Rating Minecraft Biomes

Duncan Schiller, MVC Writer

The Minecraft 1.18 update brought several new biomes to the game. So, with the new biomes in mind, here is a review of my ten favorite biomes in Minecraft. Starting off with the first and lowest rating on this review: the desert. The desert is typically very empty, but it does have the occasional sand temple and sand village, which can have decent loot inside. However, there are special zombie variants called husks that will spawn here at night, which gives the hunger debuff when landing a hit on the player. Overall, dangerous, but often worth exploring for temple chests, but make sure not to fall onto the trap in the center.

At the number nine spot the dark oak forest is pretty biome, with plenty of cows, but typically a lot shadier, with more monster spawns. The trees inside of the forest are a good source of wood, as they always grow tall, but make sure not to fall off when cutting them down. Players can also find woodland mansions inside. 

The ocean lands in spot number eight, with good loot, various biomes, and even a temple. Shipwrecks are a common sight under the sea, and they can have up to three chests inside, each with different treasure. The ocean monument is one of the larger structures that can naturally spawn, and it is the only place where players can get prismarine and sponges. Inside, there are large pufferfish with lasers called guardians, and three large gray ones called elder guardians. Make sure to be careful while treasure hunting, because in Bedrock Edition, doors and torches no longer work as air pockets while underwater, and drowned’s can spawn with powerful tridents, which do eight points of damage.

In the number seven slot, there is the mesa biome. This is another very pretty biome, with multiple shades of terracotta making up the terrain, and abundant amounts of gold underground. Players can also find abandoned mineshafts in amazing numbers here, and inside there are chests with loot in them.

For number six, there is the plains. This is a very basic biome, but has plenty of animals and flowers to offer, as well as villages. However, the one downside is that it is super open, meaning that in multiplayer servers, players can be easily spotted and raided. 

Halfway done now, there is the oak forest for number five. It is probably the most common biome in “Minecraft,” and is the most recognizable biome by far. Plenty of cows will spawn here, so it is a great place to get leather.

The fourth spot on this list goes to the extreme hills biome. A mountainous area, with canyons and cliffs, this biome is a great place to find emeralds and other resources. It is also very pretty, and with the new 1.18 update, there are snow-covered tops too. 

For number three, there is the End. The End dimension is the area where the final boss of “Minecraft” is located, and once that boss is beaten, players may choose to explore the End Islands, which contain end cities and ships, which all contain amazing loot, like elytra. Wearing an elytra allows players to glide around.

For biome number two, there is the Nether, and all of the biomes within it are being lumped in together. The Nether is a very spicy place, with enemies based on pigs and fire, but do not expect to get any bacon here. The Nether is probably the most dangerous area in the game, with a floor of lava, painful magma blocks, and soul sand deserts, which will slow the player down considerably. However, the Nether contains two major structures: the Nether Fortress, and the Piglin Bastions. Bastions are an amazing place to get both gold ingots and netherite scraps. Nether Fortresses, however, are the only place that a player can obtain blaze rods, which are necessary to reach the end, and is also the easiest place to gather nether wart, which is necessary for potion brewing.

Now then, onto the final biome, the number one spot on this list goes to… the lush caves biome from the new 1.18 update. Since 1.18, axolotls have been relocated to only spawn in this biome, and it is also the only biome where a player can find glow berries and moss growing. This biome is chock-full of diamond ore, which is a valuable material that players can use for armor, tools, and even jukeboxes. Overall, a beautiful and practical biome. 

And with that, how about you go out and explore all of these biomes? You might find some new favorites along the way.