Minecraft is a sandbox style video game that was first launched in November 2011 and has since sold well over 121 million copies across all of its platforms. PC, Mac, PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android are just some of Minecraft’s available platforms.

Since its launch in 2011, the game's developer, Mojang, has regularly produced major updates on a consistent basis. These major updates are not limited to, but can include: new objects, mobs, materials, and also new areas for players to explore! Given that Minecraft has such a large fan following and community behind the game, it is very hard to find hidden or less well-known features that people don’t already know.

With such a large community behind the Minecraft, it is no surprise that after every update dedicated fans search long and hard through all aspects of the game. The hope is that someone will manage to find new and exciting hidden features that were not made publicly available in the patch notes. The list of new hidden features after an update can be large or small -- it all depends on the content of the update.

It is worth noting that each of these updates can include a broad range of new features; anything from making minor changes to an object, mobs color, or something so big that it can ultimately change the way you play the game.

With that being said, here are 15 things that you may not have known you could in Minecraft!

15 Change Your Wolf’s Collar!

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This one is for all you animal lovers out there, as you will be happy to know that there is an easier way to help distinguish between each of your dogs. Dye-able collars were launched as part of the 1.4.2 update, and have remained a largely unknown feature by the majority of the community since its release in 2014.

In order to change your wolf’s collar, you will need to ensure that it is tamed. You can do this by feeding it bones. Once it is tamed, you will notice hearts above it and a collar will appear around its neck. Now that you have a tamed wolf, you can use any of the 16 different dyes that are available within the game on your wolf. And there you have it, while name tags are available for you to use, you may find that adding a custom colored collar to each of your pet wolves, adds a much more personal touch.

14 Shearing Your Mooshrooms For Mushrooms!

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A Mooshroom is a unique variation of the cow, which was first introduced as part of the Minecraft 1.9 Pre-Release Beta. Mooshrooms are quite rare and are not encountered very often when playing through the game. As it stands, Mushroom Biomes are only found in Mushroom Biomes and Mushroom Islands — unless spawned via Command or in Creative Mode.

It is fair to say that, due to this reason, many players within the Minecraft community know little about the complete features of this passive mob and what it can offer. The last thing that a player thinks about when encountering a Mooshroom is shearing it. Usually, players will kill them for their loot as they drop a lot of loot compared to any other animal mob. However, shearing a Mooshroom causes a large ring of smoke to appear, and they will transform into an ordinary cow, not before dropping five red mushrooms. Upon being sheared and transforming into a cow, you may just be lucky enough to receive two conventional cows instead of one!

Now that you know that this feature exists, you may want to think twice before killing a Mooshroom as they definitely have the potential to offer more to you once they are sheared and returned to a regular cow.

13 Torches Can Mass Destroy Sand And Gravel!

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Digging up sand and gravel can be a very long and tiresome task, especially if you have a large area that needs to be cleared. But thankfully, this process no longer needs to take a large chunk of your time as digging up these two materials has never been easier. As we will learn, throughout this list, common everyday tools used in Minecraft are the saving grace to making slow and lengthy tasks easier than you would have ever imagined.

As you already know, sand and gravel are affected by gravity and will fall if the bottom block has been removed. Gravity is the key to making sure this hidden feature works successfully. In order to remove sand and gravel at a fast pace, you will require a non-solid block such as a torch (either normal or Redstone will work), a slab, or even rails. Next, you will want to destroy the bottom block of the sand/gravel stack and, as quickly as possible, place one of the items in its place. If done correctly, the remaining sand/gravel in the stack will fall and turn into an item for collection.

12 Command Block!

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The Command Block is one of the coolest hidden features that remains a mystery to the majority of the community. It remains so unknown because you have to request it via command line since it is unobtainable in Creative or Survival modes.

The Command Block is best described as a way to modify the game world in ways that can otherwise not be done. The Command Block can help players by adding items, changing object colours, and even spawning animals and mobs right in front of you. The Command Block is essentially the key aspect needed to perform any cheat in the game. To obtain the Command Block, you will need to enter the Command Window by pressing the “/” on your keyboard. While this will open your chat window, any text with the “/” in front of it, will automatically make it a command. The command to obtain the Command Block is as followed.

/give <Player Name> minecraft:command_Block

The Command Block can be quite challenging to wrap your head around, but with some practice and help from Minecraft’s Official Wiki, you will be quickly performing commands like a pro.

