How to build an AFK creeper farm in Minecraft

Mob loot is often significant in Minecraft. Some items, like rotten flesh, rarely come from anything but a slain mob.

Even aside from the standard drops, some mobs have a chance to drop something outstanding. Witches can drop potions, zombies can drop iron, copper ingots, etc. For that reason, mob farms are often constructed.

Creepers are frequently overlooked because of how frustrating and annoying they are. They're not particularly fun to fight, but they drop pretty valuable things. Unless there are different circumstances, they'll drop XP and gunpowder, which can be hard to come by.

Many players strive to make an AFK creeper farm. Here's how they can go about doing so.

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Step-by-step guide for building AFK creeper farm in Minecraft

It should first be noted that all mob farms can spawn creepers. It's difficult, though not impossible, to exclude all other mobs from spawning so that it only kills creepers. For that reason, it's often easier to build a mob farm and let it get the mobs that spawn.

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Step 1: Build the farm

The outer shell (Image via Mojang)

A mob farm should be completely encased. Hostile mobs can't spawn in light, so it's best if the farm has absolutely no light. It can be as wide as players want, though five or six blocks are recommended.

Ultimately, the bigger it is, the more space for mobs to spawn, but it will require lots more work.

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Step 2: Lower height in the farm

There is a way to limit the mobs that can spawn (especially in Java Edition). Building the farm two blocks high is enough space for almost every hostile mob to spawn, except for Endermen, who are slightly taller.

However, placing trap doors on the ceiling block lowers the height to just below two entire blocks. This removes the ability for anything other than creepers to spawn.

According to Minecraft Wiki, it works on Java Edition all the time but "may not work in Bedrock."

Creeper farms can come in all shapes and sizes (Image via Noise Gaming/YouTube)

There is a chance that spiders will still spawn in the creeper farm since they are also shorter than two blocks, but two mobs spawning is better than all mobs spawning.

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Step 3: Push mobs to their death

Flowing water will push creepers to their death (Image via Mojang)

On one side of the farm, users should put a row of water source blocks. The farm needs to be longer than eight blocks since water won't flow that far. This way, the mobs will flow to the end and be put onto harmful blocks.

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Step 4: Make sure they'll die and that the loot gets collected

At the end of the water, there needs to be some sort of killing mechanism. This can be done with magma cubes, campfires, or other harmful Minecraft blocks.

Magma blocks can kill creepers (Image via Mojang)

The second part of this step is to pick up the loot. The key to an AFK farm is a hopper and chests. A minecart with a hopper can be placed on powered rails (one redstone block at either end to power it), so it goes back and forth collecting the items and depositing them in hoppers placed below.

In front of the hoppers, gamers can connect chests for the last deposit of the loot.

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Step 5: Make sure no light can get in

It helps to extend the surrounding shell far enough out so that Minecraft players can come in and walk a distance to get to the chests.

This is so that no light will penetrate the farm when Minecraft users come inside. The most challenging part of a mob farm is not allowing any light inside while also having a way to get in and get the loot.

One of the best ways to do this is by using a dark oak door, which doesn't let in light.

Dark oak doors let no light in (Image via Mojang)

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Step 6: Go AFK

Once Minecraft gamers have set all this up, they can go AFK and wait for creepers to spawn. It is beneficial to be close to the farm so that mobs will actually spawn.

They can set themselves up in a safe spot, leave their controller or keyboard, and wait for the loot to pile up.