you don't have to punch trees, but you can.
there are tons of wood sticks on the ground that you just pick up, same for rocks and starter foods as well.

they tell you everything but a new game is
grab wood and stone
make a weapon (club will do)
make a crafting hammer (critical)
use crafting hammer to make a workbench and shelter
and from there crafting becomes a mix of the hammer and stations you install at your home. The hammer is mostly for building the home, the stations for most gear, food, and household stuff. Some need both the hammer and the stations, like iron+wood beams need a forge and the crafting hammer.

a full home needs about 50 square floor tiles of space (can be on several floors or a spread does not matter) Your first home is probably not going to grow to that, but its a good rough starting size.

the bird has about 15 or so total tips including "stop don't go" if you try to move on before beating the first boss. Most of them are pointless, and if you ignore him he keeps coming at you until you interact. The first 2 or 3 tips explain 99% of the whole game.