What are the best underground survival builds in Minecraft?

Minecraft 1.18's increase of the overall height and build limit has inspired players to form many creations, and many of them don't even take place above-ground.

When it comes to Survival Mode, in particular, there are a few things players can build to give them a huge leg up in avoiding death from lack of resources or hostile mobs.

Most of these are builds one might create on the surface of the Overworld, but they tend to require a little extra effort when being built underground since many materials aren't readily available, and significantly clearing of space is usually warranted.

Regardless, players can create excellent survival builds and never have to worry about returning to the surface again if they so choose.

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Minecraft: The top structure builds for living underground

Underground farms

No direct sunlight for a farm? No problem (Image via Mojang)

Since most crops in Minecraft operate off of light level to stimulate their growth along with water, direct sunlight isn't exactly a necessity for farming. With that in mind, there's nothing that states that players can't construct a farm deep underground.

As long as their farm remains lit and has plentiful water, players can grow just about any crop they need without relying on sun coverage from the surface.

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Well-constructed mine access

Better access to a player's mine means fewer unnecessary trips back home (Image via Mojang)

One of the most significant parts of being underground is mining all of the precious ores and materials available. If players go through the extra effort to construct a larger mine complete with rail systems, furnaces, chests, and crafting tables, collecting raw ore and processing it won't require heading back to base.

This would allow players to smelt and craft what they need before taking on other tasks like expanding on building projects or enchanting new tools. If the mine is easily accessible to a player's underground home, plenty of time should be spared running back and forth.

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Mass storage

Clearing out the underground is a quick way to fill up one's inventory (Image via Mojang)

Using pickaxes to hollow out the underground regions of a Minecraft world takes time and fills inventories full of things like Cobblestone, Dirt, Andesite, Diorite, and other materials.

Since it doesn't take long to fill up a player's inventory, players should consider building a well-organized storage location in the right circumstances.

This area can even include receptacles for other items such as food, ores, and crafted blocks and components. As long as players know where to find their excess items, the storage area will be performing its job well.

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Home/Base

A secret underground base design available on Minecraft Marketplace (Image via Mojang)

Just because players aren't exploring the biomes of the Overworld doesn't mean they don't need a place to call home. A central location to craft, access dimensions like Nether, and sleep is still ideal when traversing the underground.

Hostile mobs spawn underground in great numbers due to low light levels in most areas, so the danger is still very much lurking. Players will be glad to have a central place to return if they find themselves in a bind.

Once they've rested and recuperated and have made the items or gear they need, they can return to their business.

What a home underground entails is up to the player, but keeping it close to other areas such as storage, mines, and farms is wise to cut down on transit times.