General Frequently Asked Questions[]
Q: Where can I buy Terraria?
A: It is available for purchase on Steam. You may alternatively purchase a hard copy of the game, known as the Collector's Edition. You can also purchase it on the following game consoles - Xbox 360 through the Xbox LIVE service or on the Playstation 3 through the Playstation Network service. You can also buy the game for iOS devices.
Q: How much is Terraria?
A: Terraria costs $9.99 in the US, £5.99 in the UK and €9.99 in Europe, though Valve sometimes puts it on sale or in a bundle. In the US on Xbox Live and Playstation Network it's $15.
Q: Is this game a copy of Minecraft?
A: This game is not a copy of Minecraft, however it is the same genre as Minecraft. The first thing is that Minecraft is a three dimensional game in which you build and explore while Terraria is a two dimensional game in which you fight, build and explore. Both games are technically "Sandbox" games, but Terraria is much more RPG-oriented, whereas Minecraft is more building-oriented.
Q: Can I join a server if I pirated the game?
A: Although it is not a good idea to pirate the game, the answer is yes. You just join a server the same way you would if you bought the game.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Game[]
Q: Do demon altars respawn and/or make multiple pockets of ores?
No, they don't respawn. See the Demon Altar page for more info on ores spawned by a demon altar.
Q: Are there boss monsters in Terraria?
A: Yes. See Boss Monsters for more information.
Q: How do I keep Monsters from spawning in my buildings?
A: Placing any type of wall will stop monsters from spawning. Additionally, having several NPC homes in close proximity will cause Monsters to avoid that area (with the exception of Blood Moons and Goblin Armies and several other events.)
Q: Where do I find ____ ore?
A: Underground, with the exception of Meteorite and Demonite Ores. A Meteor has to fall for Meteorite Ore to appear, and you can only find very small traces of Demonite Ore hidden in the underground or large amounts by killing bosses. Hellstone can only be found in the deepest reaches of The Underworld. Cobalt Ore, Mythril Ore and Adamantite Ore or their alternatives Palladium Ore, Orichalcum Ore and Titanium Ore can only be found by entering hardmode and breaking Demon Altars/Crimson Altars.
(note that not all ores will appear in 1 world; for example tin ore can replace copper ore, lead ore can replace iron ore e.t.c)
Q: How do I remove background walls?
A: A hammer, or later on a Hamaxe is used for this purpose.
Q: I cannot find any ores! Do you have any tips?
A: Ores can be easily found in naturally generated caves, and usually are accompanied by Stone. If you are exploring, remember to light up dark places obstructed by dirt, etc. that you cannot see, with torches. You can also use a Spelunker Potion to light up ores and other treasures.
Q: I noticed some vines in a cave, what are they good for?
A: The main purpose of the vines is to obstruct your sight down caves. You can cut them down by hitting them with any weapons/tools, but they won't drop anything and will grow back in a day or two. The only way to permanently remove vines are by removing the "grass ceilings" and make sure no grass spreads there by blocking its path. Also if you have a Guide to Plant Fiber Cordage you can harvest them to get Vine Ropes.
Q: I also found some mushrooms. What can I do with those?
A: You can eat them directly and restore 15 points of health. However, you can turn a single mushroom into 2 Lesser Healing Potions fairly easily, which will restore 50 health points each.
Q: I saw some purple grass, and as I got closer the sky turned purple. What's that?
A: This is The Corruption. The Corruption is like a disease, and will infect regular grass upon contact. It's filled with dangerous monsters, but is also filled with loads of rare stuff. It's a high risk, high reward kind of thing. You should wait to explore The Corruption until you have good armor and weapons. You can purify corrupted areas by scattering Purification Powder (purchasable from the Dryad, who is found after killing a boss) and you can prevent The Corruption from spreading by planting Sunflowers or placing Stone in the ground, which act like barriers.
Q: I saw some red grass, and as I got closer the sky turned red. What's that?
A: This is The Crimson. The Crimson acts essentially the same as The Corruption, spreading through regular grass upon contact. They are filled with different breeds of dangerous monsters and different sets of rare stuff. You should wait to explore The Crimson until you have good armor and weapons. It's a high risk, high reward kind of thing. You can purify crimsoned area by scattering Purification Powder (purchasable from the Dryad, who is found after killing a boss) and you can prevent The Crimson from spreading by planting Sunflowers or placing Stone in the ground, which act like barriers.
Q: Using Purification Powder would take a too long to remove the Corruption/Crimson. Are there any better methods of removing them?
If you haven't defeated the Wall of Flesh in your world, there isn't, but if you did, the best method for removing the corruption so far is having a Clentaminator with Green Solution which you can purchase from the Steampunker who will move in after you have defeated at least one Mechanical Bosses in that world.
Q: How do I get other NPC's to appear in my house/town?
A:
Minimum House Requirements
An NPC will not appear unless there is a home available for them, so make sure you have extra home/rooms just in case. Keep in mind that the Guide will take over your first home if it meets the required criteria.
Q: I found a strange glowing altar, what is it?
A: This is a Demon Altar,(Crimson Altar for worlds where The Crimson replaces The Corruption) hitting it with a Hammer will deduct half of your health. You can't destroy the Demon Altar by hitting the blocks under it, either. You must have Hard Mode activated in order to break the altars. At the Demon Altar you can craft items that summon bosses on use. It's useful to record the location if it's reasonably close, but they can easily be found in chasms in The Corruption. They can also be used to craft the Night's Edge, a powerful sword. Demon Altars can, however, be destroyed by a Pwnhammer, an item obtained by killing the Wall of Flesh in the Underworld. Destroying a Demon/Crimson Altar will "bless" your world by placing either Cobalt Ore or Palladium Ore, Mythril Ore or Orichalcum Ore, and Adamantite Ore or Titanium Ore in that order as you break the altars, in random locations in your world.
Q: Can I have a private stash to keep my items in?
A: Yes, Piggy Banks and Safes play the role of private stashes. Your character file will hold data, so you can safely switch between Worlds and Servers, and any items you've stored inside will still be there if you access one from other worlds/servers. Chests may also be used to store items locally. A full list of storage items can be found here.
Q: I was told there was magic in this game! Where is it?
A: When you start the game you will have 20 mana (Star in the top-right corner) More Mana can be obtained by gathering 3 Fallen Stars during the night, and then crafting them into a Mana Crystal. You will need some Spells before you can make use of your Mana. An example is the Water Bolt, a spell found on shelves in the dungeon.
Q: Every time I want to enter a dungeon, some floating skull appears and destroys me, no matter how strong I get! Is this intended?
A: Yes, it is intended. That floating skull is known as the Dungeon Guardian and if you haven't lifted the curse of the Old Man near the dungeon by talking to him at night, and defeating the Skeletron, the Dungeon Guardian will keep appearing when attempting to enter the dungeon, no matter what.
Q: After killing the Wall of Flesh I found that my world had changed: New mobs started to appear, the plants looked odd, I found new items. There is even a rainbow background in a new biome! What does that mean?
A: This is a new biome called the Hallow. Seeing the Hallow means that Hard Mode, the second half of the game, has been activated. In Hard Mode Terraria becomes much more harder with new mobs, bosses and items. Hard Mode goes on after killing the Wall of Flesh; you will see the following text right after slaying it: "The ancient spirits of light and dark have been released!"