Minecraft player shares simple tricks to help cave explorers avoid losing their way back

The exploration never stops in Minecraft. The procedurally generated world allows players to keep exploring and finding new things, especially in places like mines and caves. Consequently, it's easy for players to get lost or at least struggle to find their way back home. Many players have succumbed to the dark and confusing tunnels of the large cave systems over the years.

A Minecraft player and Reddit user by the name of zzastro shared an image on the subreddit of the game showing a simple trick that may help players not get lost in caves and mines. The trick, as shown in the image, is to place torches on the left side of the cave when going into the depth so that while returning, the torches are on the right side.

Simple trick to keep you from getting lost in caves byu/zzastro inMinecraft

A user by the name of RedEyez89 commented that this method is simple and effective at the same time, pointing to the simple requirement of a few torches that are very easy and cheap to make.

User Domilego4 agreed, saying that it was Thinknoodles who taught them this trick over a decade ago. They also shared that with some minor adjustments, this trick can be used to tackle the more complicated caves with trickier paths just as well.

Comment byu/zzastro from discussion inMinecraft

Comment byu/zzastro from discussion inMinecraft

This was an important point to raise, as the Caves and Cliffs update has made the caves more complicated. This made exploring the caves more fun, but at the same time more challenging. Many users brought this point up in the discussion as well.

Reddit reacts to the Minecraft cave exploration trick (Image via Reddit/zzastro/Mojang Studios)

User AvidPlayer27 pointed out that this only works on simple cave systems and not with looping caves. Another user named Duntem_Draws shared their strategy of using markers with wood and cobblestone that point them to the exit. User Salomon3068 said that they line up torches whenever there is a fork ahead so that they know the path to take.

Reddit reacts to the Minecraft cave exploration trick (Image via Reddit/zzastro/Mojang Studios)

A user by the name of BassheadGamer commented something similar stating that this works well for mines but caves are too complicated for this simple trick and the best approach to finding one's way back is noting down the coordinates.

Another user by the name of Fwenhy said that they also used this trick but only before the Caves and Cliffs update. After the update, they use a combination of two torches or redstone torches to mark the entrance.

---

Cave exploration in Minecraft

The caves have become more complicated in Minecraft (Image via Mojang Studios)

Caves have become more complicated after the Caves and Cliffs update. Instead of being simple caves, they are now looped with multiple branches leading to other zones of the cave and even large empty spaces. Understandably, finding the way out can be challenging.

Arguably the easiest way, although not very effective, is to place cobblestone in a shape that points towards the exit and marks the way whenever a fork in the path comes. This may take a bit of effort but it ensures that players can get out when they want to. Nobody wants to be stuck in a cave with no way out and a lot of rare loot in their inventory.