How to change the world generation in Minecraft

Minecraft is known for its gigantic sandbox worlds that stretch on almost endlessly (there is an eventual world border). As players travel along the world, it first loads up according to the render distance set by the player and then loads up chunk by chunk as the player moves in any specific direction. This process is known as world generation.

This article will talk about the world generation in the game and how to alter it. When a new Minecraft world is about to be started by a player, the game asks them to choose the “world type” they want.

The world is then generated according to the world type the player selects. Thus, players can change how the world generates based on their choice of world type. Each world type has certain aspects that make it unique, which will be explained below.

---

Minecraft: Changing world generation and world type

While many players decide to go with the “Default” option under the “World Type” option, others choose to take a non-traditional path and use some of the other methods of world generation.

Listed below are every type of world type in both the Bedrock and Java editions of the game.

1) Default

The Default world type is how worlds are usually generated without the help of any external tweaks or changes. As Minecraft's default world generation system, this world type uses the game's biomes as a frame to generate a procedural and random world filled with mobs, blocks, structures, and more. This option is already selected by the game.

---

2) Superflat/Flat

This world type generates a flat world, with no mountains, ravines, caves, etc. However, mineshafts, strongholds, villages, ores, blocks like gravel, and other biome-specific blocks are available as optional structures.

Superflat worlds only have four layers, including a bedrock layer at Y level 0, followed by two dirt, and finally one layer of grass blocks. Slimes can be found commonly in these worlds, and villages generate quite frequently (Java Edition only). Structures do not generate in Bedrock Edition Flat world types.

---

3) Amplified (Exclusive to Java Edition)

The world generation for this world type is quite similar to how the Caves and Cliffs update looks right now. Large mountainous landscapes and excessively deep ravines and caves are generated, with the Minecraft wiki calling the world type’s terrain “unforgiving”. Amplified mountains also have a chance to be taller than the default mountain biomes.

---

4) Large Biomes (Exclusive to Java Edition)

This world type is quite similar to the “default” world type. However, as the name says, it does generate larger biomes. Precisely, each biome generates as 4x bigger, which means that each has 16 times the area they have in the default world type. This can be infinitely assistive when locating rare structures like his, villages, desert temples, jungle temples, etc.

---

5) Single biome (Exclusive to Java Edition)

This world type is quite simple. It generates exactly as the default world type generates, with the lowest Bedrock level being at Y level- 64 and the rest of the Overworld terrain generating above it.

However, only one biome is generated. Players can select this biome during the time of world generation. Every biome in the game is a viable option, including the End, biomes from the Nether, and all Overworld biomes.

---

6) Debug mode (Exclusive to Java Edition)

This world type is not used by many people. However, it is pretty helpful and informative. This world type is used to inspect or test any block in the game. It lays down every block in the game in a grid-like fashion.

---

7) Custom (Exclusive to Java Edition)

This world type allows players to make worlds with custom world generational properties. This means that players can make their own custom biomes and therefore alter generations in the way they want. Custom generation is possible in all dimensions of the game, including the Overworld, End, and Nether.

Choosing the world type is the first step in any Minecraft player’s journey. While it is important to note that world generation types like the Amplified world type need a “beefy computer” (Mojang’s words, not ours), players can still witness how different each world type is from the other.