Tutorials/Island survival

If you spawn on an island, you will have very limited resources. Because it is a new world, you can simply go back, delete the world, and create a new one, but perhaps you want to challenge yourself and survive in a unique world.

Know your environment
Islands generate in very remote areas. Usually, you will not see any other land, and the island you are on has only one tree. There are no animals, but there are monsters.

Surviving your first night
Before you do anything, go to the tree and collect all the wood. Because resources are low, only craft things a certain number of times.

Once you have done this, collect any saplings and place them throughout the island. Fortunately, most trees will drop 2, 3, or 4 saplings, and will almost always drop 1.

Building a shelter
Go to the far end of the island and place your crafting table. Craft a door and a wooden sword.

Now for the building itself. Again, resources are low, so make a small structure out of dirt.

Build the walls two blocks high in the arrangement shown on the right. Make sure that the opening is facing the rest of the island. Once you have done this, place your door.

Enter your shelter at sunset.

Food
Even without animals, there are ways to get food:
 * Fishing
 * You will need to dig to get cobblestone for a furnace to cook the fish
 * Growing wheat and crafting it into bread
 * Apples
 * Only available if the tree was oak
 * Carrots and potatoes
 * Not usually available on second day

Despite these alternate food options, you will still be low on food during the first few days. Therefore, try not to move around too much, and avoid sprinting and jumping altogether if at all possible.

Housing
Islands have limited space. You could build on the island, but this doesn't leave much room. A better approach is to build a house on the water and connect it to the island with a bridge.

Sleeping
Although there are usually no sheep on the island, you can still get string from spiders and craft wool. Once you have three wool, you can make a bed.

Mining
To make a compact mine, make ladders and dig down. To look for a cave, listen for bats.

Once you find a cave, start mining.

Exploring
Start by making sure you have the materials shown above. Now you can place the boat and start traveling away from the island. Once the island is out of sight, starts searching for other land.

Beaches
If you find a beach, start looking for sugar cane. Then return to the island and craft the sugar cane into paper, then a map. Then travel in the same direction with your map, this time bringing a lead. Use the lead to bring pigs to the island.

While you are filling your map, be sure to stop by any islands you see, as they may have strongholds.

Islands
If you see another island, head for it immediately, light it up, and dig down. Chances are that there is a stronghold underneath.

If there isn't a stronghold, pillar jump back up, retrieving the ladders as you go. Then travel the same distance from your home island as you were when you discovered the other island. In other words, your compass should face sideways.

The End
A game of Minecraft is never complete without a trip to the end. If you have found a stronghold, use it. Otherwise, bring potions of water breathing, throw an eye of ender, and travel in the direction that it went. After you have traveled a while, throw another, particularly if you see another island.

If the stronghold appears to be under a mushroom island, you will still need to use eyes of ender, as mushroom islands are bigger than regular islands.

If the stronghold turns out to be underwater, drink a potion of water breathing and dig down. Use an efficiency-enchanted pickaxe, and/or Aqua Affinity enchantment as mining underwater is slow.

Once you find a stronghold, it is a normal trip to the end.