How to be good at Minecraft

We all have that friend. And don’t try to pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. It’s the well-meaning friend that is super enthusiastic about playing Minecraft with you, but sadly (or annoyingly) manages to get themselves in trouble every 6000 ticks. Maybe it’s a grandparent. Your younger cousin. In my friends’ case, it’s me. Don’t have a noob in your life? Bad news, my friend – you’re probably the noob.  

Getting through to that kind of player isn’t easy. You’ve tried giving tips, but they ignore them and get engulfed in lava after mining recklessly. You’ve tried sending links to online guides, but they leave you on read and then don’t know why Endermen are suddenly attacking them. What is there to do? 

Simple. Guilt them into learning with a thoughtful gift (or two): the Official Minecraft Combat Handbook and the Official Minecraft Creative Handbook, both recently revised. Whether your “problem” player is getting in the way of defeating the Ender Dragon or building your magnum opus, these books contain the knowledge they need to become an advanced player – or at least start keeping up with the group. 

The Combat Handbook, as its name suggests, will teach them everything they need to know about fighting, from how to make weapons and armor to what it takes to defeat any mob. This includes the phantom, which unfortunately means I won’t have an excuse the next time Sofia asks for my help defeating one. Check out an excerpt below: 

The Creative Handbook is all about bringing original ideas to life – because translating the image you have in your head isn’t as simple as it seems, and all my attempts at building are proof of that. In fact, you could probably learn a thing or two from this book, considering it even has tips from professional Minecraft Marketplace content creators, including step-by-step builds! Whether you’re building towering structures or detailing interiors, everything will turn out nicer and go much smoother. That means no more arguing over the most efficient way to farm! Here’s a sneak peek at what you can expect:

As you can see, these aren’t ordinary books. They’re the "save your friendship” kind of books. Drama aside, they are beautifully illustrated, so they’re captivating even to someone with the attention span of a gamer. Not to mention they also make nice collector’s items, if that’s your thing. 

So next time your friend accidentally blows up your base or breaks the block under you and sends you hurtling into lava, remember that there is a solution. And if the books don’t work, I’ve heard breathing exercises do wonders for patience!