Spleef is probably the most played and well known mini game in minecraft. It has a lot of different variations, some more difficult than the others, but all of them are quite easy to build.

The aim of the game is to be the last person standing, which you achieve by destroying the floor you and the other players are standing on. The floor is usually either floating high in the air or placed above a lava lake. Though more player friendly options can also be used, like water.

Rules

Players will have to destroy the blocks underneath the other players, which will cause them to fall and be kicked out of the game (or die). The floor can be made out of almost anything, though it’s usually made out of easy to destroy blocks, like wool, leaves, snow and other “soft” blocks.
TNT can also be used, as it will fall when it’s activated using flint and steel or a fire charge. This will usually kill the player in mid air, which is fun for the audience to watch.

Another variation is to use netherrack, which can be set on fire and will kill the player. This could sometimes give a player a second chance, as fire on players often doesn’t burn long enough to kill them.

It’s possible for the players to be separated by large gaps in the floor, in this case it’s up to the contest organizer to decide who wins or what happens next. You could simply kill them both, let both of them live, make the person on the largest “island” the winner or perhaps teleport them both to the largest island and destroy everything else.

It’s usually not allowed to place blocks, though if it is allowed it should be restricted to only easily destroyable blocks, preferably the same type as the arena floor.

Rebuilding the floor

Because this mini game requires a large amount of blocks to be destroyed, rebuilding the arena floor can be a bit tedious. It’s advised to use a server plugin to restore the floor instantly.
Though some players agree that the loser will have to rebuild the floor. If you have a lot of players or a large audience, rebuilding the floor together shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.

Spleef variations

There are a lot of different variations, most of which just use a different floor, though some variations offer an extra challenge.

Multilayer spleef

In this version several floors are build above each other. Players who fall through the first floor will fall onto the second floor, and so on. The players who have fallen on the second floor will be able to dig the floor above them, but not the floor they’re standing on, untill all other players are on that same floor, otherwise that player could simply dig huge holes through which all the players will fall.

You could also declare whoever manages to stay on top the winner, the player who manages to stay on the second layer the first runner up, and so on. Though most players usually jump down when they’re the only ones left, as playing is more fun than waiting.

No jump spleef

In this version a ceiling is build 2 blocks above the floor, so players will be unable to jump. This makes it much harder to avoid the gaps in the floor. This can be very challenging, though some players find the low ceiling to be more of an annoyance due to the camera angles.

Maze spleef

As the name implies, maze spleef is played in a maze. Although it adds a challenge, these games often end in ties, as players are often unable to reach other after digging out the floor between them. Building many different paths will help, but it’s often an unavoidable end to the game.

Mole spleef

In this version only 1 player is allowed to dig and is positioned under the floor. All the other players will have to keep walking and hope the floor isn’t dug out from underneath their feet. Players who fall could either be killed in lava, if the digger is flying, or help dig out the floor.

Note that this game almost requires the names to be hidden by using a server plugin, as the people on top will otherwise be able to follow the player below, and vice versa.
Once a large part of the floor has been dug out, most players will be able to see the diggers.

Underground spleef

In this version the floor is 4 layers thick. All players will have to dig underground, without digging up the top layer. The players will have to try to find each other without falling into a hole or out of the sides.

You could allow the players to place blocks, which can cover holes they’ve dug in the floor. However, only allow them to place a limited amount of blocks or else the game will last too long.

Note that this version is usually pretty boring for anybody watching it from the outside, especially if the names have been hidden by a server plugin.
You could make the top layer out of glass so people on top can look at the players, though some audience members might give away the position of the players.

Fire spleef

In this version the floor is set on fire, either right in the middle or in several positions. Players will have to try to avoid the fire while also trying to avoid each other. This game could lead to ties when players fall down at the same time.

Leaf spleef

This game requires an admin to spawn in a floor of leaves. Spawned leaves will decay, which means this version works similar to fire spleef though the floor disapears randomly, which adds to the challenge.

Building the leaf floor by hand will not cause the leaves to decay, though it could be used as a fast version of spleef, as leaves are instantly removed when you use shears.

