Old School RuneScape is one of the best games ever made and one of the most overwhelming to start. No hand-holding, no glowing quest markers, just you and a huge world. This is the CluckSquad starter guide: what to actually do in your first week, the traps to avoid, and how a clan turns a confusing grind into the best hobby you’ll pick up this year.
Day one: don’t panic, do Tutorial Island
Everyone starts on Tutorial Island. Follow it, don’t skip the tooltips, and you’ll land in Lumbridge knowing the basics. Then breathe — there’s no rush, no wrong order, and no way to ruin your account by playing at your own pace. First real goal: get comfortable moving around, banking, and fighting a few chickens and cows near Lumbridge. That’s it. You’re already playing.
Free-to-play vs Members
OSRS has a free version (F2P) and a paid membership (P2P). You can have a great time in F2P, but membership unlocks most of the game — more skills, quests, bosses and areas.
- Totally new? Play F2P first, get a feel for it, then decide.
- Enjoying it? Membership is worth it — and you can even buy it with in-game gold (bonds) once you’ve built a bank.
- CluckSquad welcomes both — F2P players and maxed mains side by side.
Pick a direction (or don’t)
- Combat / PvM — train your combat stats and go kill things for loot.
- Skilling — Fishing, Mining, Woodcutting, Crafting and more. Relaxing, profitable, a whole game on its own.
- Questing — OSRS quests are actual stories with puzzles and rewards, and many unlock huge upgrades.
Most players do a mix. Do whatever’s fun that session — that’s the correct way to play.
Your first-week checklist
- Finish Tutorial Island and explore Lumbridge, Varrock and Falador.
- Get your combat stats to ~30–40 on low-level monsters.
- Do a few beginner quests (Cook’s Assistant, Sheep Shearer, The Restless Ghost) for easy rewards.
- Try a couple of skills you like and get one to level 20+.
- Build a small starter bank (see our Money-Making Guide) so you’re not broke.
- Join a clan (hi) so you have people to ask and play with.
Tick a few of these and you’re no longer a beginner — you’re a Scaper.
Rookie traps to avoid
- Don’t get scammed. Nobody legit needs to hold your items, double your gold, or trade you off-site. If it sounds too good, it’s a scam.
- Don’t wander into the Wilderness with anything you care about — other players can attack and kill you there.
- Don’t burn out chasing efficiency. You’re new; play for fun. The min-maxing can wait.
- Don’t bot or use auto-clickers. It’s a permanent ban and it cheats the fun out of the game. CluckSquad doesn’t allow it.
Why a clan makes all the difference
Here’s the honest truth: most people who quit OSRS quit because they were confused and alone. The game clicks the moment you have people to ask "wait, how do I do this?" and someone answers. That’s the entire point of CluckSquad. We’re an all-round clan built to welcome new and returning players:
- Ask anything — no question is too basic. We remember being new.
- Play together — bossing, skilling, events and chat across all timezones.
- Grow with support — we’ll help you set goals, make GP, and take your first boss down.
You don’t need high stats or any experience. You just need to show up. Start your OSRS adventure with a squad behind you — join the CluckSquad Discord and say hi.