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How to Make Minecraft Harder

Posted: Apr 22, 2024 in Minecraft

mc head By Nathan Young

Throughout the years of playing Minecraft, you and others alike might find the game too simple. This tends to happen when experienced players complete their goals too quickly, such as beating the ender dragon, obtaining the best equipment, or building all their ideas. Increasing the difficulty of Minecraft is a perfect way to be engaged, but this can be amplified with mods, plugins, and custom settings. For instance, you can introduce mutated monster bosses or dangerous dungeons full of enemies to make Minecraft harder. Whether you play on the latest version or previous ones, this is entirely possible. There are multiple methods to accomplish this feat, which can overwhelm players at times – especially server owners. How do you make Minecraft harder? Let’s answer this question and give examples, today!

Making Minecraft Harder to Play

Depending on your desired setup, making Minecraft harder to play with friends can take many forms. These include using mods or plugins, which determine how players join. For example, Forge requires everyone to install it with all other files before connecting – while Paper is open ended. The features differ between mods and plugins, so keep that in mind when reviewing the sections below. Additionally, there are tons of them available to try out. This means you aren’t limited to the ones we mentioned in this article! Check out our full list of mods and plugins to find out what best suits your needs.

Forge / Fabric Mods

Minecraft can be increasingly challenging with the right mods, varying in features. Whether you want new mobs or an overhaul to the crafting recipes, anything is possible. One such example is Cave Dweller, a mysterious horror entity that stalks players while they mine in caves. This is absolutely terrifying and makes Minecraft harder by limiting the amount of resources you can obtain before being chased away. Other mods can include having a thirst or stamina system, ore generation changes, and so much more.

Cave Dweller Mod
Apotheosis Mod

Another mod that makes Minecraft harder is Apotheosis, providing players with new dungeons, lootable weapons, and randomly spawned bosses to fight. It challenges you by incentivizing exploration and combat, with some monsters being extremely difficult to defeat. They can have enchanted equipment, which can deal massive damage – especially with sharpness 5. It also introduces a new way to upgrade gear, requiring extra resources from all dimensions. Similar mods exist too that can add more structures, enemy abilities, and more.

Want more challenges? Check out the mods to make Minecraft harder on your server below!

ModVersion(s)
Ice and Fire: DragonsForge 1.10.2 to 1.20.1
ApotheosisForge 1.12.2 to 1.20.1
Cave DwellerForge 1.19.3
CreateForge 1.14.4 to 1.20.1
Mowzie’s MobsForge 1.7.10 to 1.19.2
Mutant MonstersForge / Fabric 1.18.2 to 1.20.4

 

Spigot / Paper Plugins

Similar to mods, plugins can achieve the same results to make Minecraft harder to play. These can range from custom mobs, minigames, randomized crafting, and more. For instance, MythicMobs opens the door for unique creatures with powerful abilities. Players who encounter these bosses will need to have friends or enchanted equipment to claim victory. It also allows you to create your own mobs, making it beneficial for Minecraft servers. Otherwise, there are alternative plugins out there to try out.

MythicMobs Plugin
The Floor is Lava Plugin

Rather than having new mobs, consider using The Floor is Lava plugin to make Minecraft harder. This can be a minigame, but also a legitimate mechanic on your server. All it does is raise the lava level in the entire world by a predetermined amount and time. In other words, players will need to quickly gather resources and build high enough to avoid being pummeled by fire. Using this plugin and others like it can also make beating Minecraft more enjoyable for all, depending on how they play the game.

If you’re interested in other plugins to make Minecraft harder on your server, review them below!

PluginVersion(s)
BloodMoonMinecraft 1.16 to 1.18
LevelledMobsMinecraft 1.16 to 1.20
LifeSteal SMPMinecraft 1.17 to 1.20
RandomizerMinecraft 1.13 to 1.20
The Floor is LavaMinecraft 1.14
MythicMobsMinecraft 1.16 to 1.20

 

Default Settings

In cases where you want to avoid installing mods or plugins, consider editing the default settings in Minecraft. This can be on Vanilla, Forge, Fabric, Spigot, Paper, and other server types. Examples include making the world hardcore, increasing mob spawn rates, altering structure generations, and more. The possibilities are endless! Just keep in mind that these settings depend on what type of Minecraft server you’re hosting.

Minecraft Paper Settings

 

Minecraft Challenges with Friends

Having challenges in Minecraft to play with friends is a wonderful way to make the game harder. Whether the goal is to beat the ender dragon or simply have a tougher time surviving in the overworld, you have plenty of options. These range from installing mods, plugins, or editing default settings. Take control of your Minecraft gameplay and make it exactly what you want!

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