ARK: Survival Evolved Beginner’s Guide: Tips & Tricks for New Players in 2022

by Mike Alexander / ARK: Survival Evolved, Articles / 23 Feb 2022

ARK: Survival Evolved by Studio Wildcard has become the quintessential survival game for many people. Its huge, vibrant world is teeming with interesting creatures and other players who have fostered a sense of community since the game’s release in 2017. In those 5 years, the game has grown in both user base and content thanks to multiple massive expansions.

As ARK grows and becomes more complex, it can be increasingly daunting to jump into the game as a new player. However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try. Once you’re in and established, ARK is an amazingly fun game with a huge welcoming community. So, if you’re thinking about starting your ARK adventure now, I have some guidance for you in this ARK: Survival Evolved Beginner’s Guide: Tips & Tricks for New Players in 2022.

Craft Your First Tool

When you first start ARK: Survival Evolved, you will wake up naked and vulnerable on a beach. If you hope to survive, you’ll need to start crafting. You can begin by punching trees to get wood and thatch, collect berries and fiber from nearby bushes, and grab some stones from the ground. All of these things should be plentiful near you, but don’t punch too many trees as it will damage you. With those resources, you can craft a pickaxe, which can be used to collect better resources and gain a level. This is the first step on your journey to ARK greatness, and it’s a pretty good indicator of the basic gameplay.

Leveling and Engrams

As you do things in ARK, you will gain experience points that will increase your level after a certain threshold. At every new level, you will receive a point that you can spend on any of your basic stats. In the beginning, you should avoid spending points on Food, Water, and Melee damage as those stats will end up being the least important over time. I would recommend spending that point on either your Health or Stamina to get those stats going in the right direction. Also at every level, you will receive Engram Points that can be used to unlock Engrams, which are essentially recipes you will need to progress through the game. At your first level, you should unlock the Hatchet for sure and then choose either the campfire or spear.

Know Your Tools

It is important to know that the different tools in your arsenal are able to get different materials from the same sources. For instance, the pickaxe gets flint from boulders, thatch from trees, and meat from corpses, and the hatchet gets stone from boulders, wood from trees, and hide from corpses. Switching between tools depending on your needs is one of the cornerstones of ARK and something you will need to master if you’re going to get far in the game.

Dinosaur Taming

One of the main mechanics of ARK is taming creatures to keep them as pets. There are two ways to tame depending on the type of dinosaur you are courting: passive taming and knockout taming. Passive taming can be done on smaller, gentler dinos by putting food in the last box of your toolbar and approaching the dino to feed it. Continue doing this, and it will take a liking to you, and you’ll be able to name it.

Bigger dinosaurs can be tamed by knocking them out with a slingshot or club, and then putting food in their inventory for them to eat. You’ll have to keep track of the dino’s unconscious and food meter until the taming has been completed.

Continue Your Adventure

With these basic steps, you can begin your tour ARK adventure. Continue to gain levels, unlock Engrams, and craft new items while taming creatures, and you’ll be a powerful ARK player in no time. Remember to explore the island for its secrets, including Explorer Notes that reveal parts of the story of ARK as well as provide you with a temporary experience boost, as well as colored beacons that will drop different kinds of items based on the color you found. These beacons are a great way to get powerful items early on, so keep a lookout!

I hope this guide is helpful to you if you’re new to the world of ARK: Survival Evolved. There is always more to learn, but these tips alone will help you get to a point where you are able to arm yourself and defend against all kinds of threats, including other players. Good Luck!

TOP 6 BEST Dinosaur Games Coming in 2022 & 2023

Mike Alexander

Mike has been playing video games since he was able to hold a controller, having been fascinated by Sonic 2 on his mom’s Sega Genesis. That fascination and passion for the art form has grown exponentially nearly 30 years later, and he doesn’t see that fading away anytime soon.
View all posts