Tutorial:Things to do when bored

While Minecraft is a huge game with endless possibilities, there may be a time where a player may believe they've done everything, built everything possible in the game, or just find themselves plain bored. Here is a list of ideas for players who are bored and are looking for something fun to do in the game.

Dig a quarry

A quarry is a big project, but the rewards are huge. Simply dig a big hole down to bedrock. However, this might be hard to do because you may have to make a lot of tools.

Play Hardcore mode

Most players have played normal Survival mode, but Hardcore is a much more difficult variant of it. When in Hardcore mode, the player is restricted to Hard difficulty, meaning that mobs deal greater damage, the player can starve to death, and multiple other game features are much more challenging. Furthermore, if the player dies, they can only return to the world in Spectator mode, meaning they can never interact with that world again (unless cheats are used).

Ultra Hardcore mode

This game mode, a variant of Hardcore, also removes the ability to naturally regenerate health, meaning that golden apples, potions, or beacons have to be used to regenerate health. This is a game mode even harder than regular Hardcore, and is not recommended for new players. See the linked tutorial for instructions on how to set it up.

Start over on the same world

Don't create a new world. Just drop all the items you're carrying into a chest, bring a single bed or respawn anchor, and walk in a random direction for a while until you're utterly lost (or glide with elytra until they break). Place the aforementioned bed (if in the Overworld)/respawn anchor (if in the Nether) and activate it. There you go, a fresh world!

The upside of always doing this instead of creating separate worlds should be obvious; over time, the world accumulates quite a bit of history, with several unique bases that may later be connected.

The resulting "forever world" eliminates one source of boredom. Forever worlders rarely suffer the so-called "2-week Minecraft phase".

Change the rules

Try changing some rules! Here are some examples:

No Mending

Destroy or grindstone all equipment that currently has the Mending enchantment, then play as you normally would from there, just never getting Mending again. This restores a gameplay loop that had been destroyed by Mending; now, diamonds, emeralds, and experience points never stop being valuable.

Tip: the Thorns enchantment consumes durability. To make armor last longer, don't apply Thorns.

No elytra

Destroy or bury (in a chest) your elytra or install a mod that disables firework boosting. Some players argue that when it's too easy to travel great distances, it robs your world of character development, mystery and history-building. The faster the travel method, the less a soul a world has. See for yourself if you agree.

No mapping

A rule that may touch on similar principles as the "no elytra" rule: avoid making it too easy to mentally map the surroundings, such as by flying at all, using minimap mods, or seed maps like Chunkbase. Some players even avoid looking at coordinates, and there are server-side "coord-spoofing" mods to enforce that.

No shulker boxes

Empty out your shulker boxes and destroy them.

Minecraft comes baked-in with a rich set of intrinsic challenges about item transportation and storage, that are essentially eliminated by shulker boxes. Try to tackle those challenges for once! For ideas, see Tutorial:Transportation methods § Item transport.

No iron farms, mob farms, rail dupers, etc.

Now you'll be happy to find fossils for the bonemeal, iron has value etc. Consider this kind of thing as exploiting a glitch and don't do it, for the same reason you don't switch to Creative mode for some free materials: you want to beat the resource-gathering challenge as it was originally designed.

To be fair, we all set different kinds of challenges for ourselves; this kind of thing may make perfect sense if the game you play is about something like "learn how to get productive as fast as possible on a new world", but less sense on a forever world - but again, that depends on what your world is about.

Restore danger to the Overworld

You might have learned to do a bunch of things that make the world so safe that there is no tension in caving or going out at night:

• Wearing fully enchanted netherite gear all the time
• Going to bed every night
• Spreading torches over large areas so that no monsters spawn
• Having Feather Falling so that you don't worry about slipping in caves and ravines
• Having Fire Protection so that you don't worry about falling into lava

Try ignoring all these rules!

• "Netherite is for use in the Nether". Pretend that it weighs a lot, and is stuffy and uncomfortable. Leave it on an armor stand for the next time you adventure to a bastion or nether fortress.
• While you might think of phantoms as just annoying, consider that this opinion might come from wearing fully enchanted armor! Of course monsters that can't threaten you would only annoy you! Downgrade to a suit of leather and enjoy the occasional incredible danger as they surprise you from above while you're busy with a dozen undead.
• Beds didn't always exist in Minecraft. And without a mob farm, you do need experience points, so you may as well skip sleep most nights. The bed helps you focus on building a bridge or redstone contraption, but sleeping at every opportunity removes a part of the game.
• Without torches lighting up everything, you now have reason to build fortifications!
  • You may discover that your current fortifications are ineffective. For example, no longer can you automate doors with just pressure plates - because mobs will get in - but see Tutorial:Automatic double doors.
  • You also have reason to get some patrolling guards, in the form of iron golems, foxes, frogs (in basalt deltas mainly), and axolotls, or some personal bodyguards in the form of wolves.