11 Invisible Blocks!

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Just like the Command Block, the invisible block is yet another hidden feature that many members of the Minecraft community do not know about as it is not obtained through either Survival Mode or Creative Mode. The invisible block is referred to as a Barrier, and while it appears to be transparent, it does have properties that prevent you from interacting with it and even walking through it. This means that it is the perfect object if you want to trick your friends, create a mini-game or even limit where players can travel in your world.

Like all commands, you will need to ensure that “Cheats” are turned on, and you perform the following command.

/give <player> minecraft:barrier

When you receive the barrier, you will notice a large red slash through it, which will help indicate where you have placed them throughout your map. This will, however, disappear upon removing any barriers that are held in your hands.

 

10 Change A Shulker's Color!

Shulker's were first introduced as part of the Combat Update in early 2016 and will only spawn during the generation of end cities. These areas are located on the outer islands of the End and will not respawn once destroyed.

Just like Evoker's and Vindicators, this relatively new mob still has some hidden secrets that only a small percentage of the community know about. One of these secrets has to do with customizing the color of your Shulker. To do this, you will need to enter the summon command which will provide you with up to 15 different choices of color. The command you will need to change your Shulker's color is as followed.

/summon shulker ~ ~ ~ {Color:<0-15>}

If you are looking to color just your Shulker Box, you can also do this by using your crafting table to combine both the Shulker Box and your choice of dye. With your new ability to use commands, you will you be surprised just how quickly you start playing the game differently since there are now so many different options available than before.

 

9 Stop Water Or Lava From Spilling Over With Just Pressure Plates!

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I think we can all agree that water and lava are definitely one of the most dangerous silent killers within Minecraft. Honestly, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve accidentally died to them; I've died endlessly from digging down into lava, or drowning while trying to mine clay under the water. To make matters worse, and only more frustrating, when you try to place either of these liquids down, they often start spreading very fast and can quickly get out of control.

This neat little trick —which isn’t commonly known by the Minecraft community— will help prevent you from running into issues with these two forms of liquid ever again! With the aid of some of the most commonly used items in Minecraft, you will be able to trap these liquids and prevent them from ever spilling again.

To do this, all you will need is: four pressure plates, a few building blocks, and either a ladder, fences, or a sign. To start off, you will need to use four pressure plates and isolate one empty block like the picture above, and then place your water or lava inside. The other method is to block off a three sided area with a material such as brick, wood or dirt. Once you have the area built, use the fences, signs or ladders to block off the fourth edge. Now you can place your lava or water inside the area without either of them ever spilling.

8 Torches Give You Oxygen When Underwater!

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Let’s face it: we have all experienced the unfortunate death by drowning at some point in our Minecraft career. Whether it was due to staying just that one extra second mining, or simply exploring the great open abyss that lies awaiting below the water! Dying from drowning will now be a thing of the past, since many members of the community have been missing out on one of the best survival tips around. It will completely change the way you explore under the water.

This hidden feature can be completed using a door, a sign, a ladder, or even a torch. Now here’s the trick: if you place one of the items down, while under the water, it will create a pocket of air that will restore you oxygen level to full. This can be tricky at times though, as the ladder, sign, and torch all need to be placed at head height (you will need to be standing as close to the wall/block as possible). You will also need to note that your torch can disappear, so be sure to bring extras!

7 Mobs Can Hold The Totem Of Undying!

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The Totem of Undying is by far one of the most exciting features to be added into the game. It offers near endless potential, and can significantly alter the way people play the game. The Totem of Undying was first introduced as part of the 1.11 update. It can be obtained by killing an Evoker, which will always drop 1 Totem of Undying when killed. This item —when held— will provide the player with an automatic revival when they die.

Along with this, players will receive one health point restored, 'Regeneration II' for 40 seconds, and 'Absorption II' for 5 seconds. Each of these features provided by the Totem of Undying offers the players something new and completely different to any other object within the game.

However, Mobs holding the Totem of Undying gain the same effects are the hero — something most players don’t know. In order for enemies to spawn carrying the Totem of Undying, the following command will need to be entered.

/summon minecraft:vex ~ ~1 ~ {HandItems:[{id:totem_of_undying,Count:1}]}

This hidden feature opens the door to many different possibilities for how to play the game. Especially in terms of boss fights, and creating custom maps and mini-games for the community to play.

6 Vexes Can Have Customized Weapons!

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As we have learned so far, the command tool is one of the most unique and exciting aspects added into Minecraft so far. With every update, more and more customization is coming into the game for the community to take advantage of.

Vexes —one of the more challenging mobs within the game— was first introduced back in November as part of the Exploration update. Since then, players within the community have found a hidden feature with the command function that allows you to spawn vexes without their standard iron sword. Instead, these enemies can be made to use a custom swords and shields. These items, however, can be swapped out for any suitable item in the game. For example, having a Vex wield two diamond swords instead of an iron sword and a shield.

