How Many Game Modes Are There in Minecraft?
Minecraft has become one of the classic games of our time. And with so many available game modes, each person’s experience can be fairly different depending on which you choose beyond the default.
If you want to focus more on the building and exploratory aspects of Minecraft, try Creative mode. If you’re new to the game and are looking for some guidance, Spectator mode allows you to watch and learn from other players. Experienced players, on the other hand, may look toward Hardcore mode for added difficulty. These are just a few of the game modes in Minecraft.
Whichever mode you choose, knowing the ins and outs of each can help gauge expectations before starting a new world or beginning gameplay. So how many game modes are in Minecraft? Officially there are four, though Hardcore mode (technically a game modifier) is often considered a mode of its own, making for five distinct types of gameplay in Minecraft.
We’ve put together a quick breakdown of some of the primary game modes in Minecraft below. Each one has its own unique features, challenges, and parameters for crafting and survival.
How to Choose a Minecraft Game Mode
When choosing which Minecraft game mode you’d like to play, consider your level of experience and preferred play style. Do you want a more creative experience? Or do you want to sharpen your observational skills by playing through a more plot-based level (as opposed to open exploration)?
You don’t have to settle for just one Minecraft game mode, though you won’t be able to switch between modes once you’ve started a world unless you use the “/gamemode” command, available after enabling cheats.
If you prefer to avoid cheats, you can just create another world to try out a new game mode. It should be noted that players can have up to three worlds in their Realm, with the option to delete worlds should further explorations and types of gameplay be desired.
Survival Mode
Survival mode is the default mode in Minecraft. Players can fight off opponents, have a variety of health-related levels to monitor, can mine for resources, and then use those resources to craft items such as tools or weapons.
There’s no primary objective in survival mode other than to survive, which requires the development of certain skills. Players must sturdy themselves against the risk of mobs, drowning, exploding, lava, and other types of challenges beyond just faring well in attacks.
In order to survive, players need to do things like finding ways to maintain their health by finding food and to stay safe by building structures and environments suitable to their liking. Play Survival mode as one of the game modes in Minecraft as a single player, or online in a multiplayer format.
Creative Mode
In Creative mode, players get access to unlimited resources and have the freedom to create almost anything. The setup, in general, is turned away from survival and is geared toward making building much easier and efficient time-wise. While most game modes have what’s called a block reach (player distance from block in order to interact) of five blocks, in Creative mode the block reach is bumped to six.
There’s also no necessity of mining to build in Creative mode. While players can still die in Creative mode by falling into a void, hostile mobs, for example, won’t hurt them. Players can also fly by double-tapping the jump button.
This emphasis on building instead of survival in Creative mode makes it a great option for kids and people looking for a Minecraft experience taken back to the basics.
Adventure Mode
In Adventure mode, Minecraft players explore and engage in a slightly altered style of gameplay compared to the default survival mode. Players explore and progress through maps built and designed by members of the Minecraft community.
On each map there can be breadcrumbs, like hints, that players follow to advance through a level or complete an objective, such as defeating zombies or escaping a dungeon.
The ‘stories’ within Adventure mode won’t resemble a full-blown plotline, but will provide players with a more controlled gaming experience compared to the more open-world style of play in other Minecraft game modes. Players can interact with levers, buttons, and must use specific tools to break blocks, making for a more dynamic and unique experience.
Hardcore Mode
Another game mode Minecraft players of a more veteran status enjoy is called Hardcore mode. In Hardcore mode, once a player dies they can’t respawn and their death marks the end of that particular world. This means that armor, crafted tools, items, etc. are lost, making for a higher-stakes gaming Adventure!
The actual gameplay in Hardcore mode is similar to survival mode, except for more challenging settings. Players can’t enable cheats or bonus chests, nor can they switch the difficulty once the world has been created (as you can with other game modes by using the “/gamemode” command). This places an especial emphasis on players’ health levels, food and resource usage, quality of items, and then the players’ individual experience. Upon death, players have the option to delete the world or enter Spectator mode.
If you’re wondering how many game modes are in Minecraft, Hardcore mode technically isn’t considered a game mode. It’s only available in the Java Edition version of the game. Colloquially, Hardcore mode is still considered a game mode in Minecraft although it’s not available to everyone.
Spectator Mode
Lastly, there’s Spectator mode. Players looking to observe Minecraft gameplay without interacting can use this particular game mode to learn, watch friends, and pick up any new tricks while experiencing an enhanced freedom of movement.
Unlike other game modes, players can’t actually create a world in this mode but can switch to it within another, such as in multiplayer Creative mode, using the “/gamemode Spectator” command among other methods (including dying in Hardcore mode). At the moment, Spectator mode is only available in the Java Edition of Minecraft.
Basic features of Spectator mode include the ability to fly, being invisible to other players who aren’t also in Spectator mode, the ability to switch perspectives between players, and X-ray vision through blocks and other elements. Players can’t die in Spectator mode except in rare circumstances or when someone executes the “/kill” command.
Spectator mode offers an unconventional way to play Minecraft and is a great choice for beginner and veteran players.
iCAMP Offers Minecraft Classes and More!
Our five-session Minecraft courses are appropriate for students age 7 to 12, with beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. They teach students a variety of different concepts from design and building skills to coding skills in the fun, 3D, Minecraft world.
Students who are complete beginners at Minecraft and students who are Minecraft pros will both elevate their skills in this course! Please contact us if you would like to learn more about our Minecraft classes for kids, or check out our website for more information on STEAM camps for children!