Nomadic mode

A nomadic mode may have these rules:

1. You cannot build a home. In this case, a "home" is defined as having four walls and a door.
2. You cannot feed animals.
3. You cannot cook food, but you can smelt ore.
4. Likewise, you cannot build or use a bed.

In general, the idea of nomadic mode is to explore the world and be one with the world rather than build.

Build an army

If you're in a server and there's a lot of people there, why not start a war? Build up your own army, feed your warriors, give them arms and armor, and rush to destroy enemies' bases, while defending your own. It’s a good idea to have lots of TNT and spare armor sets on hand when starting a war.

Build a statue

Build a giant statue of anything, whether it's in-game or real life, using Minecraft blocks. Examples include an ender dragon, a real-life piano, or the player's in-game skin. If playing in multiplayer, it is recommended to not build with something flammable, to prevent your structure from being torched by griefers.

Repairing a structure

A lot of Minecraft structures generate with low integrity. It can be fun to, for example, rebuild a ruined portal, or, if you want more of a challenge, repair a bastion remnant or an ancient city.

Pixel art

Similar to statues, pixel art uses dyed wool or other textures to create spectacular 2D mosaics! Find a low resolution image and assign a material to each pixel. The image can then be recreated in Minecraft.

Build a roadway/pathway

Building a simple pathway can help with organization and getting around your base when walking about. You can make circles around builds or little roadways that connect to each build and farm that you may have. You could even connect your current base in a world with nearby villages or an old base that you used to use.

Build a roller coaster/railway

Rails and minecarts can be combined with blocks to create roller coasters. These can have drops, sharp turns, and scenery and, they even save on food. Although they are usually built in the Overworld, they can also be built in the Nether, or a portal could even be used to make a roller coaster that travels through both dimensions interchangeably. Its even useful in transporting mobs like villagers from a village to your base and if you're good at redstone, use it to your advantage in your contraptions! There are infinite possibilities. They can even be a faster method of travel through the Nether as 8 blocks in the Overworld is just equal to 1 block in the Nether.

Build a Nether village

It's easy in superflat Creative mode. It's time-consuming but it's also fun. You can make a village look like the Nether! If you want to build a village that looks like it's in the Nether, you need Nether bricks, Nether brick stairs and fences, glowstone, netherrack, soul sand, a bit of lava, crimson or warped wood, and Nether wart.

Step 1: Farms: use soul sand to replace farmland, lava to replace water, nether warts to replace crops such as wheat, and nether bricks to replace logs.

Step 2: Buildings: use crimson or warped stems to replace logs, nether brick stairs to replace ordinary stairs, and nether brick fences instead of glass. Use polished blackstone, polished blackstone bricks, or blackstone instead of cobblestone. You can also use crimson or warped doors instead of overworld doors.

Step 3: Streetlights: Destroy all street lights in the village and replace them with nether brick fences and glowstone.

Step 4: Lava wells: Use blocks as above.

Step 5: Blacksmith: The structure is also the same, but chests should be filled with nether bricks and items that nether mobs drop.

Step 6: Build a large netherrack cube wrapped around the village and add lava, fire, and caves, to make it look really like in the Nether!

Alternatively, you can actually build it in the Nether. Make sure there are no mobs or areas nearby that can harm villagers before starting construction.

Create redstone circuits

Redstone circuits will open up new areas of Minecraft that are both complex and creative. Almost anything can be made; from automatic mob traps and auto farms to machines that can play music or tell you the time.

Build something from the real world

Why not build some real world buildings in Minecraft? Choose some buildings in the real world (for example: your home, your school, McDonald's) and build them to the best of your ability. You can make them one to one scale or shrink them down for the build. Once created, you can send the world of these buildings or pictures to your friends. Good luck!

Play "Spleef"

Spleef is an interesting multiplayer game that is played on some Minecraft servers. This game is played on a platform above a lava pool usually made of snow blocks, because they are destroyed very quickly and cannot be replaced. Players take a shovel and use them to destroy blocks under other players' feet so they fall into the lava. Some servers use TNT instead of snow blocks, and the player holds the flint and steel in their hand and ignites the TNT under the other player's feet.

