Minecraft x MCC event: How to beat Sands of Time

The Minecraft x MCC Party server has four primary minigames, and Sands of Time is a particularly interesting one. Here, you're tasked with collecting as much gold as possible in a sand-blasted tomb before departing through the entry portal once more. The problem is that you're on a time limit, and there are parkour obstacles and hostile mobs to overcome.

While finishing this minigame isn't particularly difficult, there are a few tips and recommendations to keep in mind so that you escape back to the entrance portal with the highest score you can get within the time limit.

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How to beat Sands of Time in the Minecraft x MCC Party server with a high score

Sands of Time is a Minecraft minigame of both survival and speed (Image via MC Championship Wiki)

Due to Sands of Time's complexity, it'll take quite a bit of practice to get the hang of, but the good news is that the Minecraft x MCC Party server is open until August 4, 2024, at 3 pm PST/August 5 at 12 am CST. Once you begin, you'll have two minutes to collect as much gold as you can. The best way to get started is by collecting the various coin piles in the spawning chamber.

Using your parkour skills, you should make haste to the right of the spawn chamber (assuming you're facing ahead after beginning the minigame), as you will find two sand altars to extend your time limit. Upon doing so, scoop up as much gold in the spawn chamber as you can before making your way to the other chambers and corridors.

It's recommended to head into the left corridor (if you're facing ahead from the spawn portal) and hang right to find the easily accessible sand block for time extension. Then, head back into the hallway until you find the second holding cell to the right, which also carries more sand. Go to the four-way junction room, pick up the sand, and move through the passageway dead ahead.

At the end of the passageway, you'll find another corridor to your right containing more sand and Minecraft coins before reaching a parkour room with chained platforms and magma/lava down below. Carefully and quickly hop across the platforms straight ahead to collect more gold and a Netherite Key so that you can open up a chest chock full of plunder.

The Netherite Key in this Minecraft minigame is worth finding for massive gold gains (Image via Doctor Wasabi/YouTube)

Return to the spawn chamber and head to the area marked with a keyhole sign as quickly as you can. Turn right, then left, and through the closest left doorway. Then, go through a hallway and turn left through another doorway to find a room with an iron bar bridge and more lava and magma below.

Carefully use your parkour skills to traverse the iron bars. Then, hang left at the far side of the room. Push through the next hallway and turn right at the corner, taking down any hostile mobs along the way for extra gold. Keep pushing until you reach the chamber marked by two keyholes and enter.

Follow the land bridge in this chamber, ignoring the hostile Minecraft mobs if necessary. Activate another sand altar before reaching the other side of the chamber where the Nether Chest resides.

Use the Netherite Key you obtained earlier on the chest, which will reward you with a whopping 400 coins. Once you turn around, you'll also notice that there's a passage to your right, returning you to the spawn chamber. From here, if you still have time, you can pursue the other chests filled with coins in the structure, though if you're low on time you can exit via the portal.

From the spawn room, entering the passageway to the right of the spawn portal (assuming you're facing as if you had just entered) will bring you to another Minecraft parkour chamber of suspended logs. However, you can skip it and instead head underneath the logs and to the left to enter a new room. Then, drop down and head left again to find a lush cave-like chamber.

The Diamond Key is another way to collect tons of coins in this Minecraft minigame (Image via Doctor Wasabi/YouTube)

After passing through this room and the subsequent Minecraft parkour course (be sure to grab the sand altar before leaving it), head straight through the exit and press the stone button on the nearby altar to drop into a room containing more gold and sand. You can then head up the nearby stairs and directly through another hallway to find another cave-like room with a Diamond Key at the top.

From here, you can return to the spawn room by following the purple portal signs. Then, head to the top-center chamber marked by a diamond logo and a keyhole on the opposite side of the room from the entrance/exit portal. In the following room, instead of taking the parkour logs, drop down and enter the room to your left. Proceed through the next several rooms by following the keyhole sign.

When you reach another room with suspended logs to your left, hop across them and climb the flight of stairs to reach another chamber with two sand altars to take advantage of.

Upon turning around, you might notice another Minecraft chest on one end of the chamber separated by a wall. You can use your Diamond Key on it to rack up another 200 coins.

It's important to note that while there are also several side chests to unlock in this Minecraft minigame, the Nether and Diamond Chests should be your primary focus. Picking up loose gold is fine, and killing hostile mobs works for extra income, but if either is taking too long, you're better off darting ahead and activating sand altars to keep plenty of time left on your clock.

Once you've racked up all the gold you can, it's time to head back to the spawn chamber and make your escape. Minecraft players aren't expected to collect all the gold in the minigame, but the chests should be your main concern before exiting. If you can open multiple chests in one run by keeping an eye on your sand altars, then your score should be quite high upon completion.