Minecraft is one of the most iconic games of all time and has been an industry giant ever since its release in 2009. It started an entire genre of survival sandbox games, has kept generation after generation hooked with its simple yet addictive gameplay, and is one of the best games to play with friends. Due to its popularity, the community has worked on the game almost as much as the developers, meaning that there is always something to do, no matter how old the title has become.

There are two different versions of Minecraft: The Bedrock Edition and The Java Edition. Although fundamentally the same game, there are certain things that players can do in certain versions, but if they were bought on PC, players will have access to both. All of this makes Minecraft the perfect time-killer for those who are bored and want something to do. The sheer variety means there is practically something for every kind of player.

10

Play Around With Redstone

Feel Like An Inventor

Redstone can be weirdly complicated for a game that is beautifully simple. Almost anything can be done with Redstone, whether it’s a drawbridge for a medieval castle or a mine cart system for an exhilarating rollercoaster. The expense of using Redstone in large volumes does mean that it is easier to work on massive projects in Creative Mode, but if time isn’t something a player has to worry about, making Redstone contraptions for defense could be something worthwhile.

Although almost anything can be made if a player is creative enough, there are a few well-known favorites. TNT launchers have been made for almost as long as Minecraft has been around and are incredibly fun to use as makeshift canons, even if some designs are impractical. Making hidden doors that blend in with the environment is also perfect for playing on large, survival servers, even if a few members are known to dabble in griefing.

9

Become A Farming Mastermind

Automate Farms And Make Them More Efficient Than Ever

Farming has its own niche in gaming, with titles like Farming Simulator getting a new edition every year. With the extensive livestock and crops that can be grown, Minecraft has enough in it to be an amazing farming sim for those with a green thumb. Players can spend time plowing fields, raising cattle and collecting eggs, but if people want to take it up a notch, they can dabble in the art of automatic farming.

In survival, players will never have to worry about food again if they set up automatic farms (the best kind of farms). In fact, in more structured servers, a player could become a dedicated farmer on a massive scale and be the go-to place for others to buy food. Crops and animals aren’t the only thing to farm, though, since XP can be gained from farming monsters. This XP can then be used to make the best enchantments and these enchanted items can then be traded with other players.

8

Join One Of The Big Servers

Play A Game Within A Game

If players can’t convince enough of their friends to get together on a server, there is always the option of joining one of the massive, public ones that can be found on sights like minecraftservers.org. This way, players can walk through the incredible constructions of others without needing to spend their entire lives building it all themselves. Sometimes, admiring the work of the talented is the best cure for boredom.

Thanks to Minecraft‘s age, there is a myriad of servers available to join that should scratch any itch someone with time to kill is looking for. Many of these servers (like Complex Gaming) can house up to 5000 players and practically act like MMO servers. This is a great way to get involved with the Minecraft community and make friends or simply play the game in a way that players wouldn’t be able to experience on their own.

7

Experience Modded Minecraft

Another Side To Everyone’s Favorite Sandbox Survival Game

Minecraft has almost everything a player would want. The variety in its content allows players to experiment and get creative, but for those looking for Minecraft to add something specific or become something else entirely, mods are the answer. Although they could only be accessed with the Java Edition at one point, players with the Bedrock version can experience modding, too, through the in-game marketplace (they’re called add-ons).

Minecraft has an extensive modding community, and the best mods to install will depend on the individual. There are some that improve the game’s visuals, some that add new building tools (like more furniture), and some that fundamentally change the game’s mechanics. One of the most fun examples is Pixelmon, which changes Minecraft into a Pokémon game that can be played multiplayer with friends.

6

Rush To Beat The Ender Dragon

Embrace The Challenge Of A Speedrun

Although there are a few bosses in Minecraft, such as The Wither, none are quite as iconic as the Ender Dragon. It lives in a realm creatively called The End and signifies the end of the game, as the name would suggest. Minecraft is an open-ended title, and players can keep a playthrough going forever, but defeating the Ender Dragon does make the credits roll, so it’s the closest thing to a definitive ending the game has.