Build a dungeon

If you like a challenge, enjoy exploring, or maybe you want an elaborate way of hiding goods from raiders, try making your very own dungeon. Add hidden pits, arrow dispensers, lava, cobwebs, and TNT. Make secret rooms with blocks and chests filled with loot! Maybe add some trapped chests in the mix as well? Make sure to add some parkour too!

If you are in Creative mode, you can place down mob spawners, barrier blocks, and bedrock for even more advanced dungeons.

There are so many things to make in your dungeon!

Play with TNT

Dig down to bedrock and build a tower of TNT all the way up, with layers of solid blocks in between (because TNT becomes an entity when lit). Dig a quick hole down the side for access purposes, then light it all the way up! You can also blow up a village to mess with the villagers. Note: Make sure you're not on others' servers, as these actions may be considered griefing. If you don't like destroying villagers, try blowing up illagers and the structures they reside in, like outposts, huts, and woodland mansions.

Alternatively you can create TNT cannons to lob TNT at structures.

Playing with villages

Sometimes it can be fun to abuse the villager kind.

Attack a village

If you live not far from a village, why not try to attack it? Blow up the houses, lock up the villagers and take over the whole village. If you are in Survival, watch out for the iron golems. You can start a raid during your attack on the village using an ominous bottle, so that when you blow up the house the raiders will kill the villagers.

Zombies vs villagers

Make sure that you are in Creative mode. First, make a 3-block tall, 12×12 box with an open top, and then use spawn eggs to spawn some villagers and zombies. Finally, watch the villagers try to survive.

Upgrade a village

The villagers' houses are very small and basic. So what about building new, bigger houses for them? You can build kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, or even a swimming pool! Also decorate the houses with lanterns, paintings, candles, carpets, chairs, or tables. The villagers will love it.

Summon mobs with commands

The command /summon can be used to spawn unique and interesting mob types. Examples of what a player could create with the command may be an upside-down spider jockey on top of a skeleton or an enderman with bedrock in its hand and a minecart on its head. Other useful commands used to place or modify blocks automatically are /setblock and /fill. The player could use these to create a giant wall or building without having to manually place everything.

Fight hordes of mobs

Sometimes it is just fun to summon hordes upon hordes of mobs, get op items and gear, and then fight them.

Maybe you could summon 100 creepers and defeat all the creepers without letting them explode. Doing this can aid your combat skills, especially for multiplayer, and if you can find people who have Creative mode, they can use spawn eggs to summon mobs that you want to fight.

Flying Slow Falling mobs

Note: This only works properly in Bedrock Edition.

Did you know that you can make mobs fly by repeatedly punching them while they have Slow Falling and Regeneration? Probably not! Here is how:

Step 1: Type in the command /summon minecraft:pig ~ ~ ~. This will summon a pig.
Step 2: Type in the command /effect @e[type=minecraft:pig] slowness 500 100. This will prevent the pig from moving.
Step 3: Type in the command /effect @e[type=minecraft:pig] slow_falling 500 3. This will prevent the pig from falling at a normal speed and will instead fall slowly.
Step 4: Type in the command /effect @e[type=minecraft:pig] regeneration 500 100. This will make the pig regenerate almost instantly after every punch.
Step 5: Type in the command /effect @s speed 500 2. The speed will make you reach the pig. If you don't type in the command, then you wouldn't reach the pig to punch it anymore and it would likely touch the ground before you would even hit it.
Step 6: Begin punching the pig with an empty fist. Once you've started punching, don't stop. After a few hits, you will notice that the pig is in mid-air while you keep punching it to constantly be in that state, looking like it's flying. How long can you keep hitting until the pig touches the ground?

Alternatively, if you prefer to do something simpler, you could go to build limit, perform step 3, equip a saddle on the pig, and try to make it 'fly' by using a carrot on a stick.

Abuse some mobs

This is best done in superflat Creative mode. Fence an area, summon a bunch of mobs (don't summon flying mobs or mobs that are immune to fall damage) with spawn eggs, equip a fishing rod and fly as high as you want, but don't fly more than 34 blocks off the ground, and then start fishing for these mobs. If the fishing rod hooks a mob, "release" it and make it fly. You could also organize a race with your friends to see who is the best.

You could dig a hole in the ground and pour lava into it and build a tower out of spider webs. Summon a bunch of mobs from the top of the tower (again don't summon mobs that can fly, mobs that are immune to fall damage, or spiders, as all can manage out of the cobwebs) and watch them fall into the lava!