The command needed to spawn a customized Vex successfully is as follows:

/summon minecraft:vex ~ ~1 ~ {HandItems:[{id:minecraft:stone_sword,Count:1},{id:minecraft:shield,Count:1}]}

This hidden feature will offer the community a unique way to approaching hostile mobs, in particular for those that create adventure maps and mini-games.

 

5 Change Your Blue Sheep Red With Evoker's!

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Introduced as part of the 1.11 update in November, Evokers are still one of the newest mobs within the game, with many members of the community knowing very little about them. An Evoker is one of two types of villagers, either an offshoot villagers or the other being a vindicator. Little is known about the Evokers as they are one of the rarer hostile mobs within the game and can only be spawned when particular woodland mansion rooms are generated. You will also find that they have a very limited spawn, and cannot be respawned after their initial spawn at the woodland mansion.

One hidden feature that was released alongside the Evoker back in November is a reference to a meme from Age of Empires. When a priest casts a spell and utters the noise “wololo,” all enemy units nearby are converted to friendly units. This hidden feature does something very similar: the Evoker will turn all blue sheep nearby into a red sheep while also making the same noise. Not only is this a cool hidden feature that most players did not know about, but it can also save you some time and effort coloring your own sheep red!

4 Place Torches On Crafting Tables And More!

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Don’t you hate it when you have built a beautiful house but run out of room on your walls to place torches? At some point, we have all wished for the ability to put torches on objects such as Crafting Tables, Furnaces, Hoppers, Droppers, or Observers. But now you can with one simple trick!

Now, this hidden feature works in two different ways (depending on what item that you are trying to place the torch on). For the first method, you are going to need an item that cannot be interacted with, i.e., can't have torches placed on it, like stairs or leaves. You will want to put these objects two spaces high, and directly behind or next to the object you want the torch on. Now, right-click and place the torch on the higher of the two objects — the one that is directly above the object you want your torch on.

And there you have it: a torch placed successfully on something, otherwise, impossible of holding it.

The second method works with the majority of objects that are interactive (such as Crafting Tables, Furnaces, and Hoppers). To place a torch on these objects, all you need to do is crouch near the object and right-click to place your torch.

3 Pumpkins Make You Invisible To Endermen!

Endermen are one of the more annoying mobs that appear within Minecraft. They will often take your blocks and constantly teleport away when attacked. Endermen are usually a non-hostile mob and won’t attack unless provoked by the player. While your first instinct is to attack the Endermen with a weapon, you will, however, find that the best method of attack is to use either a water bucket or wait for it to rain.

One Endermen is challenging enough to kill on their own. However, upon entering places such as The End, The Overworld, or the Nether, you will quickly realize you will have to deal with many of them at once. To help prevent accidentally provoking an Endermen, you will want to use this nifty little trick to make your trip a little easier. The key to succeeding with this hidden feature is to wear a pumpkin on your head. It will help prevent Endermen from seeing you when you are looking at their face.

2 Have Villagers Spawn In Your House!

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Little do people know, villagers can start a village in any location that meets their requirements. However, while the process is simple, it does take quite some time to set up if you’re in survival mode and are not using cheats.

Firstly you will need to understand what defines a village: the village center, radius, number of houses, population (number of villagers), etc. However, the most important factors are at least one house and villager. For any home to be considered part of the village, it needs to be within a + 32 block radius of the center. If the house overlaps with another village, the two communities will combine into one.

Now the tricky part of all of this is getting your villagers to your village. Now, if you are using Creative Mode or simply using commands, this will be very simple as you can just spawn them in. However, if you are looking to do everything from scratch, your best method would be to create a minecart track where you can transport a villager all the way to your village. For more information, you can check out the in-depth tutorial at the Minecraft Wiki.

1 Vindicators Will Attack All Mobs!

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One of the greatest aspects of Minecraft is its ability to incorporate hidden Easter Eggs for the community to find and interact with. For example, the more recent addition of Vindicators, which were added into the game as part of the 1.11 update.

The hidden Vindicator Easter Egg requires a name-tag called “Johnny.” After tagging your targeted Vindicator, you can quickly observe just how fast they become out of control. The Johnny Vindicator will feature an axe and will hack at any mob that is within a particular radius.

This particular Easter Egg references to a scene in Stanley Kubrick’s movie, The Shinning. It is a particularly fun Easter Egg for those wanting to create adventure maps or even trick their friends.