There's not really a way to lose or even do badly. Feel free to explore and experience the game. Here are some tips that I wish I had learned early on.
Watch TV once a day or so to get recipes.
Fruit trees won't make their money back in the first year. You also have to plant them very early in the season before the season they start bearing fruit.
Animals also take a while to pay back. You can wait until year 2 if money is tight.
Fishing is a good way to get money early game but don't bother if you don't like the mini-game.
Don't plant things that can't be harvested this season (few exceptions). A season has 28 days, not 30.
Buying prices for wood and stone will massively increase in year 2. This is total bullshit, there's a mod that fixes this.
Rainy days auto-water your plants, it's a great day to go to the mine.
There's not really a way to lose or even do badly. Feel free to explore and experience the game. Here are some tips that I wish I had learned early on.