Feb 03, 2023 By Team YoungWonks *
About Minecraft
Mojang’s hit 2011 video-game Minecraft could be described as a lightning in a bottle. It took the world by surprise. It is still played by millions of active players world-wide to this date. There is a sound explanation behind this game’s success: there is no single right way of playing Minecraft. Players can build a castle in the game’s Creative Mode. Players can also fight monsters (called mobs) and survive the wilderness in Survival Mode. Players can also follow quests in Adventure Mode. Minecraft can also be used to make logic circuits with a resource called redstone in order to build advanced contraptions. Since Minecraft promotes creativity and logical thinking, it is considered a creative outlet for kids to foster construction techniques and to become aware of various architectural styles. Despite its seemingly limited and blocky art style, Minecraft structures can be enhanced by texture packs. Texture packs can transform a boring group of blocks into a beautiful cobblestone or granite wall facade. Minecraft players can also take the visual appearance of the game to another level by creating mods (game modifications) and graphic shaders that alter the lighting and art style of the game entirely. A popular thing to do in Minecraft is building medieval castles on a Minecraft world also known as server. In this blog, we’ll go over a step-by-step tutorial to get started with your very own simple castle as well as a list of the best Minecraft castle ideas to fuel your imagination.
Minecraft Castle Design Tutorial
Minecraft builds are best explained in a step-by-step format. Pay close attention to the following images so you can build your own castle in no time! There are many Minecraft castle blueprints and video tutorials online but this one is perfect if you are just getting started. You should probably build your first castle in Creative Mode since you’ll have unlimited resources and no mobs will stand in your way. You can also build it in Minecraft Survival mode since this castle tutorial is great for beginners and relies on easy-to-find resources such as stone and wood blocks.
Step 1: Choose the right biome and terrain type. A grassy plain next to a water source such as a river or lake is the most recommended biome type. You may need to flatten the terrain yourself by punching dirt blocks. Minecraft maps are massive and you may need to spend some time exploring until you find the ideal construction site.
Step 2: Dig a 16x16 trench. Make it 1 block deep. This will eventually become your castle’s moat. Even a small castle can benefit from this protective measure.
Step 3: With the help of a bucket, grab water from a nearby water source and fill up the trench completely. Voila! The moat is done! If you can’t craft a bucket yet, this step can wait.
Step 4: Build a 14x14 wall. Make it at least 3 blocks tall and 1 block thick. I recommend using cobblestone blocks because they are very easy to gather.
Step 5: Using wooden planks, create a walkable platform on the edge of the cobblestone wall. Combining wooden planks with stone blocks makes this simple castle more visually striking. Create ladders as well.
Step 6: Add cobblestone blocks on top of the wall in order to create your castle’s battlements. Battlements will protect you from mobs that attack with long-range weapons such as skeleton archers.
Step 7: Create a 2x2 hole in the front wall section. This will become the gate. Then, create a bridge to cross the moat. You can extend the size of the moat to give the bridge a more dramatic effect. The larger it is, the more distant enemies will be from your castle’s walls.
Step 8: Add two doors to cover the hole in the wall. Spruce doors look very appropriate for a medieval castle. They have a distinctive ancient look.
Step 9: Don’t neglect the interior space. Think of creative ways to make your castle’s pathways clear and easy to notice. This is also true if you are building a Minecraft house.
Step 10: Now, build four 8x1 cobblestone towers. These four towers will eventually become the central tower and will serve as an observation deck. It will help you anticipate enemy attacks.
Step 11: Fill the empty spaces with more cobblestone blocks. Make the observation deck stand out by enlarging the walkable surface on the top.
Step 12: Add ladders. Ladders are ideal since they don’t occupy a lot of space unlike stairs.
Step 13: The castle is almost complete! Torchlights are an absolute necessity. Mob enemies can’t spawn if an area is well lit. Implement this and the chances of having your medieval castle blown up by a creeper will be significantly reduced.
Step 14: Make your castle base feel more homey by adding the essentials: a bed, a furnace, chests and a crafting table. Beds are extremely important since they act as respawn points for the player.
Step 15: We hope this easy to follow Minecraft tutorial has inspired you to build your simple castle! Try building your very own and don’t hesitate to take many creative liberties. The best Minecraft castle designs are the ones that mash old ideas with innovative ones. For example, instead of building a moat around your castle, try building the castle on a small island. Consider using redstone to create a drawbridge mechanism in order to make your castle safer. Or try building a floating castle to avoid mobs entirely! Think outside the box, or in this case, the block.
