Minecraft Biome Guide

Note: This guide focuses on the Bedrock version of Minecraft, available on Windows 10, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and mobile.

There aren’t many truly inhospitable biomes in Minecraft, but it’s easier to make a life in some than others. These temperate biomes are the easiest place to start whether you’re logging in for the first time or are a Minecraft veteran. Below, we detail everything you need to know about them.

Plains

Plains are one of the most common biomes–even if you’ve never played Minecraft, you’ve probably seen a screenshot of plains. This biome is mostly flat, though it can have some trees as well.

This biome spawns common farm mobs and horses, and is the only biome where you can find donkeys. Bees and beehives spawn here as well. All common, non-biome-specific hostile mobs spawn here. Most flowers can spawn in this biome, while the sunflower plain variant is the only biome that can spawn sunflowers. Villages and pillager outposts can spawn in plains biomes, though they’re fairly rare.

Forests

Forests are as common as plains and typically feature dense oak and birch trees and lakes. Forests are the only biome that can spawn wolves; tame these good boys with bones, and they’ll stick with you and help protect your base. All common, non-biome-specific hostile mobs can spawn here. Rarely, you might find a lava pool, which can cause nearby trees to catch fire.

There are a number of different subtypes of forest:

• Flower forests can spawn every type of flower that is not specific to a particular biome, and is less dense than many other forests.
• Dark forests contain thicker dark oak trees as well as oak and birch trees. Due to the density of dark oak leaves, though, dark forests live up to their name, and are dark enough that hostile mobs spawn frequently during the day. Woodland mansions can spawn but are extremely rare, and are typically found thousands of blocks from your world spawn.
• Birch and tall birch forests are essentially the same as forests, but wolves cannot spawn, and you’ll only see birch trees.

Swamps

Swamps are common but dangerous. This dreary biome is relatively flat but dotted with gray-green patches of unusually shallow water. Oak trees grow here, draped with vines, and this is the only biome where you’ll find lily pads and blue orchids.

Most importantly, though, this biome can spawn slimes above ground at night, and swamps can spawn witch huts.

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