Hey there, crafters! Have you ever wondered how game modes are playable in Minecraft? Well, wonder no more! Today, we’ll be discussing the different game modes in Minecraft: what they are, how they differ from one another, and the ultimate goals in each one. Let’s get started!
To learn all about engineering in Minecraft to create cool modifications to your games and more, join our live virtual Minecraft Redstone class (Grades 2-5), designed by Minecraft, Google, and Stanford experts, or our Minecraft modding class (Grades 2-5).
Discover all the game modes in Minecraft
There are four different modes in that you can play in Minecraft:
1. Survival Mode
This is the way the game is meant to be played! In survival mode, you are dropped into the game with nothing more than your crafting know-how and a world of resources at your disposal to farm, craft, and mine. With dangers lurking in the dark corners of the world, exploration and resource-gathering are key to surviving and thriving! While time in the early game may be spent punching down trees and making low-durability wooden tools, eventually you will find rare materials to craft armor, weapons, and potions to make you stronger and give you a variety of other kinds of powers, such as breathing underwater, mining at much greater speed, or the ability to get more materials from each block. While the game doesn’t have a definitive end, you can seek out the realm of The End if you’re looking for a good endgame challenge! You can learn more about how to reach The End here.
This mode is for you if you are looking for the quintessential Minecraft experience! If you are in for exploration, resource-gathering, and combat against hostile mobs while also trying to build up your homebase as well as any other creations you can imagine, this is a great place to start. This mode is not for you if you are looking to just build without having to gather resources. There is a setting in survival mode where you can have hostile mobs not spawn, but you would still need to search the world for specific blocks for building or crafting.
2. Creative Mode
Creative mode is Minecraft without any of the survival mechanics! When you spawn in creative mode, you’ll be invincible, able to fly, and have every block at your fingertips ready for uninterrupted building.
Unlike the other modes, this one doesn’t necessarily have a clear-cut goal that you are pursuing; it’s just a great way to build something fun without having to deal with searching for particular blocks or avoiding skeletons and creepers.
This mode is for you if you are looking to just build with an infinite supply of blocks with no distractions! This mode is not for you if you want more of a “game” experience, with challenges and combat.
3. Hardcore Mode
Hardcore mode is survival mode turned up a “Notch” (pardon the pun)! This mode is survival mode with a few key changes: it is locked at the hardest difficulty, with hostile mobs doing maximum damage to you, and it has permadeath, meaning that you only have one life in-game. If you die in the game, your only options afterward are to spectate (fly around without the ability to break or place blocks) the world and your creations in it, or delete the world and move on to another one!
This mode is for you if you are experienced in survival mode and you’re looking to play the game with the added stakes of not being able to respawn! This mode is not for you if you are new to the game, or if you are looking to play Minecraft without the possibility of losing all your progress to a single creeper explosion.
4. Adventure Mode
Adventure mode is a way to play Minecraft similarly to other RPG video games in hand-crafted worlds made by other players! A lot of the basic survival mechanics remain in play, such as managing your health, hunger, and fighting off any hostile mobs that may come your way. The main difference between this mode and the others is that because this mode is used in maps made by other players, you can’t break or place any blocks. This may feel a little counterintuitive, given that breaking and placing blocks is a huge part of what Minecraft is! However, if someone creates a map with a maze that the player has to solve, they likely don’t want the player to dig their way through it, or use blocks to climb up and out of it. You can read more about adventure mode and different player-made maps to try out here!
Try all the game modes in Minecraft
From exploration and survival to flying and building, those are all the game modes you can play in Minecraft! Make sure to read about all the structures that can be generated in Minecraft, and check out our Minecraft Modding class (Grades 2-5), Minecraft Redstone class (Grades 2-5) and Minecraft Code to Mod class (Grades 5+) to learn Minecraft coding to modify your games all sorts of creative ways. Happy Crafting!
Written by Create & Learn instructor Jonah Zimmermann. Jonah has focused on creating and teaching computer science, coding, and STEM curricula for elementary and middle school students. In his free time, he enjoys video games and a good Dungeons and Dragons session with friends!
