Best Early Game Farms: A Guide for Beginners

Table of Contents

Introduction

In virtually any game that involves resource management, base building, or character progression, farms quickly become indispensable. They represent a passive income of vital resources, freeing you from the monotony of endless grinding and allowing you to focus on more exciting aspects of the game, like exploring, questing, or battling formidable foes. However, with so many potential farm types available, especially as you unlock more technologies or areas, deciding where to begin can feel overwhelming. This guide aims to demystify the process, providing a clear and concise roadmap for which farms you should prioritize building first, particularly during the early to mid-game stages. We’ll be focusing on farms that are relatively easy to construct, require readily available resources, and offer the most significant immediate benefits to your gameplay. Thinking “what farms do you recommend I should build first?” don’t worry, we got you covered.

The recommendations that follow are based on a few core principles. First, we prioritize efficiency. Early game resources are often scarce, so the farms we suggest will provide a maximum return on investment for minimal effort. Second, we consider resource availability. The best early game farms are those that utilize common materials, found easily at the start of your adventure. Finally, we consider overall usefulness. The farms highlighted in this article will directly address your most pressing early-game needs, paving the way for a smoother and more enjoyable experience.
You have to think about what farms do you recommend I should build first for my survival.

Understanding Farm Types and Goals

Before diving into specific farm recommendations, it’s crucial to understand the broad categories of farms and the overall goals they help you achieve. Generally, farms can be classified by the type of resource they produce. The most common types include:

Food Farms: These provide sustenance, replenishing health and stamina, and preventing starvation. They are often the most crucial for survival.
Material Farms: These generate building materials, crafting components, and other essential resources needed for constructing structures, tools, and equipment.
Experience Farms: In games with character progression, these farms provide a steady stream of experience points, allowing you to level up your character and unlock new abilities.
Currency Farms: These generate in-game currency, allowing you to purchase items, services, or upgrades from vendors.

The specific needs and goals in the early game typically revolve around survival, basic building, and establishing a foundation for future progress. This often translates to the following priorities:

Securing a Reliable Food Source: Hunger is a constant threat in many survival games, and a reliable food source is essential to maintain your health and stamina.
Building Shelter and Infrastructure: A safe place to rest, store your belongings, and craft essential items is crucial for long-term survival and progress.
Acquiring Basic Tools and Equipment: Tools and equipment allow you to gather resources more efficiently, craft more advanced items, and defend yourself against threats.

Each type of farm directly contributes to achieving these early game goals. Food farms eliminate the need for constant foraging or hunting, material farms provide the resources needed to build shelter and craft tools, and experience farms accelerate character progression, unlocking new abilities and crafting recipes. By strategically building the right farms early on, you can effectively address your most pressing needs and set yourself up for success.

Top Recommended Farms to Build First (Detailed Breakdown)

Now, let’s get into the heart of the matter: which farms should you prioritize building first? Keep in mind that the optimal choices may vary slightly depending on the specific game you’re playing, but the following recommendations provide a solid foundation for any beginner. When considering “what farms do you recommend I should build first” start here:

The Essential Food Farm: A Crop-Growing Foundation

The cornerstone of any early-game base is a reliable food farm. A simple crop farm, consisting of cultivated land and a readily available seed source, is an absolute necessity.

Why it’s essential: A constant food supply is crucial for survival, healing injuries, and maintaining stamina.
Ease of construction: Crop farms are typically very easy to build, requiring minimal resources and technological investment. You will be thinking what farms do you recommend I should build first, and this is the easiest.
Resource Requirements: Seeds, a water source (often a nearby river or lake), and basic tools for tilling the soil are all you need to get started.
Efficiency Tips: Locate your farm near a water source to simplify irrigation. Optimize your planting layout to maximize space utilization. Use fertilizer (if available) to accelerate crop growth.
Upgrades/Alternatives: As you progress, consider upgrading to more efficient food sources like animal farms (if the game allows) or automating aspects of your crop farm with sprinklers or harvesting systems.

The Indispensable Wood Farm: Fueling Your Progress

Wood is an essential resource in most games, used for building structures, crafting tools, and providing fuel for cooking and heating. Establishing a wood farm early on will ensure a constant supply, freeing you from the tedious task of chopping down individual trees.

