything from the walls of your home, to your character's armor, weapons and more
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout. Make your way to the final boss and figure out why you've been dropped into this Jurassic-era experience
| Material | Best use | Advantage | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thatch | First-night shelter and emergency outpost | Fast to gather and place | Temporary protection; replace it as resources and threats increase |
| Wood | Early permanent base | Stronger and suitable for organized storage and crafting | Requires more gathering time, so building it first can postpone the bed and tools |
Place a bed as soon as you can
A simple bed is one of the highest-value early objectives. It creates a respawn point inside or beside your shelter, so a death does not always send you back to an arbitrary beach. Place it where you can reach it safely and remember which structure contains it.
Use the bed before risky trips and after moving valuables into storage. Respawning does not recover equipment lost at the death site, so the bed is a recovery tool rather than permission to take unnecessary risks. If you die, decide whether the corpse is reachable before leaving your shelter with a fresh inventory.
Survive the first night
Finish these jobs before darkness
- Make and equip the stone pickaxe.
- Make the hatchet and keep both tools accessible.
- Gather enough thatch and wood for a closed hut.
- Place the bed inside the hut or in the safest enclosed space available.
- Move spare materials into storage rather than carrying everything.
- Check the area around the entrance for aggressive creatures before stepping out.
Use darkness as a learning period
You do not have to roam at night. Craft, sort inventory, repair equipment and learn the engram menu from inside the shelter. If you need to leave, use short trips along a familiar shoreline rather than crossing unknown terrain. Night reduces your ability to spot threats, and a creature that was easy to avoid in daylight can be on top of you before you see it.
Scan for threats around camp
Predators can wander into areas that felt safe when you arrived. Guides specifically warn that an aggressive Spino may appear near otherwise low-level areas. Look around the base whenever you return, keep the entrance facing a visible approach, and do not assume a calm beach remains safe forever.
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When and how to attempt your first tame
Wait for the early progression milestone
Several beginner guides place the first serious taming attempt at about level 20. That timing gives you room to learn movement, harvesting, shelter building and inventory management before adding an unconscious creature and a food timer to your responsibilities. Server rates and engram availability can move this milestone, so use it as a pacing guide rather than a hard gate.
Rank #4
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety, and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes, and styles
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout
You can still gain levels before taming by gathering, crafting, building and handling small, low-level, non-aggressive creatures safely. Slow progression is intentional: learning how the world behaves is more valuable than rushing to a powerful animal you cannot protect.
Understand the basic taming loop
- Choose a low-level target in an area you can control and escape from.
- Knock it unconscious with tranq arrows or darts when your character and equipment can support that approach.
- Keep the unconscious creature safe while you place its preferred food in its inventory.
- Stay nearby, watch the surroundings and maintain the process until the tame completes.
The target’s preferred food, the amount required and the time involved depend on the creature and the server’s settings. Do not begin beside deep water, a predator route or an exposed cliff. A successful knockout is not a successful tame if another creature kills the target or you lose your supplies while defending it.
Choosing a first creature: safety versus mobility
There is no universal first tame. Community guides disagree, and their recommendations often assume different maps, settings and player goals. Treat the options below as viewpoints, not a ranked guarantee.
| Candidate or viewpoint | Why a guide may suggest it | Risk or limitation for a new survivor | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trike | Frequently proposed as a sturdy, useful early tame. | Still requires a controlled knockout and safe feeding area. | A player who wants a durable general-purpose companion after learning the basics. |
| Small, low-level, non-aggressive creature | Lower danger while you practice the taming process. | May offer limited protection or carrying ability. | Someone prioritizing a first successful tame over power. |
| Pteranodon | Mobility can make scouting and travel much easier. | It is a different kind of project from a safe ground tame; the attempt can fail if made too early. | A survivor who already has a secure base and understands the local hazards. |
| Giganotosaurus | One guide discusses it as a demanding option. | Its difficulty makes it unsuitable as a normal first-day objective. | A later challenge, not a beginner shortcut. |
| Managarmr | Another guide rates it highly for beginners because of its capabilities. | The recommendation is an individual opinion and does not make the creature an easy early tame. | Players following a specific map, server or progression plan rather than a standard beach start. |
| “Carnaby’s” or similar guide-specific suggestion | One guide names this alongside the Trike. | Names and recommendations vary between community guides; verify the creature and requirements in your version before committing resources. | Only when you can clearly identify the target and safely support the attempt. |
For most new players, the sensible decision is the least aggressive, lowest-level target that lives close to your shelter. Mobility is valuable, but a tame you can protect teaches more than a prestigious target that consumes all your supplies.
