Minecraft has been around for more than a decade now, and we’ve seen so many changes since then. The latest updates were Caves & Cliffs and The Wild, introducing massive dungeon and cave areas with plenty of new items and mobs. Mojang has ensured that we remain fixed to our screens with all the latest content.
No matter how long you’ve been playing, we’re sure there are many cool things you didn’t know you could do in Minecraft. Some of them are basic and make your virtual life easier, while others are more advanced. Let us know how many of these secrets you already knew about and how many were new to you.
Candles on crafting tables
I remember the first time I tried to place a candle on a crafting table in Minecraft and failed. The issue is that the place-object and open-object buttons are the same. So, when you try and put the candle down, the crafting table opens. Here’s a tip: crouch down and then place the candle. The game understands you’re trying to put the candle on the table.
If you’re new to making items, check out our guide to crafting in Minecraft.
Various types of fuel in Minecraft
Coal is sometimes challenging to find when you need it the most. I usually head to the closest caves and chop until I find a cluster. However, you may be in a panic and need a fuel source quickly. The different types that work are sticks, tree logs, charcoal, and lava (from a bucket). Each type burns at a different speed, so you’ll need to use them for the right occasions.
Once you get the hang of using the smelter, here’s a guide for what you can do with copper in Minecraft.
The Mushroom Biome is a safe-zone
Tired of running from the mobs at night, but you still want them to appear so you can fight them one day? Instead of changing Survival Mode to peaceful, see if there’s a mushroom biome nearby. For some reason, the mobs don’t spawn during the night in this area, which means you can mine, farm, and build as you wish.
Now that you can explore in peace, you may want to see our Minecraft mining guide.
Many ways to use water in Minecraft
Water, as in real life, is a valuable resource in the game. While you won’t be drinking it, you’ll certainly use it for farming in Minecraft so your crops can grow strong and healthy. You can also place a water block on the top of a cliff and use the resultant waterfall to drop down or climb up. For the more advanced player, water is essential when mixed with lava to make obsidian blocks. Also, don’t forget your potions!
Endless supply of water
Since you need water so much, it’s helpful to have an endless supply near you. All you need to do is dig a 2 x 2 hole that’s only 1 level deep and place two buckets of water diagonally from each other. They’ll fill the other two holes endlessly. When you take water into a bucket from one space, wait until it fills again before you take another one.
Light up your home with chandeliers
Why settle for normal candles and lights when you can make a chandelier for your home? All it takes is configuring a chain or block from the roof, with an assortment of fences or glass panes constructed in a way that’s appealing to you. You can then use different light sources to light up your abode. The glass panes tend to reflect the light, making your chandelier deliver more light.
Crafting Minecraft bodyguards
You don’t have to defend your homeland by yourself! There are two active mobs you can create that will walk around and battle any enemies they find. The first is an iron golem, made from four blocks of iron and a carved pumpkin as the head. You can also have a Frozen experience with a Snow Golem, stacking two blocks of snow with a pumpkin head.
Keeping Creepers at a safe distance
If you’re new to Minecraft, Creepers are those green mobs with no arms that explode as soon as they are close enough to you. They can destroy entire homes and structures, leaving you in tears. Fortunately, Creepers hate cats. So, fill your home and farm with these adorable kitties, and you and your home will be safe.
Of course, you’ll need to learn how to tame a cat in Minecraft if you want to succeed at this goal.
Snowball a Blaze
When you defeat a Blaze in the Nether, they drop glowstone dust. This resource is handy for making glowstone blocks, which is another source of light. You can also make powerful potions. However, the Blaze can be challenging to defeat if you use standard weapons. We recommend making snowballs from the snow in the Overworld, as they’re weak against them.
I also recommend you learn how to make a shield in Minecraft to protect yourself from damage until you defeat the Blaze.
Crouch and build
If you’re like me, you’ve tried to make tall castles and walkways in Minecraft. The problem most of the time is stepping too far off a block and tumbling to your death. Did you know that crouching can save you from this dilemma? If you crouch, you can move slightly off the block and attach other blocks without falling.
Teleporting with a portal
Here’s a trick I’ve used to quickly travel far distances in the Overworld. Distance isn’t the same in the Nether, which is where two Nether portals or more come in handy. If you place two close to each other in the dark underworld, you’ll reappear at a longer distance in the Overworld. It’s a fun trick to use when you’re traveling across several maps.
To create a Nether portal, you’ll need to chop obsidian blocks and arrange them in a specific way. So make sure you learn how to find diamonds in Minecraft, as you’ll need a diamond pickaxe for the task.
Making your own apiary
When the bee update appeared in Minecraft, players went mad taming and collecting them. Well, I did, anyway. The only issue is that they tend to fly away to the closest flowers to produce honey. If you want to keep them nearby, there’s a simple trick.
Build glass walls up to about nine blocks. Make sure you have flowers on the grass within the perimeter, and there’s no harm in having a tree or two nearby.
The bees will try to head back to their hive when they’re done collecting. I recommend you make a hive box and place it on a tree or glass block. The bee will immediately move towards it, transforming it into a home. You’ll see honey dripping from it eventually.
Horses have different speeds in Minecraft
I know what it’s like to become attached to the first horse you find. It’s a lovely feeling when you tame a horse in Minecraft, and you never want to let go. Did you know that different horses have different speeds and health? Try to tame as many as you can until you find the fastest one to cross the terrain quicker.
A functional portcullis
Let’s get back to me creating a castle. I spent days in Survivor Mode mining and making castle walls around the boundary of my land, making sure no one else could get in. Thanks to a Minecraft book I bought, I learned you can make a portcullis gate that actually works. How it works is there are sticky pistons at the bottom that lift and drop the gate, with loose gravel at the top. To make this work, you’ll need to study our Minecraft Redstone guide.
Visit the Minecraft Ancient City
When The Wild update was released for Minecraft, we were all excited about the new mobs that appeared. One of the more obscure items you’ll have to hunt for is called Ancient City. It’s usually located at level -52, which means you’ll need to dig quite far down to find it. It has a vast layout and design, and you’ll spend hours investigating its halls and loot.
