'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Skyblock is one of Minecraft’s oldest challenge maps. It began as a challenge map, first created and uploaded by Noobcrew in 2011 for Minecraft 1.7.3. The first version of the map lacked some of the features that have become iconic today, including the small island and sand that contains the only cactus players can get, though those were added quickly after the initial release.
There are two different ways to play skyblock. The first is a vanilla experience, just using the skyblock map and vanilla gameplay and features. This is an actual test of the player’s game knowledge and problem-solving. There is also modded skyblock, with the most well-known being SkyFactory. This overhauls the game to elevate the skyblock experience to the next level.
Understanding Minecraft vanilla and modded skyblock
Vanilla Skyblock
1) Find the map
There are dozens, if not more, of different variations of skyblock that the community has created over the years. These versions differ in the island players start on, the items available to them, and the version of the game the map is for.
Players can find a skyblock map for the version they want to play on by searching Google for “Skyblock map 1.19” or any other version of the game, replacing 1.19 in that search. This example will be using the search “Skyblock map 1.19.2."
2) Download the map and extract it
Once the player has found a version of skyblock that they want to use, they will need to download the zip file for the map from the website hosting it. This zip file contains all the world information and needs to be extracted, as world saves are not in the zip format. Players should be able to right-click the folder and press “Extract All” to extract the actual world save from the zip.
3) Move the world
Once the player has the actual world save the file, they should select it and then either hit CTRL + X or right click and hit cut to ready the file to be pasted into its final location. Then players will need to navigate to their .minecraft folder.
Within their game files, there should be a folder named “saves” where all worlds and saves are stored. Navigate within this folder, and right-click or hit CTRL + V to paste the world save folder into the saves folder. This will allow the world to appear on the list of worlds within the game.
4) Launch the game and load it into the save
Once the world has moved on, players can open the game launcher and start the game. Once on the main menu, players can hit “Singleplayer” to see their list of saves, and skyblock should be available. From here, players need to load into the world and enjoy the skyblock experience.
If the world is not appearing, players should ensure they have extracted the world file and try downloading it from a different source.
SkyFactory (CurseForge)
1) Install and Open CurseForge
For players wanting to experience the difficulty of skyblock with the added advantage of having a lot of new modded content to explore, there is the SkyFactory modpack. The easiest way to install and play the modpack is through the CurseForge program.
The first thing that players will want to do is install CurseForge from its official website, open the program, and link it to their installation of Minecraft.
2) Click “Browse Modpacks”
There will be no created profiles or installed modpacks when the program is first installed. Players will want to click on the “Browse Modpacks” tab underneath the logo for the game. This will showcase all of the most popular modpacks available for Minecraft. They can be sorted by feature by default, though this can be changed to sort by downloads or latest update, for example.
3) Search for “SkyFactory”
Once on the browsing side of CurseForge, players will want to click into the search bar at the top of the page. This will allow players to search for a keyword to find modpack’s with a name that includes the keyword.
The player should search for “SkyFactory,” which will return all the different SkyFactory modpacks made over the years.
4) Install SkyFactory 4
While players can use any of these different modpacks, the most updated, most content-filled, and overall best SkyFactory modpack available is SkyFactory 4, and this is the one that players should install by clicking the orange “Install” button on.
After clicking install, the modpack will begin installing, with a progress bar showing how far in the process is. Once done, the install button is replaced by a button that reads “Play.”
5) Hit Play
Once the modpack has been installed, players can hit the “Play” button, which will open a game launcher with an installation profile for the modpack. Players can hit play again, get to the SkyFactory main menu, and create a new world that will generate empty, other than a small starting island.