Ultra fast, fire leaf spleef

This version combines the flammability of leaves and its decaying property. This version requires an admin to spawn in a floor of leaves which is then set on fire. Players will have to avoid both the decaying leaves as the fires burning away the floor.

To make it even faster, players could be given shears, which will instantly destroy the leaf blocks.

PvP spleef

In this version playes are also allowed to attack each other. This could potentially add a tactical aspect to the game, though it often just leads to a PvP fight while everybody ignores the floor.

You could use this in combination with leaf, fire or ultra fast, fire leaf spleef.

Tactical spleef

In this version the floor is made out of harder to break blocks or the players are simply not given any tools to break the blocks. This means players will have to think about the blocks they destroy and slowly block in the other players while avoiding their own death.

This also works great with teams and often leads to tactical battles. Some teams chose to focus on a single opponent while other teams will stick together and slowly destroy a large line in front of them, effectively creating a barrier.

Team vs team spleef

Team spleef requires some form of tactical game play. Teams will often only win by working well together and helping out their teammates. Some team members could be used as bait or as a sacrifice to lure out the other team.

TNT spleef

In this version the floor is made out of blocks with a high explosive resistance, like stone or end stone. Players will have to blow up the floor without getting hurt by the explosions or falling into the holes. The TNT will usually only destroy about 9 blocks around it, so huge holes are created each time.

Players often have to make a choice between being blow to pieces by their opponent or ending their own life by jumping down into the lava.

Waterfall / lava fall spleef

In this version lava or water will fall from the ceiling. It will usually be dropped by the contest organizer, but it could be automated through pistons, clocks and other mechanisms.

Water will push players around and can easily be toggled. Lava will usually flow permanently if it isn’t turned off immediately, which could potentially make large parts of the floor inaccessible. By only allowing small lava flows to drop down, the lava will usually disapear once it has reached the floor, though it will still set the players on fire. By building a large system of pistons, lava rain could be created.

Rollercoasters can be quite fun to ride, though they mainly depend on their design to determine whether they’re good or not. You also have to keep the game mechanics in mind when you design your rollercoaster.

There aren’t really any bad or good ways of building a rollercoaster, though some things will work better than others. The main thing about rollercoasters in minecraft is that they work best when the person riding it, is playing in first person view.

First person view makes sure you’re always facing the front of the minecart, so you’ll always see whatever the tracks are leading you towards. However, first person view does limit your view quite a lot, which means you might not always be able to see the tracks.

This is something you will have to keep in mind when you design your rollercoaster, which means it’s best to constantly test it before you move on to the next section of your rollercoaster.

A downward slope will look and feel more exciting if you’re going through a tunnel, perhaps with lava flowing on the sides or above the tracks.

Making the minecart fall from great heights is a decent way of getting momentum and adding some thrill to the ride, however, people won’t be able to look downwards unless they’re in third person view. To make this fall more exciting, make them fall through rings, tunnels or perhaps between floating islands.

Another fun trick is to make the player go backwards by making the minecart land on a slope. The minecart will be pulled down due to gravity, so the player will be facing the other way (if you made the minecart land right). This can lead to some fun effects or perhaps a nice ending to the ride, by making the player look at the complete ride he has just been part of.

Try to avoid fast zig-zag tracks, they’re usually just annoying and leave the player without enough time to look at the surroundings. This could work if you make the tunnel through which this track is going out of many different coloured wools, though it will usually still be annoying to the rider.

Designs

The exact design of your rollercoaster usually doesn’t matter, as long as it looks good. You could make it look like real life (wooden) rollercoasters by making everything out of fences and wooden planks, or you could make a space themed rollercoaster in which the rider rides from planet to planet.

Players will usually look more at the surroundings than at the tracks, so it’s best to spend more time on the design and the surroundings of your track than on the turns, falls and other parts of your track. But remember to test your track a lot, it can be quite annoying to find out part of a track doesn’t work after you’ve already built the other parts.

This mini game is quite similar to castle wars, but, of course, on pirate ships and open water. However, this game can be a lot more epic, depending on how well you’ve built your ships and on how well your players play.

Unlike castle wars, pirate battles is all about destruction. No capture the flag and no other nonsense. Just pure, TNT flying, sword clinging, arrow shooting fun.

