Minecraft's caves have gotten bigger but are still lacking in diversity

Minecraft's Caves & Cliffs update was well-received upon its release thanks in no small part to its improved cave generation and increased world height limit. However, with several years of hindsight, players may be chafing at the massive caves that can often mar the Overworld. Larger caves aren't inherently a bad thing, but some feel as though more space has led to a lack of biodiversity.

How to get rid of cave systems? byu/kanyesoap inMinecraft

The addition of cave biomes like lush caves or dripstone caves in the Caves & Cliffs update was a welcome one, but players have recently discussed the desire for more from Minecraft caves. Some fans have even remarked that caves are so large now, that they're actively being avoided due to the danger they present and the relative lack of returns that players can receive.

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Bigger isn't always better with Minecraft's cave systems

Minecraft caves have gotten bigger but don't exactly feel full of excitement (Image via Mojang)

Bringing larger caves to Minecraft offered the promise of exploration, adventure, and rewards for those who braved the increased danger from abundant hostile mob spawns. While this all sounded great in theory when the Caves & Cliffs update was released, it hasn't panned out quite as effectively in practice, leading some players to avoid large swathes of caves.

Put plainly, while the massive cave networks found in the Overworld have their upsides, they can feel like they lack excitement. Moreover, access to resources like ores can be much more difficult due to some networks leading to massive cave chambers that can take hours to explore. This is to say nothing of the substantial number of light blocks needed to spawn-proof even a small cave.

With so much time and work invested in charting out a Minecraft cave, the rewards may not be up to par for some players. Moreover, many caves have hidden chambers that players might miss, resulting in gaps in spawn-proofing that can become breeding grounds for hostile mobs, making them treacherous even when players are doing their best to explore caves safely.

A "spaghetti" cave type in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

Although players can find lush and dripstone caves throughout their worlds, these two biomes don't break up the monotony of most caves being a collection of stone blocks with the occasional water or lava flow. There are ores to be mined, but fans can find ores through mining methods that don't involve caves, and sometimes players are even inconvenienced by running into a huge cave while mining.

All things considered, exploring Minecraft caves isn't as fun as it used to be due to the amount of work inherent in simply dipping into one of the game's many large cave systems. Smaller caves are still seen here and there, but if twisting or massive caves are the norm in Minecraft, Mojang may want to look to making them a bit more rewarding to spelunk through.

Whether this means new cave biomes should be introduced or the noise generation algorithm for cave generation should be tweaked depends on the player being asked. However, it's clear from recent fan responses that caves should get some attention from the developers in the future.