League of Legends is a team-based strategy game where two teams of five champions compete to destroy the enemy's Nexus, the core structure in their base. Each match begins with a champion select phase where players pick their character and assigned lane. The standard map, Summoner's Rift, has three lanes (top, mid, bottom) and a jungle area between them.
As a new player, focus on learning one or two positions first. Each role has a different responsibility: top laners are usually durable fighters, mid laners deal burst damage or control zones, bot lane has an attack damage carry (ADC) paired with a support, and the jungler roams the map farming neutral monsters and ganking lanes. Start with simpler champions that let you focus on game fundamentals rather than complex mechanics.
The laning phase occupies the first 15 minutes where you farm minions for gold and experience. Last-hitting — landing the killing blow on minions — is the primary way to earn gold. Practice this skill in the Practice Tool until it becomes second nature. Every 15 minions you miss is roughly equivalent to a kill's worth of gold you're losing.
Ward placement provides vision of the map, which is critical for avoiding ganks and tracking the enemy jungler. Buy Control Wards whenever you can afford them and place them in river bushes or objective pits. Learn to watch your minimap every few seconds — map awareness prevents more deaths than mechanical outplay. Don't chase kills into unwarded territory, and group with your team for objectives like Dragon and Baron Nashor in the mid and late game.