Rules

The following rules and guidelines are simply recommendations, depending on the server plugins you use (if you use any), the rules can or will have to be changed to suit your own needs.

This game is played with 2 teams, which can be any size. Both teams should start on their own ship and wait for everybody to be ready. Players can move into position, but nobody should be attacking yet. Once everybody is ready it’s time to unleash hell. The aim of this game is basically to destroy the ship of the other team before your ship is destroyed.

Each player should be equiped with a sword, a bow and a stack of arrows. You could give them armour as well, but it’s a lot more fun when each player is dressed up in a custom pirate skin. Depending on how you’ve created your cannons, players will also need a flint and steel or fire charges to activate the TNT.
Players will then have to fire the cannons, kill the opponents and try to survive themselves.

We’ve placed several wooden boxes in the water, which both act as decorational cargo and as a way to make your way to the other ship. Players will either have to jump down into the water or climb down the ladders on the side of the ship to get down. They can then make their way to the other ship and climb up the ladders, if they haven’t been destroyed by TNT yet.

In our example we’ve created 2 quite large ships with many cannons. Each cannon has the range to reach the other side of the other ship, though by placing less TNT in the cannons you could shoot less far away to hit players walking on the blocks in the water.

The ships in our version are equiped with a lot of cannons, which could potentially destroy the whole enemy ship if all cannons are fired at once, but the range of the cannons extends up to the cannons of the opponent, so you could cause TNT placed in the opponent’s cannon to explode before it’s fired. This means it’s often best to only loads a few cannons and try to be faster than the enemy when you’re loading the cannons opposite of each other.

Once a ship is destroyed, end the game and reset the area using a plugin, unless you want to completely rebuild the boats as a team or by yourself. Alternatively, you could simply paste in a schematic using a world editing program, but this will require a server restart, which can be very annoying to anybody not playing this mini game.

Other tips, tricks and recommendations

Spend time designing your ships. Don’t make them the same and make sure it’s easy to get from one deck to another, but not too easy. The more details you put on your ship, the more epic it’ll look and the more epic the battle will be.

Test your cannons. Test their range and test if they fire at all. You don’t want to start a mini game just to have all the cannons fire just a few blocks away, or explode when they’re activated.

Consider the matturity and playing style of your players. Depending on how you play the game, player could be required to use flint and steel, plant TNT and break blocks. This is more than a griefer needs to ruin the fun for everybody. Strict rules and guidelines could be needed to make sure your game is played fair and without arguements.

Alternatively, build one large ship and 2 or more smaller boats around the larger ship, basically creating a type of king of the hill mini game. This works best with more matture teams though, as good tactics could be required to win the battle on either side.

Set specific targets which have to be destroyed, like the mast, the rudder, the (steering) wheel or the captain’s cabbin.
Alternatively, place a load of TNT somewhere in the ship, if these TNT blocks explode, the battle is over.

Use a plugin to set the explosive power of TNT to just a few blocks. This makes it a little more realistic, as real cannonballs don’t explode or leave a huge gaping hole either.

This game can be amazingly fun when played with people you like, especially if you create enormous ships and gorgeous landscapes. Having dedicated players on specific tasks could lead to some epic battles. Have players load the cannons, fire the cannons, protect the ship, attack the other ship, etc. A server wide war could be one of the most epic battles ever.

Download links

Support link – Schematic
Support link – World save

Pig racing is a game played by sitting on top of saddles pigs and see who gets to the end of the track the fastest. This may seem pointless as pigs cannot be controlled, so why not just let the pigs go on their own and watch from the sides? Pigs can be controlled slightly by hitting them, which will make them run in a random direction. When this is used on the right moments, a player could win the race a lot quicker than their opponent.

A pig race track is quite easy to make, though you have to keep the AI of the pig in mind.
– Pigs will not go down any block that’s more than a block high, unless you push it with water.
– Pigs will walk into fire, which could be used as an obstacle, but is usually just annoying and kills the pig.
– Pigs will try to float in water, including waterfalls. While it is possible to go down a waterfall, make sure it’s not too long when you completely surround it with other blocks, or both the pig and the player could drown.
– A pig has 5 hearts of health, so it can be hit 9 times with your fists.