Best Minecraft Castle Ideas
Starter Castle
Starters castles are also known as survival castles. They are ideal to survive the many dangers found in Minecraft’s Survival Mode. The building techniques and resources need to be rudimentary and primitive since the whole point of a starter castle is to not spend a lot of time designing a castle base. Furthermore, the build should be stripped down to its basics and must be utilitarian by design. This will increase the chances of surviving the first nights like a pro. It is imperative you build a tall tower castle structure in the middle of your starter castle to spot approaching enemies from far away. Be sure to add torchlights around the perimeter so mobs don’t spawn around your base. The tutorial found at the start of this blog can give you great guidance on how to build this castle type.
Build difficulty: 1/5
Medieval Castle
A Medieval Minecraft castle looks and feels like a fortress. Its main goal is to protect the castle’s lord (or in this case, you). European-style castles from the Middle Ages were primarily built out of stone. This should be easy to implement in Minecraft since the game contains many stone variants. Walls should be massive and they must be surrounded by a moat. A moat is a ditch built around the castle used for protection. Minecraft players must have a bucket in their inventory in order to fill the moat with water.
Build difficulty: 2/5
Example: Windsor Castle, England
Hogwarts
A very popular type of Minecraft castle build is the magical school that Harry Potter and his friends attend: Hogwarts. Founded by four powerful wizards and witches, Hogwarts is considered to be a Mountaintop castle since it is commonly depicted as resting on top of a cliff next to a lake. The lake provides natural protection, so Minecraft players must find a lake biome before they plan out the castle’s foundations. Builders who set their eyes in building this Minecraft castle design must study blueprints and reference pictures in order to understand the layout of Hogwarts. Hogwarts features: archway bridges, massive towers, a dining hall, libraries, study halls, secret corridors, courtyards and of course classrooms. This particular castle can benefit from Minecraft mods such as textures since there is Hogwarts-specific iconography (for example Gryffindor banners) that doesn’t exist in Minecraft.
Build difficulty: 5/5
Japanese Castle
Japanese castles are medieval castles set in Feudal Japan. They are similar to European castles since they are meant to display the wealth of the Feudal lord and they are also heavily fortified. However they are characterized by being built atop a hill. An artificial hill would often be created for this reason. This gives Japanese castles a very imposing and threatening look. These castles feature a majestic keep on top which is built with beautiful roofs designs that become progressively smaller the taller the keep gets. This is a Minecraft build meant for advanced builders.
Build difficulty: 4/5
Example: Himeji Castle, Japan
Blackstone Castle
In order to build a Blackstone castle, players must venture into the Nether and harvest Blackstone. The Nether is tricky to access since a Portal needs to be built in order to reach it. Additionally, the Nether is full of dangerous mobs and lava lakes. This is considered one of the most hazardous biomes in the entire game. This makes the process to build this castle extremely difficult. You can skip this process entirely if you build structures in Creative Mode.
Build difficulty: 4/5
Example: Most Gothic castles, such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula castle
Floating Castle
Floating castles are a sight to behold. In real life it would be daunting to construct a floating structure in the air (if not impossible) but in Minecraft anything is possible! Most block types defy gravity and are able to stay suspended in the air. There are a few exceptions such as: sand, gravel and anvils. Building a floating castle is quite risky (especially in Survival Mode) since players could accidentally fall down and take fall damage. This is why placing scaffolding platforms around the floating castle is recommended. Wool blocks can be used as scaffolding structures since they can be easily disposed of by burning them with flint and steel once the main build is complete.
Build difficulty: 3/5
Example: Laputa, from Studio Ghibli’s animated film: Castle in the Sky
Cinderella Castle
Cinderella’s castle is considered a fantasy castle. It is magical, shimmering and splendid. The most popular depiction of this castle is found in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom park in Florida. It was built in 1971 and it was designed to match its depiction of the animated film. Castle Neuschwanstein in Germany was a great source of inspiration. Both castles feature a similar color palette and a very royal-looking design language. Neuschwanstein and by extension, Cinderella’s Castle, are not considered medieval castles since they do not date from that time period. This Minecraft building idea could be moderately difficult to build since fantasy castles are rich in details and contain many towers and long spires.
Build difficulty: 3/5
Conclusion
Minecraft is a fun and expansive video game that can be played in numerous ways. Players who enjoy architecture and interior design will surely enjoy playing it.
We hope the list of best Minecraft castle ideas and the step by step castle tutorial inspired you to start your very own castle! Replicating other players’ designs is an effective way to build structures but don’t forget to spice your designs up with your own choices. The best next medieval castle blueprint could be designed by you!
Harnessing the creative power of Minecraft can extend beyond merely playing the game. By understanding the logic and programming that underpin game development, young minds can explore even more complex and creative projects within this platform. Enrolling in coding classes for kids can significantly enhance their understanding and mastery of the computational thinking involved. This knowledge opens up a myriad of possibilities, allowing them to create more advanced structures, automated systems, and even modify game mechanics in Minecraft, thus taking their creativity and problem-solving skills to new heights.
*Contributors: Written by Leonel Cruz; Lead image by Leonel Cruz
