Updated at: 11-02-2023 - By: Leo Hall
The Minecraft Dungeons game mode is entertaining and engaging. To help you begin your quest to rid the world of monsters in Minecraft Dungeon, here is the definitive beginner’s guide.

Excellent for newcomers to the genre, Minecraft Dungeons keeps the blocky look of Mojang’s survival sandbox while introducing them to the fun of dungeon crawling.

It takes some time to get started in a new genre if you are not familiar with the conventions.

As such, this guide will cover the fundamentals of the game, from basic combat strategies to leveling up and upgrading your equipment.

With any luck, you’ll be hacking and slashing your way to victory in no time in Minecraft Dungeons, as it’s about as user-friendly as dungeon crawlers get.

How To Equip Weapons

Minecraft Dungeons, like many other dungeon crawlers and “looter shooter” games, puts a premium on leveling up your equipment. You’ll have to make do with mediocre equipment until more powerful, rare items start dropping. In order to use a weapon, you must first select it from your inventory.

Minecraft Dungeons Guide: How To Get Started [2023 Guide]

Regardless of your personal preference, you should always use whatever weapon or armor set has the highest power level. This will help you become proficient in a variety of playstyles and maximize your damage output at all times. If you want some emeralds, you should also dismantle any low-level or extra equipment as soon as possible.

How To Win Fights

In Minecraft Dungeons, there is no traditional class system, so you’ll need to make use of all your weapons and skills to prevail in battle. Therefore, we advise employing a mix of artifacts and ranged and melee weapons. You can equip up to three artifacts, so experiment until you find a combination that works for you in terms of damage dealt, health restored, and number of allies spawned.

There is also no denying the power of arrows. In addition to dealing damage, they can temporarily stun enemies and knock them back, lowering the likelihood that you will be overwhelmed and giving you an opportunity to escape. Skeleton Archers and Geomancers are two examples of frustrating ranged mobs that can be easily dispatched with an arrow. If you’re going in for a close combat finisher, try firing a couple of shots at the enemies in the vicinity first.

You’ll encounter a new breed of enemy called Enchanters later on in the game; they use magic to enhance the abilities of other hostile creatures. In order to avoid a drawn-out fight that could ultimately end in your death, it is best to eliminate them as soon as possible after they are spotted.

Finally, if you find that your current strategy isn’t working for a specific mob type or boss, you may need to switch gears. If you’re playing with friends and your healing potion is still on cooldown, it’s okay to retreat to safety if you need to. Sometimes it’s best to get in a few good punches before ducking for cover.

How To Use Your Map

It’s easy to get caught up in the thrill of fighting mobs and rescuing villagers, but exploration is a vital part of Minecraft Dungeons. There are treasure chests, secret passageways, and runes tucked away in each level, waiting to be uncovered. You’ll probably have to play through levels more than once to find everything, but keeping an eye on your map will make things much simpler.

In-game, you can switch between an overlay map and a full-screen map. The level’s layout is laid out for you on the overlay map, so you can see exactly where you’re going at all times. Press the down directional pad to raise it.

You can bring up a large map by pressing and holding the D-pad until it appears on the screen. Unlike the overlay, this version will show you exactly where all of the regular and secret chests are in the level. Keep in mind that you need to be fairly close to invisible chests before they will appear.

In most cases, you should spend some time going off the beaten path, as this is usually rewarded by the game. Unfortunately, you can’t always rely on your waypoint marker because it’s been programmed to take you on the shortest route, which may mean passing by important landmarks or landmarks that are hidden from plain sight.

How To Use Emeralds

In addition to the random drops of loot, Minecraft Dungeons frequently showers you with emeralds. Emeralds can be obtained through the killing of specific mobs, the destruction of vases, and the sale or trade of salvaged equipment. There are two stores near your campsite where you can spend your emeralds.

After completing Creeper Woods for the first time, the Blacksmith will show up at your campsite. They will sell you a random set of weapons and armor appropriate to your level in exchange for emeralds.

As soon as you finish the Pumpkin Pastures level for the first time, the Wandering Trader will set up shop there. They will sell you a random artifact that is proportional to your current power level in exchange for emeralds.

Because these are the only two places to spend emeralds at the moment, you should never wait until you have a surplus of cash to take a chance on some new equipment. Despite the fact that your gear will be scaled to your character’s power level, keep in mind that the higher your power level, the more expensive the vendor’s items will be. If you’re having trouble meeting consumer demand, check out our emerald farming guide.