Keeping these few things in mind, almost anything can be build. However, I advise you to use plenty of water to speed things up, though don’t make the track entirely out of water currents. Just as no water can lead to incredibily long and slow races, using only water will mean no player input is really needed, which pretty much destroyes the whole point of the race.

If you don’t know what obstacles you should build, try a few of ours.

Splash potions of health

These potions will heal the pig 3 or 6 hearts (pigs maximum health is 5), depending on which version you used. This means the pig can be hit 6 or 9 more times by the player. This is useful when you create longer races that require the player to hit the pig more often.

You could either give the players a few potions or make them drop out of a dispenser when the pig reaches a certain zone.

Note that a pig will only gain 3 or 6 hearts of health when they’re in the middle of the blast radius. The further they are, the less they’ll be healed. So it’s advised to always use splash potion of health II, which will almost always heal the pig back to full health, unless the pig was already on low health and was on the edges of the blast radius. This way, players will know they can hit their pig up to 9 times again, without killing it. Make sure you tell them of course, by placing a sign for example.

Speed booster

Let the player be in control of the water by using piston systems. A piston can block the flow of the water easily, so by hiding pistons in a wall and placing a button somewhere, a player can push a button to activate a water flow behind him. The water will then push the pig and the player forward at a faster speed than the pigs usually walk. This could also be used to toggle a waterfall that allows the pig and the player to go down a large cliff without dieing.

Pig deceleration

In the same way you use speed boosters, pigs could also be slowed down temporarily by making the water flow the other way. This works great when players can activate a water flow behind them by pushing a button. Make sure the water flow is blocked again or else the pigs will never be able to go through.

Waterfalls

The waterfall is great to get to lower places and can be incorporated very easily in natural landscapes. Though make sure the drop is safe, or else the pig and the player will die from falling damage. Waterfalls are usually the only way to get a pig to go down more than 1 block at a time in a safe manner. Pistons could also be used, though greater heights will only cause fall damage, which makes it impossible to know how much health the pig has left, and thus how many more times you can hit it.

Arrow dispensers

Place 1 or 2 dispensers next or close to each other and attach them to a clock. The player will have to try to hit the pig on the right moment to avoid getting hit by the arrow. By placing the dispenser on ground level, the pig could also be hit by an arrow. Though nore that an arrow will deal 2 hearts of damage to the pig, so try not to kill the pig with too many dispensers.

You could use a T flip flop to connect and disconnect the clock from the dispensers wheh the pig walks in and out of the dispenser area. This way the arrows aren’t fired constantly and you don’t have to refill the dispensers as often.

Splash potions of harming

A splash potion of harming will deal 3 hearts of damage to the pig, this can be used as weapons by the contestants or as a punishment in traps or other contraptions.

Note that the damage will be lower when the pig isn’t caught in the middle of the blast radius, though advise the contestants to always assume it dealt 3 hearts of damage, so they don’t accidently kill their pig by hitting it too often. A simply sign will usually be enough to inform the contestants.

Potholes

Pigs can get stuck in 1 block deep holes in the race tracks. They won’t be stuck forever, as they can slow down, but it’s a nice obstacle which can only be passed with luck and perhaps a little persuation by hitting the pig.

Other tips, tricks and recommendations

The race track can be made as seperate lines, so each pig racer has their own track, or as one wide track on which all the pig racers can bump into each other and try to be faster.

The second version is often more exciting, though it does allow players to try to kill each other’s pigs, so consider the players that will play your game when building your tracks.

Pig races are usually more fun when 4 or more pig racers start together, so try to build your track big enough for many players. Also try to build viewing points, like towers and bridges, for an audience to watch the race from clear points.

Picture it! is a fun game in which you have to map out an enormous part of land and be the first to guess what image slowly appears on your map. This game is best played in a large group, perhaps as a server event, but it can also be played with just a few people.

While the aim of the game is quite simple, mapping out the entire map can take quite a while, as a full map covers 1024×1024 blocks. You can also make it even more difficult by placing mob spawners, building the land with different height levels or by allowing people to attack each other.

