15 Fun Ideas for What to Build in Minecraft

If you want to do something wholly unique, throw out conventional structures and do something weird, cute, quirky, or cool. With Minecraft being the ultimate creativity tool, don’t limit yourself to the bare essentials of survival within four walls.

2. Castle

Castles can be a grand spectacle if done right and can be relatively easy to put together if you plan out the design ahead of time. Begin by laying out the floorplan, as well as the perimeter wall that will surround your castle. Maybe add in a moat and drawbridge for an extra sense of flair.

Minecraft Castle Build

Consider which angle of fantasy you are aiming for, and that will dictate the blocks you use, color schemes, and decoration aesthetics. As with any Minecraft build, the more forethought you give to a build, the better it will turn out, and the more likely you will be to follow through and have the determination to complete it.

3. Boat

Minecraft Boat Build Example

A good accompaniment to a castle, or as a standalone build depending on the scale, constructing a seaworthy vessel can be a challenging but fulfilling experience. Due to the limitations of Minecraft, a boat has less functionality than other structures, however, if you’re wanting to have a home base that isn’t just a box, building a boat as your HQ can reinvigorate your playthrough.

4. City

The ultimate test of perseverance and determination, but also the challenge that offers the biggest dopamine hit as the project starts coming together; the city build. Sure, you don’t have to create something this legendary right away, but for collaborative Minecraft builds that are quite legendary, we had to throw in this GoT city for inspiration.

Minecraft City of Kings Landing (from Game Of Thrones)

The further you push the scale and detail, the harder it will be, so compartmentalize. Don’t worry about furnishing the insides of each and every building as you go; you can put a sign down or make a mental note of what you’d like each building to be.

5. Animal Farm

Another build you are likely to do naturally if you’re playing in Survival; there are various ways to create an animal farm. The most common way is to lure a pair of the same animal to a spot near your home and pen them in. Rinse and repeat for various different mobs, and you’ll have an infinite supply of meat, eggs, wool, milk, etc.

Minecraft Animal Farm/Farmhouse

If you’re wanting to take your animal farming to the next level, you can produce intricate systems, involving Redstone or not, that can automatically farm animal resources for you. This will of course almost always require you to lure the animals in the first place, but if you’re a particularly busy bee you can ensure valuable materials are continually being gathered even when you’re off exploring.

6. Treehouse

Treehouses are a wonderful way of spicing up your Minecraft lifestyle. Whilst you can incorporate any tree in any biome into your home, the obvious best choice here is a Jungle biome, simply due to the height (and therefore real estate) you can produce without too much obstruction or limitation.

Minecraft Treehouse Build

Whether you’re going for an inconspicuous shack or an interconnected series of huts, there are many Treehouse ideas to get you started on your new life high in the sky.

7. Bridge

A seemingly trivial affair, right? Just place some blocks over a bit of water. Why not make it more exciting though? If your surrounding builds have a particular theme, why not style the bridge to fit in with that aesthetic you’re going for?

Minecraft Bridge Build

Another option is to start a project based on a real-world bridge, be it Golden Gate or London Bridge, there are countless options that you can choose your design from. These types of builds can be particularly effective when attached to City builds, or for people who are fans of LEGO Architecture. What’s better than having both a physical and digital model of a famous landmark?

8. Garden

An often-overlooked element that can be incorporated into each and every house you build, the garden in Minecraft is an accentuating feature that can really enhance the aesthetics of your home. It also acts as an excellent reason for you to collect the various plants and flowers you encounter, as well as saplings for trees you’ve found in various biomes should the size of your garden permit them.

Minecraft Garden Build

You can take this idea one step further by making a humongous garden to walk through, acting as a flower show or park for you (and any multiplayer friends) to enjoy and relax within. Also see: Where to Find Flowers in Minecraft.

9. Fountain

Another easy addition that can enhance other elements of your builds, throw down some fancy stone and dig a small hole – but no swimming! If you’re wanting to go big, design a small statue to sit atop the fountain, maybe even incorporate some Redstone to make your water flow intermittently through spouts to make it as realistic as possible.

Minecraft Fountain Build

If you want an easier approach to having a showpiece atop your new fountain, you can use an Armor Stand with some shiny armor (and pose it if you’re in Bedrock Edition).