How To Use Enchantment Points

We haven’t talked about Enchantment Points and how they affect your leveling up to this point. Using Enchantment Points, each piece of equipment can be upgraded to gain a new skill or buff that can be used in a variety of different playstyles. In the beginning of the game, you won’t have a lot of Enchantment Points because you only get one every time you level up.

When you salvage a piece of equipment, such as a weapon or armor set, you immediately recoup any points you spent on it. You can use Enchantment Points to purchase enchantments for your gear in the game’s inventory screen. The number of enchantments you can purchase is contingent on the rarity of your equipment. Select the item and check the right side of the screen to view its enchantments.

How To Replay Levels

As you make your way deeper into the story of Minecraft Dungeons, the game’s difficulty will gradually increase with each new level. It is crucial that you play at the appropriate difficulty because the rarity and power level of any loot you find is directly related to the area’s overall level.

If you play on a low difficulty setting, you can breeze through an area quickly, but you won’t level up your equipment. If you try to accomplish too much at once, you might not make it to the next level. Since it is expected that players will replay each level multiple times regardless, we advise completing the story on easier settings the first time around.

The best time to increase the difficulty and start grinding for rarer equipment is after you’ve mastered the flow of combat and defeated the Arch Illager for the first time. Since the level layouts and rewards in Minecraft Dungeons are determined by a combination of preset and procedural generation, it isn’t as much of a slog as other dungeon crawlers.

While some levels may have a similar structure, many of the enemies, items, and chests you find will be unique. If you want to increase your chances of finding powerful equipment, you should prioritize levels with more difficult enemies. Finally, in the level select menu, you can view a summary of the benefits of completing that particular level.

How To Fight Mobs

Mobs, the large groups of enemies that attack you at once in Minecraft Dungeons, are one of the first things you’ll notice about the game. Instead of squirming in fear and scurrying away, you should instead charge in and take them on head-on. This is because being aggressive on your own terms enables you to carve your way through enemies in a more methodical manner, while being backed into a corner makes it easy to become overwhelmed without any means of escape.

Take on large groups of enemies at once, and keep your momentum going strong as you do so. Don’t be afraid to switch things up, either; in addition to your primary weapon, you also have a bow, artifacts, and enchantable armor to boost your durability, and we’ll go over how to use each of these effectively.

Use Your Bow And Arrow (Almost) All The Time

The need to be sparing with your quiver is something any gamer who has used a bow and arrow before will recognize. Fortunately, even though arrows in Minecraft Dungeons aren’t truly infinite, they can be farmed.

You never have to worry about running out of arrows because you can easily and quickly refill your quiver by replaying old levels at easier difficulties. Skeletal enemies, in particular, are known to drop arrows, and brown chests labeled “Supplies” can also be opened to obtain this weapon.

When exploring Minecraft’s dungeons, arrows prove to be an incredibly versatile weapon. On the one hand, they can be used to dispatch of bulky foes before they get within melee range, especially if your bow is enchanted to shoot ginormous arrows or to provide extra ricochet shots. However, when you get close enough to swing your sword, you can quickly snipe annoying mages before they can escape. Keep your mouth shut about your superiors; arrows are your friend in this situation, too.

In a nutshell, arrows are plentiful, potent, and immensely useful; make good use of them!

Chests Are Important

Treasure chests are extremely rare in Minecraft dungeons, but finding one is well worth the effort.

The weapons, armor, and artifacts you can find in Minecraft Dungeons vary from one location to the next. After defeating a miniboss, such as an Evoker or a Redstone Golem, you may obtain a unique drop. However, ignoring quest markers and exploring the unimportant areas of Minecraft Dungeons’ dungeons is the best way to acquire rare items, at least most of the time.

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In addition, there are numerous types of chests to choose from. A supply chest can be found frequently and serves as a sort of waypoint marker that provides you with food to restore your health and an extra quiver full of arrows. On rare occasions, however, you’ll come across a special chest that could hold items like weapons, armor, and artifacts that are unavailable anywhere else in the game.

It’s helpful to practice in a dungeon you’ve already beaten if you’re having trouble with one of a higher level. And while doing so, you should make an effort to investigate every corner of the lower-level dungeon; doing so is much simpler than it was before, after all, so you can likely cover more ground in less time than during your initial, linear run through the area. You can quickly acquire the most powerful weapons, armor, and arrows by engaging in chest-hunting. Therefore, don’t be afraid to go back over old ground; just be sure to pay close attention while doing so.