Why it’s essential: Wood is a fundamental building material and a vital fuel source.
Ease of Construction: Tree farms are relatively easy to establish, requiring only tree saplings and a clear area to plant them.
Resource Requirements: Tree saplings (obtained by harvesting trees), space to plant the saplings, and perhaps a basic axe for initial clearing.
Efficiency Tips: Plant trees close together to maximize wood production per unit area. Regularly clear out mature trees to allow new saplings to grow. Consider using tree-specific fertilizers (if available) to accelerate growth.
Upgrades/Alternatives: As you progress, you might unlock more efficient methods of wood production, such as lumber mills or automated tree harvesters.

The Foundational Stone Farm: Building Your World

Stone, like wood, is a crucial building material, offering increased durability and resistance compared to wooden structures. A simple cobblestone generator is an excellent way to passively generate stone, eliminating the need for constant mining. This is what farms do you recommend I should build first to create my castle? A stone farm of course.

Why it’s essential: Stone is a strong and durable building material, ideal for creating fortified structures and crafting durable tools.
Ease of Construction: Cobblestone generators are typically relatively easy to build, requiring only a few basic materials and a simple design.
Resource Requirements: Usually involves lava and water, alongside blocks to create a generator framework.
Efficiency Tips: Automate the collection of cobblestone using pistons or other mechanical devices (if available). Locate your cobblestone generator near your base or crafting area for easy access to the materials.

(Optional, Game-Specific) The Convenient Fiber Farm: For Armor and More

Depending on the game, fiber might be a crucial resource for crafting early-game armor, bandages, or other essential items. If this is the case, establishing a fiber farm can be highly beneficial.

Why it’s essential: Fiber is a necessary component for crafting protective gear and other useful items.
Ease of Construction: Fiber farms are typically relatively simple, requiring only seeds and a cultivated plot of land.
Resource Requirements: Fiber seeds (cotton, hemp, flax, etc.), a water source, and basic tools for tilling the soil.
Efficiency Tips: Locate your fiber farm near a water source. Use fertilizer (if available) to accelerate fiber growth.

(If Combat-Focused) The Strategic Mob XP Farm: Level Up Quickly

If the game features a strong emphasis on combat and character progression, building a basic mob XP farm can be a game-changer. These farms allow you to passively generate experience points by exploiting mob spawning mechanics.

Why it’s essential: Gaining experience points is crucial for leveling up your character and unlocking new abilities.
Ease of Construction: Basic mob XP farms can be constructed with simple materials and a clever design.
Resource Requirements: Basic building blocks, a dark enclosure to encourage mob spawning, and a system for safely dispatching the mobs (typically a fall damage trap).
Efficiency Tips: Build your farm in an area with high mob spawn rates. Utilize a fall damage trap to quickly and efficiently kill the mobs. Consider adding looting enchantments (if available) to increase the drop rate of valuable items.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Farms

The specific farms you choose to build first will ultimately depend on a variety of factors, including:

Specific Game Mechanics: The game’s unique mechanics, such as crop growth speed, mob spawn rates, and crafting recipes, will heavily influence the efficiency of different farm types.
Resource Availability: Start with farms that utilize readily available resources. Don’t try to build a complex automated farm if you haven’t even gathered the basic materials yet.
Personal Playstyle: Consider your preferred playstyle. If you enjoy building and crafting, prioritize material farms. If you prefer combat, focus on experience farms.
Game Version/Mods: Be aware of any relevant changes or additions introduced by game updates or installed mods. These changes can significantly impact the efficiency or viability of different farm designs.

Progression and Upgrading Farms

As you progress through the game, you’ll eventually outgrow your initial farms. It’s important to continuously upgrade and optimize your resource production to keep pace with your growing needs. This might involve:

Replacing Early Farms with More Efficient Designs: As you unlock new technologies or discover more efficient farm designs, consider replacing your initial farms with more advanced versions.
Automating Processes: Automating aspects of your farms, such as irrigation, harvesting, or mob disposal, can significantly increase their output while reducing your workload.
Expanding Production: As your needs grow, expand your existing farms or build additional farms to increase your overall resource production.

After establishing your initial farms, prioritize building more specialized and efficient resource generators. This might include advanced food sources like animal farms or automated crop farms, more efficient material farms like quarry systems, or sophisticated mob XP farms designed to maximize experience gain.

Conclusion

Building efficient farms early on is a critical step towards success in any game that involves resource management and progression. By prioritizing food, wood, and stone farms, you can address your most pressing early-game needs and establish a solid foundation for future growth. Keep in mind that the specific farms you choose to build will depend on the game you’re playing and your personal playstyle, so experiment and adapt your farm choices to suit your unique needs and preferences. Remember the question of “what farms do you recommend I should build first?” and use this guide to point you in the right direction. Good luck, and happy farming!