Highlights

• Spleef is a popular Minecraft mini-game where players destroy blocks under each other to make them drop into a pit, with the goal of being the last player standing. It has stood the test of time due to its simplicity and customizable options.
• Parkour is another popular mini-game in Minecraft where players hop through an obstacle course, utilizing Minecraft's simple building system. It has gained even more popularity with short videos on TikTok featuring parkour runs in the background.
• BedWars is a mini-game on the Hypixel server where players focus on protecting their own bed while trying to destroy other players' beds. It has extensive gameplay features and variations in rules, making it a popular and engaging mini-game.

Since its alpha release all the way back in 2009, Minecraft has been a vessel for endless creativity for players all around the world. When playing with other players, simply building and playing the loosely-defined campaign can get repetitive, so players have crafted some interesting ways to make use of Minecraft's seemingly limitless variability.

Mini-games in Minecraft can be as simple as only needing a few players and the game, to requiring dozens of mods, custom seeds, or server hosting. Some of the best Minecraft mini-games have been around for years.

10 Spleef

Estimated Date: 2009

Spleef is probably the most well-known Minecraft mini-game. Spleef first gained popularity after Notch, the creator of Minecraft, blogged about it on Tumblr. Players destroy blocks under other players, causing them to drop into a pit. The goal is to be the final remaining player.

Because of the relatively low skill threshold, ease of setup, and few rules, Spleef has stood the test of time to last more than a decade on many Minecraft servers. Spleef can be adjusted for an easy or challenging game, custom arenas, enemies, and expanded rule sets.

9 Parkour

Estimated Date: ???

There's no consensus on when parkour first appeared in Minecraft, but the extent of parkour maps and videos is evidence enough that it's insanely popular. Parkour in Minecraft is as simple as hopping through an obstacle course, which takes advantage of Minecraft's simple build system.

Parkour maps can be easy and relaxing or incredibly challenging, with numerous hazards and traps. Parkour is popular on some of the most widely known Minecraft servers, like Hypixel and Mineplex. The mini-game got a boost in popularity with the rise of Tiktok, where short videos of seemingly endless parkour runs play in the background of narrated stories or events.

8 BedWars

Estimated Date: 2017

There isn't much consensus on when BedWars was first made in Minecraft, but it gained popularity on the Hypixel multiplayer server when it was first added in 2017. BedWars has been around long enough to have its own spin-off mini-games, like SkyWars, and variations in rules.

BedWars gameplay focuses on keeping your own bed - your spawn point - safe from attacking players, while trying to destroy other player's beds. On the Hypixel server, BedWars has extensive gameplay, including a leveling system, advancing loot rewards, custom seasonal maps, and team modes.

7 EggWars

Estimated Date: 2012

EggWars is the most popular mini-game on the CubeCraft Minecraft server. It's similar to Bed Wars, in that players must protect a spawn point while trying to eliminate enemy players' spawn points. CubeCraft's wiki suggests EggWars might even predate BedWars in age.

EggWars features some differences from BedWars in that the egg is moveable and breakable in only one hit, players must make use of an in-game shop, and three game difficulties are built into the server hosting EggWars.

6 SkyWars

Estimated Date: 2015

SkyWars was made famous on the Mineplex server before its shutdown in 2023. Another game centered on staying alive and defeating other players, SkyWars starts players on their own 'home' islands at a distance from one another. Each player's island will slowly corrode over time and force players closer together, like a battle royale.

SkyWars has a relatively complex map, so it isn't as easy to build for casual players and small servers, but SkyWars is played quickly and has simple rules that make it easy to play for most people. Mineplex is on hiatus indefinitely, but SkyWars can still be played on servers like CubeCraft, Hypixel, and more.

5 Survival Games

Estimated Date: 2012

Also known as Hunger Games, Survival Games is a relatively straightforward battle royale-type PVP mini-game. The first editions of the Survival Games were organized by MachinimaRealm in 2012, and are loosely based on the Hunger Games: a dystopian book and movie franchise featuring people competing for survival in an arena with minimal resources.

Survival Games allows for dozens of players, making it one of the biggest mini-games in Minecraft. Players compete to be the last one standing with limited resources, traps, and other players against them. Survival Games can be made as easy or as complex as you want, and there are still plenty of Survival Games servers out there.

4 Block Hunt

Estimated Date: 2013

Block Hunt was released on the Mineplex server sometime in 2013. Similar to the popular Garry's Mod game mode Prop Hunt, players in Block Hunt take on the shape of innocuous items or mobs and hide from hunters.

This beefed-up hide-and-seek requires some modding or a server to play, but can be played on just about any map without the need for much customization or setup. Game rounds can be as short or long as desired, and with the variability in possible hiding places, Block Hunt can be played again and again without getting stale.

3 The Walls

Estimated Date: 2012

The Walls is a mini-game crafted by Hypixel. In The Walls, players fight in teams after having a bit of prep time to craft weapons and defenses. The Walls maps are easy to setup and plenty of other servers host their own variations of The Walls.

The Walls is so popular on the Hypixel server that they host tournaments for teams. With a custom shop, rotating maps, quests, challenges, and server achievements, The Walls is a very fleshed-out mini-game that will be around for a long, long time.

2 Build Battle

Estimated Date: 2015

Build Battle is another Hypixel special, taking advantage of Minecraft's boundless space for creativity. In Build Battle, players or teams compete to build a set or stage based on a theme and impress judges. For those who don't like combat or PVP, Build Battle lets players harness their creativity for competition.

Considering there are infinite theme possibilities and hundreds of materials in Minecraft, Build Battle is insanely popular. On the Hypixel server, Build battle even has custom quests, achievements, challenges, and difficulties. It's a relatively simple game concept that can be made by anyone.

1 Hide And Seek

Estimated Date: ???

Hide And Seek in Minecraft is probably as old as the actual Hide And Seek. No server has claimed to have invented the game mode. Seeing as even little kids play Hide And Seek in real life, the premise is so simple that anyone can play it. No custom maps or mods are needed, but they do add to the replayability of Hide And Seek.

Hide And Seek can be found on just about any mini-game server and can be played with any number of hiders and seekers. It's a classic, simple game reinvented in Minecraft's endlessly regenerative world.

NEXT: Minecraft: Best World Seeds, Ranked