Minecraft 1.21: How to make creeper farm

Creepers are Minecraft's most iconic mob, and for good reason. Getting jump-scared by a creeper that silently sneaks up on you before dealing massive damage by exploding is an iconic part of the game. The mob also drops gunpowder, which is a very useful item needed to make both TNT and firework rockets, required for prolonged elytra flight.

Gunpowder is such a useful item that building a Minecraft creeper farm is an essential part of preparing for the late game. Thankfully, these farms can be made both easily and cheaply.

Everything you need to know about building a simple starter creeper farm can be found detailed below.

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How to build a simple Minecraft creeper farm

Materials

As mentioned previously, Minecraft creeper farms can be made relatively cheaply. They do require several stacks of building blocks and trapdoors, which are the most expensive components by far. Additionally, the cats needed to get the highest efficiency will require players to either find witch huts or a village to tame wild cats.

Outside of this, the materials are quite standard for mob farms: Minecraft hoppers, chests, water, and a method to kill the mobs. In this case, that method is campfires, but you could also manually kill the creepers with a looting sword for higher drop rates and XP.

1) Wall in the farm

A visual guide for the walls of the farm (Image via Mojang)

The first thing you'll want to do to make a Minecraft farm for creepers is build the walls.

Start by placing seven blocks down in a line. Build out three blocks diagonally from each end, and then build two more seven-block lines. From the end of these walls, build in three blocks diagonally, and add a final seven-block wall. This should form an octagon.

2) Add slabs

These slabs are essential for the farm spawning only creepers (Image via Mojang)

Using the exact center of the farm as a starting point, place slabs every third block of the farm. This series of slabs will prevent Minecraft spiders from spawning and filling up the farm.

Don't place a slab in the center of the farm, however, as that's where the collection system is going to go.

3) Place trapdoors

The trapdoors are by far the most expensive part of this farm (Image via Mojang)

Next, place trapdoors along the top of the farm over every block that doesn't have a slab. These trapdoors will cause the farm to be too short to spawn zombies and skeletons, but tall enough to spawn creepers.

When combined with the slabs from the previous step, the only Minecraft mob that's able to spawn within the farm are creepers.

Bring four tamed cats to the farm. Sit one on the middle slab of each seven-block wall. This will force any creepers that spawn to panic and rush into the collection system.

4) Build the collection system

Creepers burning in the farm's collection system (Image via Mojang)

Speaking of the collection system, it's time to make that. Dig out a 3x3 hole in the exact center of the farm and make it three blocks deep. Add trapdoors, and then open them around the rim of this pit. The creepers will see the trapdoors as full blocks and wander into the hole and right into the flowing water that will be added below.

Jump into this pit and dig a five-block-long tunnel off of one side. Place down chests immediately at the end of the tunnel, with hoppers on top of them. Then, place campfires on top of each hopper. Place three signs over the campfires, and add water source blocks to the very end of the tunnel. Wall everything off to make sure the creepers can't escape.

Finally, you'll want to add a ladder or staircase so that you can enter and exit the farm's collection area.

5) Roof in the farm

A roof added to the farm, so that it can operate during the day (Image via Mojang)

Move back to the outside of the farm and add a roof to the Minecraft build. This will allow the farm to work throughout the day, as the inside will be pitch black.

This is vital to making the farm as efficient as possible, as otherwise it will only operate during the night.

6) Make an AFK platform

An AFK box made high above the rest of the farm (Image via Mojang)

To maximize the spawn rates in the farm, you'll need to build your AFK box high up in the sky. Build a tower up all the way to Y level 180, and add ladders so that you can come and go freely.

Build a small box to protect yourself from Minecraft phantoms. Then, place a torch and a bed. Skipping through the night is always beneficial, as it helps concentrate mob spawns in the farm.