How To Jump Over Passages

When you see a deep and seemingly impassable chasm between you and a fancy chest in Minecraft Dungeons, you may find yourself scratching your head and wondering why there is no dedicated jump button.

When a drop is only a few squares wide, you can roll in the direction of the chasm to reach previously inaccessible areas, which are often filled with extremely rare equipment. Remember that many of these jumps are set up so that you get ambushed after opening said chest; the equipment is always worth it, but you’ll want to make sure your preparations are airtight before committing.

If the chasm appears too great, however, you shouldn’t bother trying. If you get knocked off the map, you won’t die, but you’ll respawn with less health and right in the middle of a mob, which is almost as bad as dying. Little jumps, while doable, should not be underestimated either; if you don’t time them correctly, you’ll be back to life disappointed that you took a chance in the first place, with no loot and no hope of survival.

How To Best Approach Boss Fights In Minecraft Dungeons

When facing off against a boss in Minecraft Dungeons, there is one thing you must keep in mind above all else. If you die and it wasn’t your last chance, you can continue from where you left off the next time around. As an example, if the boss had a very small amount of health remaining when you died, you would only need to land a single hit when you returned to the arena (you respawn outside of it). To put it simply, it’s very handy!

If you have more than one chance at survival, it’s probably worth it to try out some highly risky tactics. Killing yourself with TNT can be a daring but brilliant move in certain situations, dealing massive damage to the boss while allowing you to return to the fight in top form.

You only get four, so make sure to always be vigilant. Avoiding harm while sneaking in a hit or two when it’s safe is the best strategy when you’re down to your last few health points, Dark Souls style. Explosions using TNT are not advised under these circumstances.

How To Prioritize Your Targets

The enemies you’ll face in the Minecraft Dungeons can take many forms. Some can be killed with a single arrow, while others seem immune to a barrage. The weaker varieties should be eliminated first.

While every enemy in Minecraft Dungeons has the potential to harm you, not every enemy has the same defenses. Concentrating on a single, well-armored foe will leave you vulnerable to attack from a swarm of less formidable foes. To the contrary, if you can take them out with a single blow, you’ll be able to face the heavier boys head-on, greatly improving your chances of success. The slow, tanky types won’t stand a chance against your swords, bows, and artifacts.

Get rid of the weaker foes first, and then the remaining large, armored bad guy will be easy pickings for your arrows. Fight smart, and you will never lose.

If you happen to run into a mage, however, you should disregard all of these rules. They should always be eliminated first because of the immense power boost they provide to the enemy. Honestly, if you spot a mage, you should ignore everything else and make a beeline for them, even if it means fighting your way through the thick of a mob. Just one well-placed arrow will be enough to kill them, but if you don’t fire that arrow, you’ll be in for a very difficult fight.

In Minecraft Dungeons, there are two ways to make progress: increase your character’s level or increase your power rating.

In reality, though, neither is particularly significant. While enchantment points gained through leveling are crucial, power otherwise just indicates a numerical recommendation for dungeon entry that is largely arbitrary. I was able to complete some level 22 dungeons at power level 16, but I was quickly defeated when I attempted a level 16 dungeon shortly thereafter.

For this reason, one should not place undue emphasis on power ratings. Even if you are only level 12, it may be worthwhile to give a dungeon with a recommended power level of 20 a try. There is a power rating for each piece of equipment, but higher ratings don’t always mean better items. For example, a build with an overall power level of 30 could be significantly worse than one with a power level of 15.

The reason for this is that different items have different enchanting potential; for example, a level 12 axe may have two enchantment slots while a level 18 axe may only have one. Further, since every enchantment is one-of-a-kind, the 18 axe might not have many options, while the technically inferior one might let you combine lightning attacks with soul absorption. To absorb one’s soul into one’s body. Well…

How To Use A Soul Build In Minecraft Dungeons

This final piece of advice is optional, but if you’re serious about dealing damage in Minecraft Dungeons, you should consider adopting a magical build based on a concept known as “soul gathering.” ”

In addition to regular armor, the rare Soul Robes you can find in Minecraft Dungeons will allow you to collect the souls of the enemies you kill. This may sound confusing, and at first it is, but here’s the deal: Artifacts in Minecraft Dungeons function similarly to spells and can be used in place of weapons. There are those that let you call forth an animal companion like a wolf or llama, while others let you set fire to your quiver or plant a healing totem in the midst of combat.

