18 Best Survival Biomes

01. 27. 2023

Minecraft has seen many biomes added over the years to make it more interesting and immersive to explore and build in. There are many biomes that offer a variety of living environments. While some, like the Ocean and Desert, can be difficult to start a game in early on, others can make it easy.

These biomes offer unique advantages, lack of threats, and abundance of resources that players will want to use for survival runs of Minecraft.

The list has been updated with 1.18 changes. These are the best new biomes to inhabit when you play survival Minecraft.

18 Stony Peaks

– Calcite- Emerald
– Pillager Outposts

This new biome, called Stony Peaks, was added to Minecraft 1.18. The biome's visual effects are quite impressive. It has the same temperature and lush version as three mountain peak biomes. This makes it ideal for players who wish to build at high altitudes and enjoy a spectacular view.

Passive mobs are not able to spawn in this biome, even though there is grass and trees. Although it might be difficult to find food, there are plenty of emeralds and beautiful mountain homes to be built on these peaks.

17 Meadow

– Sheep
– Donkey
– Rabbit
– Emerald
– Bees and bees nests
– Birch Trees
Oak Trees
– Villages
– Pillager Outposts

Are you looking for a home that is higher up but has lush surroundings? The new meadow biome may be the perfect location. They don't usually generate on top of mountains, but they do appear near or at least at a slight elevation.

Meadows are lush biomes that have Sheep and Bees, lots of flowers and Emeralds. They're often connected to mountains. They can also be used to spawn villages, making them a great place to establish base. Be aware of Pillager Outposts.

16 Lush Cave

– Axolotls
Glow Squids
– Tropical Fish
– Azalea (and all blocks related)
– Dripleaf
– Moss Block and Carpet
Spore Blossoms
Glow Berries
– Dungeons
– Mineshafts
– Amethyst Geodes
– Strongholds

Although living in a cave is not the first choice for many Minecraft players, the new lush cave biome makes it an attractive option. Underground areas with moss, azalea and vines cover the surfaces of lush caves. You can also find bodies of water where you can spawn the new axolotl gang along with glow squids. This makes for a truly magical environment.

This cave biome is quite rare, but it's worth exploring for daring players. These are beautiful environments and, if lit up well, mobs will not be an issue. Since 1.18, mobs can only spawn in complete darkness. Living in a lush cave has the added benefit of having a mine nearby and possibly dungeons or other structures to explore.

15 Taiga

Wolf
– Sheep
– Pig
– Cow
– Rabbit
Fox
– Taiga Village
Sweet Berry Bush
Spruce Log
– Spruce Leaves

The taiga, along with the regular forest biome is the most common biome within the game. It is easy to spawn here. While it can seem boring and dull, this place has its benefits in the long-term. It's a great place for a quick start to building a house.

There are many resources available, including wood and tons of cave systems below. If you are interested in taming your dogs, there are often several wolf packs that will spawn here. Other passive mobs and foxes will also spawn in large numbers. It is a very balanced biome and one of the best to live in Minecraft.

14 Swamp

– Sheep
– Chicken
– Cow
– Slime
– Witch
Swamp Hut
Fossils
– Lily Pad
– Seagrass
Clay
– Vines
Oak Logs
– Blue Orchid
– Mushrooms
– Dead Bush

The swamp biome is without a doubt the most disgusting biome in Minecraft. It is hard to imagine anyone setting up camp here due to the color of the water or the grass. It's an amazing place to live because it has tons of passive mobs, wood, and other resources.

It's close to water, which allows for a lot sugar cane. There are also mushrooms here, as it's the swampland. The best part is that slime can spawn here. They spawn most often when there's a full moon. It's easy to farm slime here.

13 Flower Forest

– Sheep
– Pig
– Chicken
– Cow
– Rabbit
Oak Log
– Birch Log
– Bee Nest
– Allium
– Lily of the Valley
Rose Bush
– Lilac
– Peony

A flower forest is a great option for players who want something more visually pleasing, but still very practical for classic survival experiences. Because of the beautiful flowers that cover their grassy surfaces, these forests are the best.

