Full Minecraft guide to building the best world possible

This Minecraft guide will help you survive the blocky biomes and conquer them - with or without cheats. Whether you prefer survival or creative mode, it’s much easier to thrive if you know where to find the best Minecraft servers, mods, and seeds. And although mining and crafting your way across the Overworld or Nether dimension is always fun, you can enhance the experience with the best shaders and texture packs.

From learning to enchant items to impressing your friends with brilliant architecture, here's our full Minecraft guide with essential tips to get the best world possible in Minecraft.

Play for free

There are dozens of versions of the game available on pretty much every platform imaginable (including PC, consoles, and mobile), and now you can even play Minecraft for free in your browser. It's a fairly basic rendition without many of the features, but if you're on a tight budget or looking for a quick distraction then there's no better price than free.

While it doesn’t really count as ‘free’, if you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription, you can download Minecraft at no additional cost.

Commands and cheats

If you want to fully take control of your created world, then using Minecraft commands and cheats will let you do just that. We've got all the codes you need so you can teleport, set the time and weather, spawn items and entities, and a whole lot more.

Best servers

If you want to experience whole new adventures in blocks, then visiting the best Minecraft servers can transport you to worlds inspired by Grand Theft Auto, Pokemon, Game of Thrones, and more.

Realms

If you want to manage your own personal multiplayer server for up to ten players, then Minecraft Realms lets you build and play with friends in private games. With a Realms Plus subscription you also get regular content drops of new maps, character skins, and mini-games to check out.

Best seeds

Seeds determine the layout of the land in your world, and different environments can completely change your gameplay experience. We've gathered the best Minecraft seeds so you can explore a giant mansion, survive a shipwreck on an island, or any number of other adventures.

Best mods

If you want to tweak the actual gameplay mechanics for a different experience, then installing the best Minecraft mods will let you rework how the game functions. Choices include introducing fresh biomes, new wild animals, and even sending you into space.

Best shaders

If you want your game to look as great as possible, then installing the best Minecraft shaders will help you achieve this. Make your water shinier, add light rays and lens flares, improve shadows, and generally turn your worlds into visual masterpieces that are a feast for the eyes.

Best skins

Every player will be familiar with Steve and Alex, the default skins in the game, but sometimes you want to mix things up with new characters. The best Minecraft skins let you do this, so you can become mighty Thanos, Jedi warrior Yoda, and even Homer Simpson – d'oh!

Best texture packs

Bored with how the standard blocks and objects look in your world? Then install some of the best Minecraft texture packs and you can add in flowing grass, rippling water, and even photorealistic trees.

Nether

Once you’ve fine-tuned your survival skills in the ‘default’ Overworld, why not explore the nightmarish Nether dimension? By restoring portals in Minecraft’s normal world, you gain access to a fiery realm full of lava, scary mobs, and unique biomes. We can show you how to get Minecraft Netherite and what to do with it, including how to craft Minecraft Netherite tools and a full set of Minecraft Netherite armor.

Enchanting

If you want to improve your weapons and items, then applying Minecraft enchanting to them will give them a significant boost. Our guide will show you how to construct an Enchanting Table, and configure it to get the highest level of enchantment possible.

Build the best house

Setting yourself up with a great Minecraft house is very important, as it provides you with a safe refuge away from any creatures and a place to store all of your hard-earned gear and treasure. Plus, you can show off your creative flair by making your home as impressive as you like.

Tame a fox

If you've spotted one of these nocturnal creatures in your world, you may be wondering how to tame a fox in Minecraft, so we've got all the details on how to make them your new furry pals.

It doesn't get much craftier than Minecraft, but if you're looking to test your skills elsewhere, the best crafting games will help you out!