What exactly is it that we are talking about when we talk about soul damage? The above artifacts are useful for any build, and the souls you collect can be stored in any suitable artifact. These relics either inflict harm or restore health. You can essentially have an infinite loop of devastating soul damage and last-ditch soul healing with the help of Soul robes, which serve a function similar to that of mage robes in more traditional role-playing games.

So, if you’ve mastered Minecraft Dungeons and are looking for a new challenge, prepare your finest magical soul artifacts, dress in a soul outfit, and equip a soul dagger and soul bow (which, as you might expect, harvest souls more quickly). You’ll feel like a superhero all of a sudden, but it’s important to remember the advice you’ve already received.

Don’t get too attached to your gear

If you’ve played an ARPG before, you know what I mean. Never become emotionally attached to your tools. Since you’ll always be discovering new items, often of a higher level, it’s crucial that you’re constantly upgrading your loadout to ensure that you’re always properly armed.

There are two other reasons why you shouldn’t get too attached to your loadout besides the fact that you’re always finding new gear. To start, there is no sense of morality in Minecraft Dungeons. At the outset, you are not given the option to play as a rogue or an archer. Though you can eventually find the pieces of equipment that work best for your playstyle, doing so in the early game is often a luxury you can’t afford. Replace your daggers with hammers for an interesting change of pace. Try some sickles if you’re used to a glaive. When you first get started, you should always be shifting around your loadout.

The second is that you should always be in the highest gear possible. Since you can use the best equipment in your inventory regardless of your level, this is a good strategy. Check out our Minecraft Dungeons weapons and armor guide if you’re on the hunt for the best equipment in the game.

Always kill the cow

The mobs you fight in most levels are domesticated animals like cows and sheep. These creatures won’t actively pursue you, but if you accidentally strike one of them with your sword, you’ll see that they have one. You won’t find any crates to break open in Minecraft Dungeons like you will in other action role playing games. Instead, you have domesticated animals like cows and sheep, which, when slaughtered, can provide a health boost. Even though we feel bad about having to kill them, that’s just how the Minecraft Dungeons food chain works.

Replay levels to earn better gear

There are 18 distinct levels of challenge in Minecraft Dungeons. There are three overarching difficulties, labeled “Default,” “Adventure,” and “Apocalypse,” each with their own threat slider ranging from 1 to 6. You can improve your equipment and even unlock rare items by replaying levels at a higher difficulty. We suggest increasing the Default mode’s difficulty for at least a few levels on your first playthrough. You won’t get any brand new gear, but the quality of what you do get will improve.

Adventure and Apocalypse modes are essentially New Game difficulties. When you beat the Arch-Illager in Default, you gain access to Adventure, and when you beat the Arch-Illager in Adventure, you gain access to Apocalypse. The game neatly sums up each mode like this:

Default

  • For a first experience, the difficulty of enemies is appropriate.
  • There are hardly any enchanted foes.
  • In general, compensation is just average.

Adventure

  • It’s not easy to defeat the enemies and they hit hard.
  • Conjuring up new spells to use against the enemy
  • Benefits are higher
  • You can now purchase brand new equipment and artifacts

Apocalypse

  • There are some extremely powerful and punishing enemies.
  • Numerous foes wielding potent spells
  • The Payoff Is Fantastic
  • More tools and artifacts are now accessible.

Don’t sell, salvage

It’s no secret that the gear you find in Minecraft Dungeons is plentiful. While most of it will be weaker than or on par with your current gear, you should still keep it. Not even unwanted equipment can be sold, but it can be salvaged. You’ll get back all the enchantment points you put into the item plus some emeralds if you do this.

At any time you remember, you can and should be salvaging. The bare minimum is to check your inventory between levels and sell off any unused items.

Don’t be afraid to run

A lot of the mechanics in traditional ARPGs are overly complex, but Minecraft Dungeons streamlines them all. But that doesn’t make it a cakewalk. It’s easy to get buried under waves of enemies, especially if you’re going it alone and not paying attention to the level’s power rating (we’ll get to that in a second). More so, you can’t just spam dash to get around.

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You can temporarily avoid harm with a dash, but this ability wears off quickly. It should be used only when all other options have been exhausted. If you rush the battlefield and get overwhelmed, you wasted your time. You should instead make a break for it quickly if your health is low. All damage done to enemies (including bosses) will remain even if they die. In addition, your health potion does not have an expiration date, so you can use it as often as you like. The best thing to do if you’re surrounded and near death is to hide and wait it out.