There are many flowers in the world, so there are plenty of beehives to spawn on trees. A flower forest is the best place to create a simple bee farm in Minecraft. You will also find other useful resources such as food, wood, and caves.

12 Bamboo Jungle

– Sheep
– Pig
– Chicken
– Cow
– Parrot
Panda
– Podzol
– Bamboo
– Vines
– Jungle Log
Oak Log
– Melon

The bamboo jungle biome is another unique biome. It is a variation of the famous jungle biome. Bamboo jungles are easy to clear for space and have a bright green color that is ideal for creating a cozy survival home.

There is plenty of wood, most often jungle wood. It is easy to start a bamboo farm, or a panda retreat. Bamboo can be used to fuel some redstone XP farms, which will allow players to grind for enchantments. The Bamboo Jungle is a great survival biome.

11 Warped Forest

Strider
– Huge Warped Fungus
Glowstone Blobs
– Bastion Remnants
– Lava
– Ruined Portals
– Nether Fortresses
– Warped Nylium
– Netherraack
– Warped Stem
– Warped Wart Block
– Blackstone
– Gravel
Shroomlight
– Warped Roots
Crimson Roots
– Warped Fungus
– Crimson Fungus
– Mushrooms
– Nether sprouts
– Twisting Vines

The Nether has changed a lot since the 1.16 Nether update. There are many new biomes to be discovered, and while most of them look cool, only one is good enough for rare Nether living. Yes, it is possible to survive in the Nether these days.

The Warped Forest is the best place to find a survival home. This biome is rich in wood and it is safe from other mobs than Endermen. Hoglins will be scared off by the mushrooms, which can help protect your home or even create a Hoglin food factory. There are many options. Don't forget to take a break from your bed! This is the best biome for Minecraft if you live in the Nether.

10 Birch Forest

– Sheep
– Pig
– Chicken
– Cow
– Birch Log
– Bee Nest
Rose Bush
– Lilac
– Peony
– Lily of the Valley

The Birch Forest is a common place to spawn and is a good choice for beginners. This large field is home to many birch trees. These white trees can be helpful in spotting mobs such as Zombies and Creepers, but can make it difficult to spot Skeletons.

Birch is also a good choice for tree farms due to its standard height, lack branches and rapid growth rate. While there aren't many benefits in terms of resources and friendly mobs to Birch, there aren't many downsides.

9 Forest

– Sheep
– Pig
– Chicken
– Cow
Wolf
Oak Log
– Birch Log
– Bee Nest
Rose Bush
– Lilac
– Peony
– Lily of the Valley

Forests are similar in appearance to Birch Forests but are also home to oak trees. Oaks produce apples which can be useful for nourishment and creating golden apples. However, they can also spawn with large branches making it difficult to harvest.

They can also shelter hostile mobs at night, which can make it difficult to navigate. There are wolves that will often spawn there, making them a good deterrent to attacking other mobs and skeletons. The mushrooms are also a useful food source.

8 Dark Forest

– Sheep
– Pig
– Chicken
– Cow
Woodland Mansion
Dark Oak Logs
Birch Logs
Oak Logs
– Mushroom Blocks
Rose Bush
– Peony
– Lilac
– Lily of the Valley

Dark Forests are forests that are dominated by tall, densely foliated dark oak trees. This gives the player a lot of wood, but makes it difficult to navigate the ground with many shadows for hostile mobs.

This dense foliage allows players to travel and build on top, which is highly recommended and very safe. For a great source of food, there are large mushrooms that spawn in this biome. This biome is also the only one to spawn Woodland Mansions. They are a great source of loot. It is also the only place to find Totems of Undying, provided players can kill Illagers and Evokers.

7 Wooded Mountains

– Sheep
– Pig
– Chicken
– Cow
– Llama
Oak Log
Spruce Log
– Snow
Stone
– Emerald Ore
– Coal Ore
– Iron Ore
– Infested Stone

Wooden Mountains can be dangerous due to the sheer drops that can be thrown from them, but there are also some benefits to this mountainous biome. Underground bases built into mountain sides are considered the most secure houses in the game. They also support mining efforts.