Building the map can take quite a while, but it generally isn’t too difficult to build. You pretty much use the same techniques as when you build pixel art, but you apply it horizontally. However, note that a single pixel on the map equals an 8×8 chunk in the minecraft world, so you’ll have to plan your land accordingly. You can also only use 10 colours on your map, as most blocks of the same type (like wood, stone, grass, etc) are translated as the same colour on a map. The full list of colours can be found lower down in this article.

To start the game you simply give each member a map, which has been created in the middle of the map (or else it can’t cover everything) and then you could either release them from a fenced off area (spawn) or tell them to run when you’ve counted down.

A final note, the landscape you create will look horrible, as you’re basically creating large squares of seemingly random materials. You might want to either build this area far away from other buildings or cover it with a layer of grass or water when you’re not playing, then remove it with world edit when you want to play.

Map colours

Colour Blocks it could represent: Beds, Block of diamond, Block of gold, Block of iron, Block of lapis lazuli, Brewing stands, Clay, Couldrons, Gravel, Iron doors, Iron bars, Silverfish blocks, Soulsand, Sponge All stone blocks, including ores, nether brick, obsidian, enchantment tables and other blocks made out of stone. Ice Water Grass, Mycelium All nature-type blocks, like saplings, leaves, mushroom blocks, lily pads and flowers. Gravel, Sand, Soul sand Dirt, Farmland All wooden blocks, including chests, fences, signs, wooden doors and all other blocks made with wood. Snow, Snow blocks

Note that transparent blocks, like glass, rails and even portal blocks and fire will show the colour of the block below them.

Download links

Support link – Schematic axe map Support link – World save axe map
Support link – Schematic skull painting map Support link – World save skull painting map

I think we all know the game Pacman and many of you will probably know the myth of the Minotaur. This mini game is based on both of these. The aim of the game is for 1 player or team to find their way to the exit(s) of the maze before the other player or team can find and kill them.

This game is best played with 2 teams, of which one is smaller but (way) better geared than the larger team. One of the teams will start in the center of the maze, while the other team will be spread around the maze or placed at the exits/entrances. Which version you chose will depend on how difficult you want it to be for the escaping team, starting in the center will be more difficult for them.

Once everybody is in position the game starts. The escaping team will have to get away from the other teams or risk beig killed. The escaping team can defend themselves, but the hunting team will be far better geared than them and can easily fight even a few escapees at the same time.

Everybody’s allowed to talk, but typing means you’re not moving, which usually means you’ll die. You could use microphones and services like skype or teamspeak, though if you do you might as well place each team in their seperate chat room.

The winners will be whoever escaped or the hunting team if they’ve killed everybody.

This game works even better when the hunting team know the maze very well, though the team should be quite small compared to the escaping team if only the hunters know the layout of the maze.

Pacman version

In the pacman version we play it a little differently. The teams can still be the same size, though we now only let one team fight the other, depending on who managed to grab armour out of a chest. The attackers shouldn’t be wearing any armour or at least weaker armour than the defending team can take out of the chests.

As anybody who has played Pacman knows, the roles can be reversed by eating a large circle. Our large circle in this case will be a chest with armour (perhaps just a helmet) which will show the player has found the chest. Escapees with a helmet can no longer be attacked by the hunter, but can instead attack the hunters.

If you really want to create a Pacman game, assign 1 player as the escapee (Pacman) and 4 others as the hunters (ghosts). Put all the ghosts in their own small room and open the doors one at a time. You could make the escapee punch all the torches off the walls or floor to mimic the dots.

Download links

Support link – Schematic
Support link – World save
Direct link – World save

Mob fishing is a fun game which can be played on your own or with friends, even as teams. However, an extra few people could be required to count all the caught mobs.

The aim of the game is to catch as many mobs as you can in a limited amount of time. The catching is done by using a fishing rod, as all mobs can be pulled once they’re hooked.

The game is played from a platform high in the air, on which all the players have to stand. Below them will be some form of a pit or other structure that holds a certain amount of mobs.

