Spawning into Ark for the first time, you’re probably still reeling from that first dilo attack that left you naked and empty-handed on the beach. The grind to unlock better gear, tame strong dinos, and build a safe base can feel impossibly slow when you’re first starting out, especially on official servers with standard XP rates. I’ve put more than 1,200 hours into the 2017 version of Ark across official and private servers, and I’ve tested every trick in the book to cut down on unnecessary grind. This guide breaks down exactly how 2 level up fast in ark 2017, no exploits or admin commands required, just tactics that work for solo and tribe players alike.
Core Principles for How 2 Level Up Fast in Ark 2017
Before you jump into grinding, it’s important to understand how XP works in this version of the game, because not all actions give the same return on your time. Many new players waste hours gathering berries or thatch for low XP gains, when they could be completing higher-yield tasks that level them up 2 or 3 times faster. XP multipliers stack across events, tribe boosts, and consumables, so if you see a double XP event is live, drop everything you’re doing and focus on grinding that day, you’ll cut your total leveling time in half. Avoid unnecessary deaths as much as possible, because you lose 10% of your current level’s XP every time you respawn if you don’t recover your inventory bag within 5 minutes. That means a single bad run into a cave could wipe out 2 hours of grinding progress if you’re not careful.
Early-Game (Level 1 to 30) Fast Leveling Tactics
Your first 30 levels are the fastest to gain if you know what to prioritize, and you can hit level 30 in less than 2 hours of playtime even on standard official servers. Don’t waste time trying to build a huge base or tame fancy dinos right away, focus on small, repeatable tasks that give consistent XP for very little effort. The best tactics for this level range all require no special gear, so you can start using them the second you spawn in:
- Craft 100+ stone pickaxes as soon as you unlock the engram: each pickaxe gives consistent XP, and you can pass spares to tribe mates or discard them if you run out of storage space.
- Hunt low-level dodos and dilos with a wooden club: each kill gives more XP than gathering, and you get hide and meat to craft more tools and food at the same time.
- Chop thatch with a stone pickaxe until you can build a small 2x2 thatch hut: each thatch wall, ceiling, and foundation placed gives solid XP, and you get a safe spawn point to avoid death penalties when you die.
Don’t waste time taming high-level dinos before level 30, because the XP you get from taming scales with your own level. I once spent 2 hours taming a level 20 trike when I was level 15, and only gained half a level from the entire process, when I could have crafted 200 stone tools and gained 4 full levels in that same time. Wait until you hit level 30 and unlock kibble recipes to start taming mid-tier dinos, the XP return will be far higher.
Mid-Game (Level 30 to 60) High-Yield XP Grinds
Once you hit level 30, you’ll have access to better gear, saddles, and taming recipes that open up far more high-yield XP sources. This is the point where you can start taming dinos for XP, as long as you use the right taming foods to cut down on time and boost your gains. Taming a level 60 stego with simple kibble gives 3x more XP than taming one with berries, so pre-make a stack of dodo egg kibble before you head out to tame, you’ll save hours and get far more XP for your effort. Cave runs are another amazing XP source in the mid game. Grab a pike, a torch, and a few health potions, and head to the nearest lower-level cave like the South Cave. Each bug, snake, and small dino you kill inside gives 2 to 3 times more XP than overworld mobs, and you can pick up valuable artifacts along the way that you can use for boss fights later. If you’re playing with a tribe, split tasks to level even faster: have one person gather materials, one person craft items, and one person build out your base. All tribe members get shared XP for every action completed by the group, so you’ll level twice as fast as you would playing solo. These tactics all align with the core rules for how 2 level up fast in ark 2017, because they give you more XP per minute spent than low-yield tasks like gathering berries. You don’t have to stick to grinding if you get bored, either. If you prefer hunting over crafting, spend a few hours taking out mid-level carnivores like raptors and carnos on the open map, each kill gives solid XP and you can collect their meat to feed your tamed dinos.
Late-Game (Level 60+) Endgame XP Farming Methods
Once you hit level 60, you’ll have access to metal gear, industrial crafting stations, and strong battle dinos that let you farm XP at a rate you never could in the early or mid game. Boss fights are the most obvious high-XP activity, but many new players don’t realize you don’t have to win to get massive gains. You don’t have to beat the boss to get thousands of XP per run, just killing the hordes of minions that spawn during the fight will give you more XP than 5 full mid-game cave runs, even if you wipe halfway through the fight. Breeding dinos is another underrated late-game XP source. Each time you imprint on a baby dino, you get a huge burst of XP, and if you’re breeding high-level rex or therizinosaur lines, each imprint gives more XP than an entire day of early-game grinding. You’ll also end up with strong battle dinos you can use for future boss runs or PVP fights, so it’s a win-win. Industrial crafting is another fast way to rack up levels once you have a fabricator and industrial forge. Craft hundreds of metal walls, rifle ammo, or advanced tools at once, and each completed craft gives massive XP. You can use the items you craft to expand your base or trade with other players on the server, so you’re not wasting materials on useless items. If you’re feeling bold, you can also hunt high-level wild Gigas, each kill gives tens of thousands of XP, but don’t attempt this solo unless you have a fully levelled battle dino with good saddles. A single Giga bite can one-shot most mid-tier dinos, so it’s not worth the death penalty if you’re not prepared. All these late-game methods follow the same logic for how 2 level up fast in ark 2017: prioritize high-effort, high-reward tasks that give you useful rewards alongside XP.
At the end of the day, the best tactics for how 2 level up fast in ark 2017 are the ones that fit your playstyle, so don’t force yourself to grind tasks you hate. If you prefer building over hunting, focus on base construction during double XP events, if you love taming, focus on breeding high-level dinos for consistent XP bursts. I’ve used all these tactics to get from level 1 to level 100 in less than 12 hours of playtime on official servers, no cheats or exploits required, so I know they work. If you’re just starting out, my best piece of extra advice is to team up with 1 or 2 other players first, shared tribe XP cuts your total grind time in half immediately, and you’ll have extra help to take on dangerous tasks that give higher XP rewards.