Terraria is like Minecraft, with two major differences:
1. It's 2-D, so it isn't as dangerous in the way of being surprised by monsters.
2. Crafting only requires the right ingredients and the right crafting station; you do not need to arrange the stuff.
So, you should start out by making a softcore character and making a small or medium world to start. This is the easiest settings you can get. First, there is one major difference: left-clicking is using the tool in your hand, not attacking. It is an attack if you have a weapon in your hand because that's using it. So, first you must find some trees, like in Minecraft. You have to use the axe you start with; nothing else will work but another axe on trees. Then you use the wood you get to make a workbench. Press escape to access your inventory and crafting. Make a workbench and place it. If a slime comes after you, you can kill it with your shortsword you got from the start. With your workbench, craft about 20 wooden walls and a wooden broadsword. Replace the shortsword with the broadsword. Also craft a table, chair, and door. Using your materials, make a small house. Place the wood walls behind the wood blocks. You get wood walls from the crafting station and fill in the air behind your house Place the table and chair and make a doorway. Use all the walls so you can to make sure it qualifies as a house. Then make torches using gel and wood. To get gel, kill slimes. The guide NPC should automatically take the house. Now you can survive the night!