The players will have a certain amount of time to hook and pull up as many mobs as possible. The hooked mobs will fly towards the player, before dropping down again and dieing from fall damage. Note that chickens do not die from fall damage as they will gently glide down.

By giving each team their own fishing area, counting the amount of caught mobs shouldn’t be too difficult, as you simply count how many mobs are left.

There are quite a few variations available, some require team work while others are have some risk to the player.

Catch it, keep it

In this version players not only have to pull in the mobs, they also have to hit them onto a platform in order to score points. This can be done with swords (preferably wooden) with the knock back enchantment.

This variation requires more skills and a faster reaction time. It could be played in teams, which will have a dedicated fisher and hitter.

Point fishing

In this version different mobs are worth different points. This means the players have to try harder to aim for the right mob, instead of simply casting their rods in the general direction of a group of mobs. This often requires extra players who add up all the points, though you could also give each player their own area with the same amount of each mob.

Any mob left at the end of the round will be used to give the players a score, whoever scores the lowest (and thus pulled up the most difficult mobs) will be the winner.

Chickens and other smaller mobs are often worth the most points, while large animals, like cows and spiders are worth the least.

Creeper fishing

In this version you obviously fish creepers, however, when creepers are pulled close enough to you, they could explode. Exploding creepers barely happen at all, as they’re often out of reach before they can explode, which will reset their exposion timer. However, players unaware of this, or players standing too close to the edge will most likely try to run from the creeper, which means they’ll catch fewer creepers. This is a fun way to test which player is the bravest.

Quick reaction

In this version, all players have to try to catch the same mob. The mob will spawn at regular intervals by a dispenser attached to a redstone clock. The dispenser is filled with spawn eggs. The players will have to get the right angle and wait for the right moment to cast their rods.

You could add different spawn eggs in the dispenser and assign different scores to each of them, larger mobs are usually worth less points. Creepers are often worth minus points, so players have to pay even more attention.

Skeleton (death) fishing

In this version, players only catch skeletons. The skeletons will fire back at the player when they’re close, although they don’t always have the right angle from which they can shoot at the player. So the players will have to be lucky (and perhaps a little skilled) to get the most skeletons before being killed by them.

This game ends when all the players are dead, whoever pulled up the most skeletons wins.

Team fishing

Pretty much all of the above mentioned versions can be played in a team vs team fashion, just make sure you either have a large enough platform for all teams, or give each team their own platform.

It’s easy to create a bowling alley in minecraft, though you don’t actually roll any balls. Instead, you shoot or throw projectiles at mobs standing on fences.

Building it

The game is easy to build. You simply put 10 fences in a triangular shape, in the same way you’d place bowling pins. Don’t put them next to each other, there has to be a space between all the fences.

Now you have to dig the ground out from below the fences and everything around it. Make it either at least 2 blocks deep or fill it with lava.

Next, create a ceiling above the fences, with holes above each fence pole and you’re done with the most basic form.

All you need to do now is place monsters on the fence posts, preferably all of the same species.
This is done by pushing or spawning them with spawn eggs in the holes, they’ll fall on top of the fence posts and stay on there.

Note that humanoid mobs and creepers work best. Spiders will not work at all, as they can’t fit through the hole. Chickens and silverfish are too small for a proper game, so avoid them too. Skeletons will be able to fire back at you and both skeletons and zombies will catch fire if it’s too dark.

You can automate the spawning process by creating a system of dispensers above the holes, this shouldn’t be too difficult for anybody familiar with at least a little bit of redstone circuitry.

Playing

The aim of the game is to shoot as many mobs off of the fence posts with a limited amount of projectiles. You can use snowballs, eggs and a bow and arrow.
Note that the bow and arrow will work best, especially when you have the punch enchantment, which increases the knock back effect.

It’s also possible to use a fishing rod, though this often makes the game a little harder, though skilled players could pull the mobs towards them with the fishing rod and potentially pull more mobs off of the fence posts.

In real bowling you only get to throw twice, though in this minecraft version it’s very difficult, if not impossible, to knock off all the mobs in 2 throws, so you’ll have to decide for yourself how often you let your players throw.

Once a player has finished throwing, any mobs left on the fence post will have to be knocked off before spawning in the next batch for the next player. This can also be done semi-automatically by adding a line of arrow shooting dispensers on one side.