You could also build a small ring rail with powered rails, put in some minecarts and load them with mobs, and get them moving at high speed. Finally, place the block one block high from the rail. You could also dig a hole at least 3 blocks deep (1×1), summon a bunch of mobs in the hole with a spawn egg, and then put sand or gravel in the hole, ans watch them suffocate to death!

You could also build a completely enclosed room (with a roof that is closed and dark), fill it with villagers, then put zombies in and watch them get killed.

It wouldn't be so nice though...

Make an overpowered item

With commands, the player can obtain a diamond sword enchanted with enchantments of unsually high levels. Try it on and go kill some boss mobs.

Command for an overpowered Diamond Sword: /give @p diamond_sword[custom_name=[{"text":"OP Sword!","italic":false,"color":"dark_red"}],enchantments={efficiency:255,fire_aspect:255,knockback:10,looting:255,mending:1,sharpness:255,sweeping_edge:10}]

With commands, it's possible to obtain an overpowered stick with Knockback 255 that knocks back entities very far. Try and beat the game while wielding it!

Command for the Stick with Knockback: /give @p stick[custom_name=[{"text":"Awesome Stick o' Knockback!!!","bold":true,"italic":false}],enchantments={knockback:255}]

Play older versions

Note: This only works on Java Edition. You can do this in Bedrock Edition, but you will have to use third party tools which is used for version management.

In order to do this, open the launcher and select an older version that you would like to play. There are a lot of older versions of Minecraft you can play. Here are some versions you could try:

• Pre-Classic consists of the earliest versions of Minecraft. They are nice and simple, and closely resemble the original "Cave Game" demo.
• Classic resembles an old version of Creative Mode, and was where Minecraft got its foothold. It's fun and easy to create pixel art, towns, and other builds, although the limited array of blocks can make it tricky. This is also the earliest Minecraft to support multiplayer, and some people continue to run servers.
• Indev and Infdev is where many iconic Minecraft features were introduced. These versions are very experimental, making them really interesting to look through, but a lot of them aren't in Minecraft's launcher, meaning you'll have to look elsewhere.
• Alpha and Beta versions prior to Beta 1.8, which more closely resemble modern Minecraft but are still "simpler" in a way, with completely different world generation. It can be fun to upgrade a world you're playing with between versions so you get a sense of "progression".
• Older full versions of Minecraft that you have ever played or not ever played before, to give yourself nostalgia.
  • Beta 1.8 and Beta 1.8.1, right before the game's first "full" release, which readds Creative mode
  • Java Edition 1.0.0 to Java Edition 1.6.4, prior to the Update that Changed the World
  • Java Edition 1.7.2 to Java Edition 1.8.9, prior to the Combat Update
  • Java Edition 1.9 to Java Edition 1.12.2, prior to the Update Aquatic
  • Java Edition 1.13 to Java Edition 1.15, prior to Nether Update
• Development versions of the full release, including snapshots, pre-releases, and release candidates, to explore some interesting bugs.
• Use mods or modpacks that bring alpha or beta features back to the later versions of the game, or introduce features from other versions like
• The April Fools' versions, such as Java Edition 2.0 (not available in the Vanilla launcher) and Java Edition 20w14∞. See the next section for some ideas.

Play April Fools Day versions

As of April 1, 2026, there are 10 April Fools' Day joke versions, including:

• 2.0 (2013)
• 15w14a (2015)
• 1.RV-Pre1 (2016)
• 3D Shareware v1.34 (2019)
• 20w14∞ (2020)
• 22w13oneBlockAtATime (2022)
• Java Edition 23w13a_or_b (2023)
• 24w14potato (2024)
• 25w14craftmine (2025)
• 26w14a (2026)

Note that Minecraft 2.0 is playable, but not from the Minecraft Launcher! See Minecraft 2.0 for more.

