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The most pressing problem your village faces early on is a limited supply of food. You can harvest berries, but they run out quickly. You need to pursue food-based technology advancement, most importantly farming. It is also important to limit your villagers' food consumption by keeping a careful eye on the population and limiting the birth of children. They eat as much as adults, but don't work and keep their mother from working for awhile, too). Keep an eye out for mushrooms. Children can pick them and add a small amount to your food supplies.
Another thing to be careful of is leaving your computer for long times. Because time in "Virtual Villagers" continues to pass even when you are away from your computer, it is best to set the game to "Pause" or "1/2 speed" when you walk away.
Keep in mind that not all villagers can preform all tasks. Many puzzles, especially later on in the game, require villagers with high ratings in various skills. Master builders and scientists can figure out how to do things that other villagers cannot.
Keep an eye out for things that seem out of the ordinary. Almost every area that has a name is important in a puzzle at some point in the game. Try dropping villagers with different skills on these areas and see how they react. Doing so can help you figure out some puzzles.
Scientific advancements are very important for developing your village. It's a good idea to always have at least one villager researching.
Villagers learn by doing. If you assign one to a task, he will gradually get better at it and eventually master his skill. -
The first thing you need to do to get your village started is to find a good source of water. There is a well on the island and any villager can clear it, providing your people with water to drink. There are also the ruins of hut on the island. If you put villagers to work on it, they will rebuild it, increasing the maximum population your village can support. Another thing to do early on is to drop a villager near the beach and have him clear the debris.
The fourth puzzle is the first one that requires a character with a particular skill level. Once one of your villagers becomes a master scientist, place her in the long building near the research table. She will convert the building into a school, giving children afterward a better chance of being born with some skill points.