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Keep the beach as your reference point
Make short loops from the shelter and return before your inventory is full. This builds a mental map of resources, water access and danger routes. Mark or remember distinctive terrain, but do not rely on memory alone when carrying rare materials. Your bed and shelter should remain the point from which every new expedition begins.
Separate essential and disposable gear
Carry the tools, food and weapon needed for the immediate task; store excess materials at home. Before entering an unfamiliar area, ask what you would lose if you died. If the answer includes every tool, all your building resources and your only food supply, reduce the load first.
Leave hardcore zones for later
Guides consistently advise slowing down and postponing dangerous regions. High-risk biomes, deep water and areas with large predators are not required to complete the first survival loop. Return after you have a wooden base, replacement gear, a dependable tame and enough experience to recognize an escape route.
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| Mistake | What it causes | Better response |
|---|---|---|
| Spawning in a difficult region because it looks interesting | Immediate predator encounters and long corpse runs. | Use a southern beach when available and stay local until you have basic equipment. |
| Entering deep water for resources | Threats you cannot see or outrun with starter gear. | Remain on land or in shallow water and return after you have the equipment and knowledge to dive safely. |
| Making a hatchet before a pickaxe | Delayed access to flint and early weapon or armor crafting. | Craft the stone pickaxe first, then the hatchet. |
| Building a large base before placing a bed | Time spent gathering while still lacking a reliable respawn point. | Put down a tiny thatch hut and bed, then expand or upgrade. |
| Carrying every resource you collect | Encumbrance, slow movement and larger losses on death. | Store materials frequently and take only what the next task requires. |
| Assuming a quiet beach stays safe | A roaming predator, including a possible Spino, reaches the camp. | Scan around the shelter whenever you return and keep an escape route visible. |
| Rushing the first tame | Lost food, equipment and time before you understand the mechanics. | Build skills and levels first; target a manageable creature around the early taming milestone. |
| Following a guide for the wrong release | Different levels, creatures or behavior than the instructions describe. | Confirm that the guide applies to Survival Evolved, not Survival Ascended, and account for server settings. |
A practical decision framework for your first session
Use the following checkpoints instead of chasing a fixed speedrun:
- If you have no tools: stay on the beach, hand-gather stone, wood and fiber, and make the pickaxe first.
- If you have tools but no safe return point: stop gathering and build the smallest thatch shelter you can, then place the bed.
- If you are dying from combat: stop exploring, invest the next levels in health or weight as appropriate, and keep to visible terrain.
- If you are dying from hunger: prioritize food and learn a repeatable local supply route before traveling farther.
- If you cannot carry building materials: invest in weight and use storage rather than making a longer, more dangerous trip.
- If you are considering a tame: wait until roughly level 20 unless your server progression makes the process clearly safer earlier, and choose a low-level target near a defensible location.
- If the area suddenly feels unsafe: return to the bed and shelter, leave valuables behind, and relocate only after you have a replacement plan.
What “good progress” looks like after the opening
You are ready to move beyond the beginner loop when you can replace a broken pickaxe and hatchet without a special trip, return to a known bed after a death, maintain a small supply of food, and build or repair your shelter without exhausting every resource. At that point, a wooden base and a carefully chosen tame provide a stable platform for larger expeditions.
The goal of the opening is not to claim the strongest creature or reach the most dangerous biome. It is to establish a repeatable cycle: gather safely, craft in the pickaxe-then-hatchet order, shelter before night, respawn at your bed, improve the base from thatch to wood, and only then take on creatures and regions that demand more preparation.
Quick Recap
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