In the event of your demise, it is acceptable. There is a three-lives limit before the game sends you back to camp, and your enemies will not respawn if you perish. Just roll with the punches and try to take it easy the second time around.

Explore your camp between levels

You’ll have some downtime in between levels to look around camp. You can try out new equipment on the straw dummies and shop for supplies from the Blacksmith and the Roaming Merchant. An emerald chest spawns in your base after each level is completed. Since the chest’s location shifts at the end of each level, it’s a good idea to consult our guide to the emerald chests in Minecraft Dungeons.

Although fifty emeralds per chest may not seem like much, it quickly adds up as you and your party members open more and more chests. If you want to find the best equipment in the game, you’re going to need a lot of emeralds, and the best way to get a steady supply is to pick up a guaranteed 50 after each level.

Listen for bells

Close proximity to a chest will cause a faint chime of bells to sound. To be clear, when we say “faint,” we mean it literally. You can’t hear it at all when you’re in the middle of a crowd, and even when you’re just wandering around, it blends in with the music. Nevertheless, it’s crucial that you learn to recognize this noise. It’s not worth the time to continue down a dead end in Minecraft Dungeons if there’s nothing of value at the end of it. But if you keep an ear out for bells, you’ll be prepared for whatever lies ahead.

The challenge lies in pinpointing the source of this noise. Once you’ve located your first few chests, take a moment to pause outside of them before opening them so you can listen for the sound. You’ll know that there’s treasure close by whenever you hear that noise again.

Respect the power level

There is a power rating for each level and difficulty. While it’s possible to complete a mission that’s a little too difficult for you, it’s best to stick as closely as possible to the recommended power level. Minecraft Dungeons follows the standard ARPGS vertical layout in which completing previously completed levels is crucial to progressing. That’s not the same as, say, The Witcher 3, which uses a horizontal layout. That game has you taking on increasingly difficult quests for progressively better pay off.

In a nutshell, the gameplay of Minecraft Dungeons is a bit different from that of traditional role-playing games. In Final Fantasy XV, you wouldn’t want to fight the game’s final boss right away, and in The Witcher 3, you wouldn’t want to attempt a level 40 quest when you’re only level 5. To the same extent, if you’re a beginner to Minecraft Dungeons, you shouldn’t attempt an extremely difficult mission. The game could be based on an easygoing game and have easygoing systems. That’s not to say exploring Minecraft’s dungeons is a breeze, though. Avoid arrogance by acknowledging who is in charge.

Pausing doesn’t stop the game

Whether you’re playing locally or remotely, pausing the game or opening the map won’t halt the action. If you’ve played Dark Souls, you’ll feel right at home here, but for everyone else, this is a radical departure. Find a safe spot to do things like equipping new gear or checking out the full map screen. If you don’t do this, you will surely perish.

This is crucial to remember because there is no visual cue that pausing the game does anything. If the game is paused, the screen will be completely taken up by the map and the pause menu. But don’t give in to the trap. The worst part of dying in Minecraft Dungeons is when you’re checking out your loot.

Roll to reach faraway places

If you go through the trouble of checking out every area of the game, you’ll find that many of them have chests that are just out of reach, with only a few blocks to help you find your way. Although jumping is impossible, rolling is a viable option in Minecraft Dungeons. By staking out a strategic location, you can narrow the distance between you and pits of darkness or waters filled with acid. Furthermore, environmental death does not count against your lives for the level, allowing you to try the level as many times as necessary.

Try out a Soul build

Now, it’s possible to construct a Soul. You can find artifacts in Minecraft Dungeons as you explore. Like spells, artifacts can be used to do things like spawn an area-of-effect healing beacon or launch fireworks at your foes. There is a cooldown on using artifacts because of how powerful they are. If you’re using a vanilla build, finding better versions of the artifacts you already have equipped is the only way to shorten the cooldown.

Not unless you’re wearing a Soul Robe, that is. Rare Soul Robes can be found on harder difficulties, and when worn, the player gains access to the souls of enemies killed. As a result, you’ll find soul versions of weapons, armor, and artifacts dropped by enemies. Increase your soul harvest with this gear, and enjoy shorter artifact cooldowns while wearing the Soul Robe. When the stars align, you can use every artifact power at once without worrying about the cooldown.