10. Library

A build that is particularly easy to assemble if you’re in Creative is a Library, as it can be as big or small as you wish. All you need is an outer shell of a building, shaped and designed however you wish, and an absurd number of Bookshelf blocks!

Minecraft Library Build

Whilst you may not consider it at first, like many other projects, you can model the library you build off of a property that is near and dear to you – your local library. Alternatively, if you want to make the jump into fiction, consider building the dusty library of Hogwarts, Belle’s library from Beauty and the Beast, or the Jedi Archives if you’re wanting to stretch your creative abilities. (Who remembers the Uncensored Library Minecraft map from 2020?)

11. Landmarks

An awe-inspiring yet also functional build idea, you can choose an open area to build a monument, be it from fiction or nonfiction. Attempt to recreate the Statue of Liberty, Big Ben, the Space Needle, Mount Rushmore… the list goes on.

Minecraft Statue

If a real-world landmark doesn’t whet your appetite, why not build a statue of your favorite superhero? Large-scale builds like this not only result in impressive art pieces, but they can double up as literal landmarks so that you can more easily navigate your Minecraft world if you don’t have other tools at your disposal. (Also see: 11 Incredible Skyrim-Inspired Minecraft builds, top Mario Minecraft builds and these amazing Harry Potter Minecraft builds). Besides, it would be pretty difficult to lose your house if a gigantic Eye of Sauron loomed over it.

12. Evil Lair

Why not let out your more conspicuous side and give in to the theoretical dark side? If any of the previous entries haven’t been to your liking when it comes to creating your forever home, aim for something villainous. The juxtaposition with Minecraft’s mostly bright and blissful nature provides a refreshing nature to your gameplay, and by default demands a different approach to the building process. Do you create secret passageways hidden by paintings? Tripwires and secret traps to catch those entering your base unaware? The sky is the limit when it comes to your dastardly schemes.

Minecraft Evil Lair Build

You can choose to base yourself in the Nether if you wish, or you can bring some of the Nether to you and construct a dark fortress or underground lair that intimidates any and all who come near it (even if you’re playing in Single player).

13. Aquarium

Be it large or small, an aquarium always manages to become a huge draw of attention, bringing people from far and wide to see exotic fish and marine creatures. With the ever-expanding list of water-dwelling mobs in Minecraft, there hasn’t been a better time than now to work on constructing an aquarium of your own.

Minecraft Aquarium Build

From a small fish tank inside your home to a major building in and of itself, the options are limitless. As you enter more endgame content and can explore underwater areas more comfortably, you’ll have more and more opportunities to meet (and subsequently catch) different fish that you can then add as your latest exhibit on display.

14. Museum

A particularly fun project if you’re aiming to RP a lot in your world, a museum can not only act as a storage facility, but also a trip down memory lane. Your first enchanted pickaxe that’s this close to breaking, your first diamond, the remains of a beloved animal lost all too soon; these gems can all live here.

Minecraft Museum Build

With materials like the more recently added Bone blocks, you can also recreate fossils and skeletons to put on display, and precious pieces of artwork to admire.

15. Pixel Art

Sticking with the idea of art pieces on display, something that is entirely plausible for each and every Minecraft player, regardless of skill level, is pixel art. The blocky pixel-based art style of default Minecraft lends itself excellently to projects like this. Be it your favorite anime character, a shot from a beloved film, or the spiciest of memes, the only limit is your imagination.

Minecraft Pixel Art Example

In Summary:

We hope you enjoyed these top Minecraft building ideas to help get your creative juices flowing. From simple, essential builds to fun artsy builds; from Survival to Creative, there’s something for every Minecraft fan on this list.

What to Make First in Minecraft

Whilst all of these build ideas are wonderful, should you be playing in Survival, you’ll still need some of the essentials to ensure that you can survive long enough to see these magnificent ideas come to life. Here is our shortlist for the most important things to build first in your new world:

What are some of your favorite things to build in Minecraft? Let us know in the comments.

Samuel Heaney is a freelance writer with expertise in gaming guides and all things Minecraft. You can follow him on Twitter.