In Minecraft, you can not only construct buildings yourself but also uncover many secrets in the overworld. Structures can be found everywhere and are now an integral part of the game. Some you must visit if you want to complete the game, while most are optional and offer you the opportunity to gradually explore Minecraft’s forgotten world. Often, these structures hide not only rare items but also hints about the game’s lore.
Underestimated Structures in Minecraft
Desert Wells: These wells are not as useless as they used to be, as you can obtain two rare shards through archaeology here, but overall, the desert well is truly useless. Perhaps it would be cooler if there were multiple variants.
Jungle Temple: Ah, old players will surely feel nostalgic about this structure! Unfortunately, it is just as useless as it once was. The loot is meagre, and there is not much to explore. The puzzles and traps make the jungle temple somewhat challenging, but that’s about it.
Swamp Hut: Since witches spawn normally as monsters, the witch hut in the swamp serves almost no purpose anymore. You will only find a cauldron, a mushroom, and a black cat there. Witch farms are also no longer worthwhile, as witches are part of village raids.
Structures with Potential
Igloo: Igloos are often forgotten, yet they can be really helpful in certain situations. Half of all igloos have a secret chamber with a zombie villager that you can heal! A really cool mechanic that some players might only discover through this.
Ocean Ruins: Ocean ruins are definitely the “better” form of desert wells. They offer variety, a challenge, and also hold rare items, including the sniffer egg (Minecraft Sniffer Farm: Automated Methods for Rare Crops) . Additionally, you can find drowned here and have a chance for a rare trident!
Ancient City: These new structures look cool at first glance, but they are not as useful as one might think. The Warden will make it extremely difficult for you to explore the ancient cities at all (Defeating the Minecraft Warden – How to Conquer the Strongest Enemy!) .
Pillager Outpost: Outposts are not really useful, as although you can find Allays here, they are probably the only reason you would come here. The raid effect “Bad Omen” was replaced with the ominous bottle in 1.21, which significantly adjusted the concept and made the outposts even more useless.
Structures for Experienced Players
Dungeon: Interestingly, these structures are not directly counted among the others, as they are also generated when you have structures turned off. However, they are the very first (official) structure of the game and should not be forgotten. Their loot is not very exciting, but you can build a great monster trap from them! (Building a Minecraft XP Farm: Quickly and Easily Reach Level 30) .
Desert Temple: Unlike the long-forgotten jungle temple, desert temples have received some great updates with archaeology! They also contain good loot, especially for new players. Just be careful not to step on the pressure plate in the middle.
Woodland Mansion: The probably largest overworld structures are extremely interesting to explore but are not as useful anymore due to raids. Woodland mansions are now best used as a place to find Evokers, but visiting for additional loot is not really worthwhile. If you want to learn more, read our article about it (How to Find and Successfully Raid a Woodland Mansion in Minecraft) .
Shipwrecks: Visually, these wrecks make Minecraft’s world noticeably livelier. The loot can be good, especially the chests with maps or valuable resources. Wrecks can spawn in very diverse places, whether at the bottom of the sea, on the beach, or even in icebergs!
Ruined Portal: Nether portals are one of the oldest features of the game, but it was never explained that they actually exist. Ruined portals help especially new players understand this mechanic. They exist both in the overworld and in the Nether. Plus, they look cool, as if the hell dimension is transitioning into the overworld. And with a bit of luck, you will find enough obsidian to repair and light it!
Trail Ruin: Trail ruins are a dream for anyone who loves to use the archaeology brush. They are significantly larger than they initially appear and hold many secrets! We also wrote a larger article about them. (Minecraft Archaeology: Discover All Excavation Sites & Rare Items) .
Ocean Monument: These large underwater structures could actually be placed higher on the list, but if you’re not interested in the blocks found here, you probably won’t visit them. Ocean monuments are particularly useful for XP farms, but setting them up is quite complex.
Essential Structures
Mineshafts: You will probably stumble upon mines automatically when you go on cave tours. They are one of the oldest structures and can be quite confusing! Their loot can also hold some surprises, and the cave spider spawners are great for XP farms!
Stronghold: Sooner or later, you must visit a stronghold to officially complete Minecraft. The structure itself is cool, with different rooms, a library, and prison cells. Besides the End Portal, however, there is not much to gain.
Nether Fortress: Nether fortresses are also part of the progression in Minecraft, as you need blaze powder and nether warts. And those are really the only reasons you need to visit this structure. A blaze farm can be a good source of experience and is quick to build (Build an Automatic Blaze Farm: Endless Blaze Rods and Experience Points) .
End City: After defeating the Ender Dragon, you can explore the End Cities. Here, you can find shulker boxes, but also the Elytra. That alone makes these structures extremely useful. The loot is also impressive, with many enchanted diamond tools.
Top Minecraft Structures You Must Know
Bastion Remnant: For all Minecraft veterans, this Nether structure is a welcome change! It is not only challenging but can also contain extremely good loot with Netherite. So you don’t have to dig for it yourself. You can read more about it in our guide (The Ultimate Guide to Minecraft Bastion Remnants in the Nether) .
Trial Chambers: These new structures are one of the coolest updates in a long time! They pose a significant challenge for long-time players and introduce many new concepts that did not exist in Minecraft before. The loot is also very good, making it worth running through the chambers (Minecraft Trial Chambers: How to Find & Master Them!) .
Village: Villages are probably the best structure in the entire game. They are the starting point for trading, one of the few places where you can find cats, and they offer plenty of variety between different biomes. Villages are also indispensable as a food source and for workstations. Anyone who plays Minecraft will always be on the lookout for a village—and for good reason.
Conclusion
Over the years, Minecraft has received many structures, but not all are worth exploring. While you must visit some structures, others are easily forgotten. However, it can still be exciting to take a closer look at all the structures and form your own opinion! You can rent your own Minecraft server with us and embark on a grand exploration tour together to locate all the structures.
