How to Change the Game Mode in Minecraft at Any Time

  • You can change game modes in Minecraft by using the /gamemode command.
  • Switching your game mode to Creative removes the ability to get achievements in that save.
  • Minecraft has four distinct game modes: Creative, Survival, Adventure, and Spectator.

Advertisement

If there's one thing that everyone knows about Minecraft, it's that it's one of the most customizable games out there. From building new worlds to installing mods, you can do pretty much anything.

When you start a Minecraft game, you have to pick one of several game modes to play in — Survival, Creative, Adventure, or Spectator — and usually can't change that game mode without erasing your file.

However, Minecraft's customizability extends to its cheats, too. Using a console command called "/gamemode," you can switch what kind of game you're playing at any time. It is important to note that in order to use cheats, you'll need to enable them.

Here's how to use the /gamemode command in Minecraft.

Quick tip: If you want to switch game modes in an existing world that doesn't have cheats turned on, load that world and press the Esc key to open the menu, then click Open to LAN. In the menu that opens, set "Allow Cheats" to On, and then click Start LAN World.

Advertisement

How to change Minecraft gamemode

1. Click or tap on the pause button.

Tap the pause button. Kyle Wilson/Insider

2. Tap Settings.

Tap on the Settings button. Kyle Wilson/Insider

3. Under the Personal Game Mode heading, select the dropdown option and choose the game mode that you wish to change to. You might receive a prompt warning about the disabling of achievements for that world. If this happens, tap Continue.

Select the gamemode you wish to change to. Kyle Wilson/Insider

Advertisement

How to use the gamemode command in Minecraft

In the Java edition of Minecraft, changing game modes must be done using the chat. For Bedrock and other editions, it is optional.

1. Reference the above table and summon the chat box, where you can enter commands.

2. Type in /gamemode followed by a space, and the mode that you want to switch to (Creative, Survival, Adventure, or Spectator) that your platform supports, then hit the Enter key. So, for example, if you want to switch from Survival to Creative, you'll type: /gamemode creative

Quick tip: You can't use this trick to switch to Hardcore mode. The only way to switch an existing world to Hardcore mode is to use a third-party app to edit the game's files.

Advertisement

How to use the Game Mode switcher

In 2020, Mojang added a new way to switch game modes for Java Edition players.

1. Press and hold F3.

2. While holding down F3, tap (and release) F4. A new menu will appear. From here, you can use either the mouse or tap F4, releasing F3 on the one you want to select, to switch game modes.

Select the gamemode you want with mouse or F4. Kyle Wilson/Insider

Quick tip: You can toggle between Spectator mode and back to whatever mode you were originally by pressing holding F3 and then pressing the N key.

Advertisement

What are the Minecraft Modes?

Minecraft has four modes: 

Survival

This is the most common Minecraft mode. Players can take damage (and die) and need to find resources in the world in order to craft food, weapons, and shelter.

Advertisement

Creative

This is the mode for all the builders. Players have access to infinite quantities of all the items and blocks in Minecraft. Mobs aren't hostile – even the ender dragon is docile – and players are invincible.

Quick tip: In Creative mode, players can break bedrock. If you do though, be careful as you can fall out of the world and die as a result.

Advertisement

Adventure

In Adventure mode, players are unable to place or break blocks — but they are still otherwise subject to the same conditions as they are in Survival mode.

Spectator

In Spectator mode, players control a camera that can go – and see – through solid blocks. They aren't a part of the game world and cannot die; they also cannot be seen by other players unless they are in spectator mode as well.

Note: Online multiplayer minigames on Minecraft servers frequently make use of this mode if a player dies in survival mode so that they can spectate the rest of the minigame.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyowcidnKxnpJqwqXvHqK5mrJ9isKmtzaCcZp%2BRorKuu8OeZKKmXaK2r7HCq5ifrA%3D%3D