Other tips, tricks and recommendations

You can make the game a lot more challenging by increasing the alley length, blocking paths or adding a piston system which temporarily blocks your view. However, it’s often best to keep the game quite simple, as simply trying to get all 10 mobs off of the fence posts can be challenging enough.

As with all mini games, let your creativity go wild. Build several different alleys, all with automated clearing and spawning processes activated with their own individual buttons. Create themed alleys, alleys with extra obstacles or put your friends on the fence posts.

Miniature golf

Miniature golf (or mini golf) is a fun, little mini game which can be played on your own or with many friends. The aim of the game is the same as the real life version, which is to get the “ball” in the hole in as little throws as possible.
The player with the lowest score at the end will be declared the winner.

Miniature golf in minecraft is played by throwing blocks on paths of ice. The ice will make the blocks slide further than they would if they were thrown on normal blocks.
You can throw any kind of block on the ice, though most people use snowballs as they most resemble real golf balls.

The aim is to get the block into the hole in as little throws as possible. Once a block has been thrown, the player then gets to throw from the spot the block landed on, as long as it’s within the limits of the area.

A golf course usually has 18 holes, though you can create any number of holes with any type of obstacle. The possibilites are pretty much endless.

A well designed golf course with a great decorational area around it will always be more fun to play and it gives the waiting players something to look at.
So spend a little extra time to make your golf course look special, perhaps in a specific theme.

Scoring

Each hole will usually be assigned a “par”, this is the number of throws you need to score 0 points. If you manage to get the block in the hole in 1 throw below par, you score a “birdie”, which gives you a score of -1.
If you manage to do it in 2 throws under par, you score an “eagle” or “double birdie”, which is -2 points.
3 throws under par is an “albatross” or “double eagle”, which is -3 points.
If you need one throw more than the par you score a “bogey”, which means you get a point. Two more throws is a “double bogey”, worth 2 points and three throws is a “triple bogey”, worth 3 points.

It’s sometimes possible to get the block in the hole in one throw, which is called an “ace” or “hole in one”. The scoring for this will be based on the par.
So if a course has a par of 3, scoring a hole in one would give you -2 points.

If a player needs more than 7 throws, the player will usually have to forfeit and leave the course with a score of +7, otherwise it could go on forever.

Obstacles

Anybody who has every played miniature golf in real life will probably know at least 10 different holes to build, though if you need a little inpiration, try one of the following.

Corners, turns and slopes

You can create various different shaped golf courses with sharp angles, long curves or slopes.
Note that blocks cannot go up a slope, only down. So players will have to try to throw the blocks over the slopes.
However, if a block is sliding over an ice block, pushing that ice block up with a piston will not stop the block from sliding, so it is possible to create a timed piston mechanism which will carry to block onto another platform.

Multilayered courses

You could add various holes on a top layer in which the block has been throw. It will then land on a layer below it, which will then either lead to the end hole or even more layers.
By creating 3 of these holes, seperate tracks could be created, some more difficult than the others. So players will have to try to get their block in the more difficult to reach hole in order to get an advantage on the layer below.

“The windmill”

Anybody who has ever played miniature golf will have most likely encountered the windmill challenge. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, the windmill’s blades will rotate and constantly block off the whole through which the ball has to be shot. This means you need to time your shot (or by lucky) in order to get the golf ball into the hole.

This can easily be recreated in minecraft, though obviously without a rotating windmill.
A simply system of sticky pistons with a redstone clock will allow you to block the only hole through which the ball can be thrown on a constant rythm.
The players will have to time their shot perfectly or their ball will be blocked by the piston.

Water flows

Blocks will be carried by water, which makes water the perfect way to create shortcuts on your course. Players could then chose to go for the easier, but longer route or try to get the block into a water flow, which will carry the ball further but is often difficult to reach.

Boundaries, bridges and sand banks

Water could be used to set boundaries around your course. If the block falls into the water, the player will have to start back at the beginning of the course.
Small bridges could be created as the only passage across the water, which make it quite difficult to succeed on this course.