Spruce trees are ideal for tree farms, especially the giant varieties. Llamas are available to transport large quantities of items. This is also one of the few areas where emeralds are available for trade to make great items in villages.

6 Savanna

– Sheep
– Pig
– Chicken
– Cow
– Horse
– Donkey
– Village
– Pillager Outpost
– Acacia Log
Oak Log

Savannas are open areas with few acacia trees. These open fields make it easy for you to spot hostile mobs. They won't get much shade during the day from the trees. Savannas have the added benefit of allowing cows, horses and sheep to spawn there.

It is easy to find villages. Many players will create caravans with llamas to trade. This biome is not ranked higher because of the difficulty in harvesting trees due to their high heights and diverging branches. This is the best biome for building and transporting lots materials.

5 Jungle

– Sheep
– Pig
– Chicken
– Cow
– Parrot
Panda
– Ocelot
– Jungle Pyramid
– Vines
– Jungle Log
Cocoa
Oak Log
– Melon
– Bamboo

The jungle biomes are a great resource for survival players as they offer a wealth of resources that are not available elsewhere in the game. It has melons, trees that can be used to grow automated farms, ocelots that protect from Creepers, warning systems parrots and bamboo as a source of fuel for smelting.

It can be dangerous to walk among the dense foliage and trees, especially if Creepers are blending in with it all. But with a parrot and either a treehouse or ocelots around, it's possible. The Jungle pyramids can be a great source for loot, provided that players can solve their booby traps or puzzles.

4 Plains

– Sheep
– Pig
– Chicken
– Cow
– Horse
– Donkey
– Village
– Pillager Outpost
Oak Log
– Bee Nest
– Azure Bluet
– Oxeye Daisy
Cornflower
– Tulips

Plains are the best biome for players looking for large open spaces to build. These vast fields are great to build large projects. Players can also defend against hostile mobs easily because most of the players will be burned by the sun.

The horses will be a great way to get around the vast expanse. Donkeys are great for carrying things. There will be at least one village, and beehives are great for honey- or sugar-farming. These biomes have one downside: players may be hunting for trees. However, once a tree farm is established, this is not an issue.

3 Snowy Taiga

– Sheep
– Pig
– Chicken
– Cow
Wolf
– Rabbit
Fox
– Igloo
– Village
– Pillager Outpost
– Snow
Fern
Sweet Berry Bush
Spruce Log

Although they may not look like it, snowy Taiga biomes are a great resource for survival when you start out and later on in the game. Players can quickly make a snow castle by securing the snowballs. In a pinch, snowballs can be used as ranged weapons.

There are many trees to harvest, and the wolves can also be controlled for safety. Once a pumpkin farm is established, players can begin crafting Snow Golems. A few igloos may naturally spawn, making them great houses with a furnace and bed. It can be difficult to start a wheat farm as water blocks can freeze over. However, torches can help.

2 Giant Tree Taiga

– Sheep
– Pig
– Chicken
– Cow
Wolf
– Rabbit
Fox
– Podzol
– Coarse Dirt
– Mossy Cobblestone
Spruce Log
– Dead Bush
– Mushrooms
Sweet Berry Bush

Giant Tree Taiga biomes make a great starting point and can be used to help you get to the endgame. It is easy to gather wood because of the large trees all around. There are plenty of wolves to be tamed for both defense and offensive purposes. Foxes can also be used in an emergency. There are plenty of rabbits available for rabbit farms.

One of the many unique benefits of Giant Tree Taiga biomes are the numerous podzol blocks. These fun dirt blocks will allow players to grow mushrooms at all light levels. These dirt blocks require a silk touch pickaxe for movement, but they can be a great food source.

1 Mushroom Field

– Mooshroom
– Huge Mushrooms
– Mycelium
– Mushrooms

This is the best biome in Minecraft to live in, and the most difficult to find. They are home to unique creatures called Mooshrooms. These are cows that produce mushroom broth when milked. You will find villages here as well as a lot of large mushrooms.

There are no trees so players will have to go out and find some to start a tree farm. The main upside is that hostile mobs cannot spawn here either above or below ground. Mob spawners are the only source of hostile mobs. It is the most safest biome in Survival Minecraft.