Minecraft versions that were created solely for April Fools' Day, containing multiple jokes unique to these versions. Features in 2.0 include silverfish made from redstone (called "redstone bugs" in-game), the pink friendly wither, extinguished torches, and "Etho Slabs," which are essentially slabs of TNT. In 15w14a, the player is unable to directly attack entities, obsidian boats will sink and drown the player, and unrelated to Minecraft 2.0, there is a mob called the Pink Wither. Features present in 3D shareware include barrels with overpowered items, cheat codes, and various 90s gaming references. 20w14∞ is a version with over two billion dimensions, including several Easter egg dimensions. These April Fools versions can create a fun and interesting experience for players. 23w13a_or_b allowed players to "vote" on specific changes to the world. these could be harmless additions, such as swapping sounds of pufferfish and amethyst, or supersizing the moon to affect Earth's gravity. 24w14potato added the potato dimension and content almost entirely focused around the potato and poisonous potato. 25w14craftmine is focused around mine crafting, where you can craft different types of mines, explore them, loot them, and even replay them however times you want to play them, along with adding new items. In 26w14a, known as the Herdcraft update, you can create and move living blocks and items, and even have swords fight mobs for you.

Create a multiplayer server with friends

Whether it be through a Minecraft realm or via using a server provider, hosting a multiplayer server to share with friends is a great way to get out of a boredom with singleplayer. Servers with friends can be a great way to create memories and show off your imagination through builds and weird contraptions.

Start a nation and create war

Have you ever dreamed of ruling a country or kingdom? Well, give it a try in Minecraft! Get some friends or members from a server and rule your first citizens! With enough resources and training, your country could even go to war with another. Stealing weapons and explosives from your enemies can greatly help you. (Please note: Do not try if you don't want your base to be bombed out of existence)

Join a server

Although some servers require online registration, others can be joined at any time without any prerequisites. Numerous activities can be done in servers, such as showing your work to others (buildings, skills, etc.), viewing other people's work, and making friends with the players in the server, or just having fun on all types of minigames that servers offer.

Play around with player-made custom maps

Custom maps can be fun, and many have a creative storyline, challenging battles, and beautiful buildings. Map time can range from 15 minutes to hundreds of hours! For those who like to take risks, there are plenty of adventure maps for you to manipulate heroes and fight with countless mobs, and for those who like to take on intellectual challenges, there are plenty of puzzle maps and maze maps for you to challenge.

Make your own map

Various types of maps can be made in Minecraft, including challenge maps, parkour maps, and survival maps, and there are endless ways to build these. Some ideas would include using command blocks or redstone circuits to make a decryption or puzzle map, or using blocks to make a parkour or island map. Sky castles are also great. You can also do PvP maps and play with your friends.

Upload videos

With software (such as OBS) that allows you to record your screen, videos can be made of Minecraft gameplay. Some common categories of Minecraft videos are Survival Let's Plays, playing custom maps, and building tutorials. These videos can be put up on any website that allows for video uploading; YouTube is the most common of these, but there are alternatives available.

Use/create a resource pack or skin

Changing the resource pack won't provide new blocks or items, but it will give Minecraft a fresh look that can be exciting when the first world is created, so you can pick one on the Web and have a look at Minecraft with a new eye. You can also make your very own resource pack and replace some textures, sounds, subtitles, etc. with yours!

You can also decide how your in-game character looks by changing your skin. Your skin can be seen by anyone you're playing with and of course by yourself, so you may want to change it after a while. This can simply be done on the minecraft website or the minecraft launcher. In the Internet are also many more websites where you can download, create and upload your own skins. E.g.: The Skindex, NameMC, or Needcoolshoes

Install mods

If you play on Java Edition, try installing mods! Some large ones take time to be fully explored. There are many Minecraft mods. Try them out slowly, or explore modpacks. See CurseForge or Modrinth for details.

Try unmanned mining

If you play Java Edition, try out a computer mod like CC: Tweaked and create "mining turtles" or "advanced" mining turtles, use the built-in mining program (tunnel length). Turtles need fuel, if it can't move, fill in the inventory with coal or other kinds of fuel, type in "refill all" to supplement the fuel. This will make you more secure because they're diamond pickaxes with infinite durability, can instantly dig, and are not afraid of lava or monsters. However, it can't be equipped with an enchanted pickaxe.

If you play Minecraft Education, you can program an agent to follow instructions using the Code Builder.

Make your own mods

If you want to completely overhaul the game, you can even make your own mods. This can be difficult, but allows for complete control over your game. You could add new dimensions, blocks, items, and/or mobs! If you can't program, you can also try to use some visual tools (e.g. MCreator), or experiment with datapacks to add custom content like dimensions or paintings without coding.

If you can program, you can follow tutorials for Fabric or NeoForge on their respective websites.

Play other games

You can always take a break from Minecraft and play other games if you feel burnt out, it doesn't mean you can't return back to Minecraft. Your Minecraft dog will be waiting for when you return after you feel rejuvenated.