It may not be for everyone, but if a game has an endpoint, it usually has a speed-running community trying to reach that endpoint as quickly as possible. Minecraft is no exception, and with the random seeds the world produces, these runs can have some variety. These runs will make players think in ways they have never before, like using beds to blow things up in The End and the Nether, to speed things up.

5

Play Through An Adventure Map

Try Out Adventure Mode

If players want to experience a more classical adventure in their favorite blocky survival game, downloading an adventure map is always a good idea. There are plenty to choose from, and they vary from fantastical quests to creative horror tales. There is an Adventure Mode, after all, and without these adventure maps, there is very little reason to use them. They’re perfect for those who are getting a little tired of Survival Mode and want a different experience.

When downloading adventure maps, players need to look out for the different versions of Minecraft that they work for. Most typically work for the Java Edition, and some require a specific version of Java to make them work. These are usually written on the map’s web page or are listed on a website like minecraftmaps.com. If there is a genre a player is looking for, they can probably find an adventure map for it.

4

Have A Go At Minecraft Parkour

There Are Downloadable Maps For That

Minecraft parkour has seen a surge in popularity of late. When players think of survival sandbox games, they don’t usually think of 3D platforming, but it has become one of the most popular ways to play outside the vanilla modes. Seeing someone jumping through a parkour map in Minecraft has become the norm in many short-form videos on sites like TikTok or Youtube and is a fun way to kill time.

Players can always make their own levels or can download these parkour maps. They range in difficulty and highlight Minecraft’s platforming mechanics, even though not all of them are intentional. Those looking to relive the 3D platforming days of old should consider trying a parkour map. It may not be the best platforming experience out there, but it’s very good for a game that was never meant to be a platformer.

3

Start A Creative Building Project

Construct A Castle

Players either love it or hate building mechanics in games, but for those who love it, Minecraft is one of the best, if not the best. The game has always been known for being the perfect place to recreate environments, whether that be the world of Middle Earth, New York City, or DC’s Gotham City. Since the building isn’t genre-specific, like in Valheim, anything can be built if a player is creative enough.

Nothing will kill time like undertaking a massive building project. Construct a castle, a city, a grand mountain keep, or a skyscraper, anything that a player can dream of. With the size of some projects and the planning that can go with them, players can embrace their inner architect and impress friends with what they can build. Or they can spend time improving their building skills, experimenting with ideas they wouldn’t be able to do in Survival Mode.

2

Walk Through Ray Traced Minecraft Maps

Or Create One

With the somewhat over-the-top addition of ray tracing in Minecraft, the pixelated, survival game has never looked better. Currently, ray tracing only works on Windows and the Bedrock Edition of the game. It also has minimum spec requirements far higher than standard Minecraft, meaning that it will likely need a decent gaming PC to run well. By default, it only works on specific maps, too, but these maps have very impressive structures.

Players can add RTX and ray tracing to their worlds with some effort. There’s a guide on the Nvidia website that documents how players can add PBR (physically-based rendering) to their world and make it shine in all of its ray tracing glory. It requires some work, but if players don’t want to upgrade their own world, walking through the pre-existing RTX worlds is a good way to do some digital sightseeing.

1

Old School Survival Mode With Friends

Nothing Can Beat Vanilla Minecraft

Sometimes, the classics are the best. Gathering some friends, starting a server, and going through a good, old-fashioned survival adventure in Minecraft is the best way to kill time when bored. For those who played the game when it launched, it’s a decent nostalgia trip, too, and anything with friends is infinitely more fun. Going from punching trees to killing an extra-planar dragon will always be an entertaining journey.

When playing with friends, a good survival adventure has something for everyone. The builder can make the best base possible, the miner can delve into cavernous depths, the farmer can stuff as many crops into a field as possible, and the explorer can venture into the fiery dungeons of the Nether. Minecraft is a game that just keeps giving, and the Survival Mode is a classic adventure that will never get old.

Sources: minecraftservers.org, minecraftmaps.com, Nvidia Ray Tracing Documentation