How to change your Minecraft game mode

Are you new to Minecraft? Then you’ve probably noticed while exploring the distinctive boulder landscape that it looks somewhat empty. Yet you have seen people playing Minecraft along with many other elements of the game, such as animals and creepers.

So where are they?

Well, they sure are there. The problem is, you’re not — you’re playing Minecraft in the wrong game mode. Here’s how to change your Minecraft game mode from Creative to Survival mode.

Minecraft game modes

There are three main Minecraft game modes and two less common modes:

• Creative

• Survival

• Adventure

• Spectator

• Hardcore

Below we will take a detailed look at the three main game modes in Minecraft and how to switch to them. We’ll also explain how to switch to Spectator and Hardcore modes in Minecraft.

What is Minecraft Creative Mode?

The most recognizable Minecraft game mode is Creative, which lets you create your world using unlimited resources. There is no health bar, hunger bar, or experience meter, and you can fly around your world in this mode.

You can kill mobs, but they cannot retaliate; you will not take damage and cannot die in Creative.

What is Minecraft survival mode?

In Survival mode, you search for resources, mines, and crafting. You can also build, mostly for survival purposes, but you’re limited to what you mined.

Keep an eye out for the health and hunger bars as you need to keep them filled to survive. Avoid hostile mobs as they deal damage and might even kill you.

Minecraft Adventure Mode

This is a less used option for Minecraft, mainly for creating worlds that others can play in. There is a limit to changing cards and blocks cannot be destroyed by hand.

Instead, they are extracted only using an appropriate element with the predetermined CanDestroy tag. Likewise, construction is only possible if a block has the CanPlaceOn tag. Otherwise, Adventure mode is like Survival.

How to change game modes in Minecraft

Switching between the three main game modes in Minecraft is straightforward. Thanks to the similarities of the game Minecraft on mobiles, desktops and consoles, the following steps should work on all devices (with a few exceptions).

For best results, make sure your version of Minecraft is fully updated before continuing.

How to go into creative mode

Minecraft Creative Mode is an option you’ll find when you launch the game.

When setting up the game, click Play> Create a new> Create a new world. Here, click on the Default game mode go down and choose Creative.

You can also switch to Creative Mode in Minecraft using the / gamemode command:

/gamemode creative

Faster ordering is also available:

/gamemode 1

Switch to survival mode in Minecraft

When creating a new game, you will find Survival mode in the configuration screen. Click on Play> Create a new> Create a new world so Default game mode > Creative.

To switch to Survival mode in Minecraft, use the command:

/gamemode survival

You can also use:

/gamemode 0

How to switch to adventure mode in Minecraft

Adventure mode is not a configuration option in Minecraft. Instead, you’ll have to manually switch to Adventure Mode once your game is up and running. For example, maybe you have created a detailed world that your friends can play in.

Adventure mode lets you limit what they can do; to prevent the world from being destroyed before the goal is reached, switch to Adventure mode with:

/gamemode adventure

Otherwise, use the shorter:

/gamemode 2

A Note on Minecraft Game Mode Controls

While modern versions of Minecraft all support the / gamemode command, older games do not.

So if you are playing Minecraft on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or Wii U, the

/gamemode

the command is not available. As such, Adventure Mode is not available on these devices. Likewise, mode switching is only possible using standard controller commands.

How to switch to Hardcore and Spectator modes

In addition to the standard trio of game modes, Minecraft Java Edition offers two other options:

Hardcore

With only one life available, this is the hardest mode. Once selected, there is no way to switch to a more user-friendly Minecraft mode of play. Likewise, you cannot switch to Hardcore mode.

To create a hardcore Minecraft game, in the Create a new world screen selection Game Mode: Unconditional. Note that Allow cheaters and Bonus chest are not available; during this time, the world is wiped out at death.

Spectator

This allows you to fly in a Minecraft world and observe. No integration with objects or crowds is possible, although you can move through solid objects.

Spectator mode is accessible via

/gamemode spectator

or by dying in Hardcore mode. You can also switch to Spectator play mode from within Creative by pressing F3 + N. Press again to go back.

A keyboard command can also be used:

/gamemode 3

What about Minecraft’s multiplayer mode?

Depending on your device, Minecraft can be played in multiplayer mode using game-to-game multiplayer, local split screen, LAN play, and servers. Most of the above game modes are accessible in multiplayer.

This means that you can create a world in Minecraft and then invite other players to join you there. The advantage of this is that any device can be used to host a multiplayer Minecraft session.

While a dedicated server is definitely a plus (especially for large groups), a multiplayer game can be hosted on anything from an Android phone to a desktop PC, and beyond.

Almost any device can be configured as a Minecraft server. It could be a PC, or even something as affordable as a Raspberry Pi (how to set up a Minecraft server on Raspberry Pi).

For a simple Minecraft multiplayer game on your local network, create a world and set it as Visible to LAN players. Other players can then log into the game and you can play alongside them.

Enjoy Minecraft’s Survival and Creative modes

By now you should know how to distinguish between Minecraft game modes and how to switch between them. Using a command, keyboard shortcut, or menu option, you can switch to each of the Minecraft game modes.

There is another Minecraft mode you should be aware of: full screen. To expand your desktop version from windowed mode, press F11 to view Minecraft in full screen mode.

Want to learn more about Minecraft? Then check out our Minecraft commands cheat sheet for keyboard shortcuts designed to streamline your gaming sessions.

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