How to beat Minecraft in a Superflat world

In Minecraft: Java Edition, Superflat worlds can be made during world creation and are quite difficult to survive in due to their relative lack of resources. However, with the right settings in place, it's still possible to beat Survival Mode even in a Superflat world.

By default, Superflat worlds in Minecraft: Java Edition don't spawn the strongholds required to complete Survival Mode's story. Things are even worse off in Bedrock Edition, where Flat worlds don't possess the ability to be customized and don't generate any form of structure. Regardless, if a Java Edition player does wish to complete Survival Mode in a Superflat world, there are a few things they'll need to keep in mind to do so.

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Enabling Strongholds in Minecraft: Java Edition and beating Survival Mode

Strongholds generate quite differently in Superflat worlds (Image via Mojang)

A standard Superflat world in Minecraft: Java Edition may not generate strongholds, but fortunately, it's possible to use different presets to enable them. During world creation, it only takes a few clicks, and you'll be able to find a stronghold in your Superflat world as well as the Nether to collect your blaze rods and Ender Pearls. Various presets enable access to the Nether and End, so players have more than a few options to cater to their tastes.

Creating a Superflat World With Nether/End Access

1. Open Java Edition and proceed to the world creation menu.
2. Select the 'More world options' button.
3. Press the button that reads 'World Type: Default' until it reads 'Superflat.'
4. A 'Customize' button will appear under the Superflat world type, press it.
5. In the customization menu, press the 'Preset' button and select a preset that enables strongholds. You can select either Tunneler's Dream, Overworld, or Desert. Overworld tends to be the best option, as it generates many other structures like villages, pillager outposts, dungeons, mineshafts, and ruined portals.
6. Press 'Done' and then complete your world generation.

Once you drop into the new Minecraft world, you'll notice that it generates as a Superflat world, but it will also generate various structures. In the Overworld preset, this makes it considerably easier to find a village or any other structure that you're looking for. Finding a village is very important for Superflat Survival completion, as you'll need its resources to get started.

Progressing to the End in Minecraft Superflat Survival

1. After spawning, find a village as soon as you can. Loot all the available items from the village, including food, tools, and weapons, or blacksmith shop items like diamonds, obsidian, or horse armor. Break any blocks you deem necessary to get started, but avoid breaking doors as these will allow zombies to kill Minecraft villagers in the night. Don't break too many villager beds or their workstations either, as this can cause them to wander off and be attacked as well.
2. Acquire iron as quickly as you can. This can be achieved by looting villages, trading with villagers, or killing iron golems. Taking on iron golems early can be difficult, so you may want to proceed as you would ordinarily in Minecraft Survival until you're able to trade effectively or find another village that has iron ingots to loot.
3. With your iron, create a bucket to collect water. In Minecraft: Java Edition's Overworld preset, you can find water in village wells or from villager farms.
4. Pour water over lava pools in the game world to create obsidian, then mine it with a diamond pickaxe. The easiest way to obtain diamonds for a pickaxe in Minecraft Superflat is to venture to different villages and loot their blacksmith shops. You may even find enough obsidian to create or finish a Nether portal on your own while looting.
5. With at least ten obsidian, create a Nether portal and activate it with a flint and steel (flint can be obtained from fletcher villagers in Minecraft). Additionally, you can find a ruined portal on the map and complete it by removing any crying obsidian and rebuilding the frame.
6. Once you're in the Nether, you'll notice that the dimension is roughly the same as it would normally be. Seek out a Nether Fortress to kill blazes and obtain their blaze rods, then barter with piglins to obtain ender pearls. To do this, you'll need gold, which can be obtained in the Overworld from village loot chests or by breaking down gold blocks you find near ruined portals.
7. Combine your blaze rods and ender pearls to create eyes of ender. You'll need a maximum of 12 eyes of ender to complete a fully empty End portal frame. Next, return to the Overworld and seek out a stronghold. They should be incredibly noticeable in the Superflat world type as they tend to hover above the ground. Find the End portal room and insert your eyes of ender in the portal frames. All that's left to do is to defeat the ender dragon and complete Minecraft's Survival Mode.

Minecraft's Superflat worlds may test a player's resourcefulness and material-gathering skills, but beating Survival Mode in one is a truly rewarding experience. It takes a few tricks and some knowledge to finally cross the finish line, but doing so is a considerable accomplishment. After the ender dragon has fallen, you're free to explore, craft, and build in your vast flat world to your heart's content.