🌱 Beginner Guide - First Steps
New to Dumb Ways to Build? This beginner guide walks you through your first session: the controls, the physics building system, your first Normal Job and how to join a co-op lobby.
Quick Answer: What to Do First in Dumb Ways to Build
Accept your first Normal Job from The Hub, learn the Nail Gun controls, and build your first structure. Do not worry about cosmetics or certifications yet — just understand how planks, nails and physics work together. Your first Normal Job is the tutorial the game does not explicitly label as one.
Your First Session, Step by Step
- Boot the game and customize your Bean-sona (or keep the default Bean Builder).
- Enter The Hub and accept your first Normal Job.
- Learn the controls: move your Bean, place planks, fire nails.
- Build a path from the start to the objective. Double-nail every joint.
- Reach the objective to complete the job and earn your first certification.
The Physics Building System
Dumb Ways to Build uses a freeform physics system with no grid snapping. Planks have weight, nails create fixed joints, and unsupported spans sag or collapse. The game teaches by doing — your first collapse is not a failure, it is a lesson. Learn to read the physics: wide bridges are more stable than narrow ones, triangular supports are stronger than rectangular ones, and double-nailing critical joints prevents Crisis-mode breakage.
Joining Co-op
Once you understand the solo basics, co-op is where the real fun begins. Create a lobby from The Hub, share the room code with friends, and tackle jobs together. The Nail Gun + Sledgehammer split (one builder, one clearer) is the optimal two-person strategy. See the multiplayer page for full connection details.
Published September 10, 2026 · Last updated September 12, 2026