Sand (and any other block) can be used to stop the blocks from sliding across the ice, so players will have to aim their blocks well in order not to get stuck on those blocks.

Fire, lava and other heat sources

Fire and lava should never be used in your courses, as they will melt the ice. So will torches and many other heat and light sources.
Though it is possible to prevent this by using mods or server plugins.

Miniature golf (or mini golf) is a fun, little mini game which can be played on your own or with many friends. The aim of the game is the same as the real life version, which is to get the “ball” in the hole in as little throws as possible. The player with the lowest score at the end will be declared the winner.

Miniature golf in minecraft is played by throwing blocks on paths of ice. The ice will make the blocks slide further than they would if they were thrown on normal blocks. You can throw any kind of block on the ice, though most people use snowballs as they most resemble real golf balls.

The aim is to get the block into the hole in as little throws as possible. Once a block has been thrown, the player then gets to throw from the spot the block landed on, as long as it’s within the limits of the area.

A golf course usually has 18 holes, though you can create any number of holes with any type of obstacle. The possibilites are pretty much endless.

A well designed golf course with a great decorational area around it will always be more fun to play and it gives the waiting players something to look at. So spend a little extra time to make your golf course look special, perhaps in a specific theme.

Scoring

Each hole will usually be assigned a “par”, this is the number of throws you need to score 0 points. If you manage to get the block in the hole in 1 throw below par, you score a “birdie”, which gives you a score of -1.

If you manage to do it in 2 throws under par, you score an “eagle” or “double birdie”, which is -2 points.

3 throws under par is an “albatross” or “double eagle”, which is -3 points.

If you need one throw more than the par you score a “bogey”, which means you get a point. Two more throws is a “double bogey”, worth 2 points and three throws is a “triple bogey”, worth 3 points.

It’s sometimes possible to get the block in the hole in one throw, which is called an “ace” or “hole in one”. The scoring for this will be based on the par.
So if a course has a par of 3, scoring a hole in one would give you -2 points.

If a player needs more than 7 throws, the player will usually have to forfeit and leave the course with a score of +7, otherwise it could go on forever.

Obstacles

Anybody who has every played miniature golf in real life will probably know at least 10 different holes to build, though if you need a little inpiration, try one of the following.

Corners, turns and slopes

You can create various different shaped golf courses with sharp angles, long curves or slopes. Note that blocks cannot go up a slope, only down. So players will have to try to throw the blocks over the slopes. However, if a block is sliding over an ice block, pushing that ice block up with a piston will not stop the block from sliding, so it is possible to create a timed piston mechanism which will carry to block onto another platform.

Multilayered courses

You could add various holes on a top layer in which the block has been throw. It will then land on a layer below it, which will then either lead to the end hole or even more layers. By creating 3 of these holes, seperate tracks could be created, some more difficult than the others. So players will have to try to get their block in the more difficult to reach hole in order to get an advantage on the layer below.

“The windmill”

Anybody who has ever played miniature golf will have most likely encountered the windmill challenge. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, the windmill’s blades will rotate and constantly block off the whole through which the ball has to be shot. This means you need to time your shot (or by lucky) in order to get the golf ball into the hole.

This can easily be recreated in minecraft, though obviously without a rotating windmill. A simply system of sticky pistons with a redstone clock will allow you to block the only hole through which the ball can be thrown on a constant rythm.
The players will have to time their shot perfectly or their ball will be blocked by the piston.

Water flows

Blocks will be carried by water, which makes water the perfect way to create shortcuts on your course. Players could then chose to go for the easier, but longer route or try to get the block into a water flow, which will carry the ball further but is often difficult to reach.

Boundaries, bridges and sand banks

Water could be used to set boundaries around your course. If the block falls into the water, the player will have to start back at the beginning of the course. Small bridges could be created as the only passage across the water, which make it quite difficult to succeed on this course.

Sand (and any other block) can be used to stop the blocks from sliding across the ice, so players will have to aim their blocks well in order not to get stuck on those blocks.

Fire, lava and other heat sources

Fire and lava should never be used in your courses, as they will melt the ice. So will torches and many other heat and light sources. Though it is possible to prevent this by using mods or server plugins.