10 Things to Build in Minecraft to Level Up Your Game

Trying to think of new things to build in Minecraft? Maybe you’re a new player and you’re not sure how to get started or maybe you’ve been playing Minecraft for years, but you’ve grown bored in your old survival world. Whatever the case, taking on a fun building project is a great way to upgrade your Minecraft experience. Here are ten awesome build ideas to get you started. 

1. An Epic Castle

Nearly every Minecraft player builds a castle at one point or another. This is one of the essential things to build in Minecraft, especially if you’re a fan of creative mode. There’s a lot of room for creativity, but it’s still easy to get started. 

A castle can be as basic as a few small towers connected by walls or as grand as a sprawling palace that takes months to complete. Building a castle in survival mode can be particularly rewarding since you will need to mine all your materials. 

The easiest way to get started on a castle build is to go with stone bricks. They give your build a classic castle look, but they’re also extremely easy to collect. Simply mine cobblestone and burn it in a furnace to make stone. Then you can use a stonecutter or a crafting table to make stone bricks. 

2. An XP Farm

Not all Minecraft builds are decorative. Some have clever practical purposes that can really enhance your game. For example, XP farms automate the process of gaining levels of XP by killing mobs for you. So, if you’re trying to gain dozens of levels to upgrade your armor or get high-level enchantments, an XP farm lets you get there faster. 

XP farms can be one of the more mechanically complex things to build in Minecraft depending on how you approach it. You can build a simple XP farm by creating a completely unlit box with a pit in the center. Mobs will spawn in the dark room and fall down into the pit, where you can safely kill them without taking damage and collect the XP. 

3. A Giant Treehouse or Farm

One of the most fun things to build in Minecraft is a giant treehouse. A lot of players make simple treehouses to stay away from mobs early in the game before they have a permanent base built. However, you can get really creative with treehouses and make sprawling, unique or fantastical designs. 

Some people build their own tree if they want it to have a unique shape, such as a giant, curving oak tree. You can also use trees that naturally grow very large in the game, such as spruce trees. Place four spruce saplings in a 2×2 square on the ground and place some bonemeal on them. In a few seconds, they will grow into a giant spruce tree that can be great for a treehouse. 

Alternatively, you can use a large network of oak or birch trees with smaller buildings in them connected by bridges. Jungles also make excellent biomes for treehouses, especially if you want a tropical, rainforest-inspired design. 

4. An Underwater Base

One of the most challenging creative things to build in Minecraft is an underwater base. You have to work around holding your breath and the difficulties of mining underwater to complete the build. Plus, when you’re done, you also need to drain out the base. Using doors and a water bucket can make it easier to build underwater, though. 

All of the effort and complexity of building something underwater in Minecraft can really pay off, though. Underwater bases are strategically advantageous since you don’t have to worry about mobs spawning outside your base (as long as you’re careful not to build near ruins with drowned zombies). If you use plenty of lighting and glass, an underwater base can look very cool from the surface, as well. 

5. Your Favorite Fictional Place

If you’re trying to think of new things to build in Minecraft to make your game more interesting, why not try building a place from a movie, show or book? These builds are challenging, but they can also be incredibly fun. For example, YouTubers have built entire structures from Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. 

You don’t have to make something huge, though. You could create a small hobbit house to use as your first base. You could build your favorite cabin from Camp Half-Blood in Percy Jackson or  even simply recreate a single room from a fictional place. 

6. A Railroad System

A railroad system is another great practical build to add to your Minecraft world. A lot people get bored in Minecraft because they create a new world, build a base and don’t know what to do next. If you stick to one main world and build all kinds of structures and buildings there, you can have a lot more fun with the game. 

You’ll need a way to get around, though. A railroad system is faster and easier than walking or riding a horse. Plus, you won’t need to worry about getting lost on your way to your favorite village. Railroads are also extremely helpful for large underground mine systems, which you might need to get all the iron, gold and redstone to build hundreds of railroad tracks. 

7. Upgrade a Village

Most players just leave villages the way they find them with the default generated structures. Why not give your villagers a more exciting experience, though? Upgrading a village to have more interesting buildings will make each village distinct and give your world its own unique feel. 

There are all kinds of ways you can spruce up a village in Minecraft. You can build brick roads or give each villager professional a unique house. You can also give your villages unique themes. For example, you could transform a normal taiga village into a Viking village or turn a jungle village into an extravagant tropical paradise. 

8. A Mountain Fortress and Mine

There’s nothing quite like an epic fortress built inside a mountain in Minecraft, especially after the epic world generation changes in the 1.20 update. You can now find some truly incredible mountains in Minecraft worlds, so there’s never been a better time to try building a mountain fortress. 

The great part about this type of build is that you don’t need to build much of an exterior. You can get creative with a sprawling doorway into your mountain base, but the interior design is most of the build. You can make it modern or go for a fantasy build like the dwarven city of Erebor in The Hobbit. 

If you’re building inside a mountain, chances are you will come across many large caves and tunnel networks. So, it can be both fun and practical to integrate a mine system into your mountain fortress. You could even have a railway that takes you down into the deeper levels where you can find diamond and deepslate. 

9. An Ancient Greek Palace

Want a survival mode building challenge? Try building something with marble! Ancient Greek and Roman inspired structures are some of the trickiest things to build in Minecraft because marble is only found in the Nether. So, building with marble in survival mode can be dangerous and tedious. 

If you’re an experienced player, though, this challenge can make a build more fun. Ancient Greek temples and palaces can look spectacular in Minecraft, too, especially with shaders on. For an extra challenge, try building an entire Greek city. You can even attempt to collect some prismarine from an ocean monument if you can find one. 

10. A Cyberpunk City

Not all Minecraft builds have to be based on history or fantasy. The texture of most blocks in Minecraft makes those builds a little easier, but sleek, futuristic builds are also possible. One of the most challenging, yet breathtaking, is a cyberpunk-style city. 

Building an entire city can require hundreds of hours of game time. It will really stretch your skills as a builder in Minecraft, though, and the results can be astounding. Cyberpunk cities often emphasize using the glass, glowstone and sea lantern blocks as well as metals and colorful concrete blocks. Keep in mind, cities are far easier to build in creative mode than in survival mode. 

If you want something futuristic on a smaller scale, try building a UFO or a space-themed base instead. 

10 Awesome Things to Build in Minecraft

If you’ve been getting bored in Minecraft or need something to spice up your old survival world, try taking on a challenging build. The ideas on this list are just a few of the awesome things you can build in Minecraft. Big, ambitious builds can result in epic bases and help you grow as a player and a builder. Plus, a great build is fun to show off once it’s complete.