How to Find Dungeons in Minecraft

Jessie Richardson Read more October 29, 2020

While new updates to Minecraft bring fresh options to the table, the older content remains among the crowd’s favorites. Dungeons are one such addition. Added to the game way back in June 2010, they are still among the most popular features players will search for in their generated world.

Here are some tips on how to find dungeons in Minecraft.

How to Find a Dungeon

Like many other features in Minecraft, dungeons are spawned in the Overworld at the start of the game. They have unique requirements that need to be met for a dungeon to be placed on specific terrain. One of the major factors is that dungeons must be in or next to a cave.

Next up, the floor of the dungeon needs to be entirely solid. The same will apply to the ceiling, except these tiles can be gravel or sand, which can be disturbed and fall later. Additionally, the dungeon walls must contain an opening to the outside or the cave they connect to.

When a dungeon is generated, it will overwrite any features that are in its place. However, as multiple checks are made for dungeons, this can cause some odd dungeon placements and may cause a dungeon to be placed inside another dungeon.

As far as checking for a dungeon is concerned, your best bet is to go spelunking in caves. Dungeon floors are the only underground feature made of mossy cobblestone, so encountering it is usually a dead giveaway.

Additionally, one of the most striking features of a dungeon is the sound. Since each dungeon has a mob spawner, it will overpopulate with mobs. Each mob will make sounds, and as a result, dungeons will be uncharacteristically louder than the rest of the cave or the Overworld.

While uncommon, a dungeon can be open to the outside world, but you shouldn’t count on that feature. Usually, they will be underground, hidden away at the start of the games. Since the dungeon’s ceiling can be made of sand and gravel, if you spot disturbed sand on the surface, chances are a dungeon has spawned beneath it and caved the sand in. Gravel can also fall into the dungeon itself, so look for cave disturbances as well.

Other than trying to find mossy cobblestone and caved-in sand, there are no guarantees where a dungeon is on your Minecraft map. Usually, all you can do is explore around, and you’ll find a dungeon eventually. They’re not as rare as it may seem.

However, there is a tool online that will search for all dungeons for you. The Dungeon Finder Tool will require you to input the map generation seed, and it will display all the dungeons found on the map. Some may consider this cheating, but we’re only providing you with the relevant information. It’s a great tool if you’re too lazy to search the entire map for dungeons.

Alternatively, you can check online for seeds that are tested to have dungeons nearby. You can use these predetermined seeds for training on how to spot dungeons, so you’ll have an easier time finding them on your map.

Dungeon Mobs and Loot

When you do find a dungeon, make sure you’re prepared to go inside. Dungeons will have a mob spawner. Half of all dungeons will be zombie dungeons, where the other half are equally split between spider and skeleton spawns.

The mobs don’t have to spawn inside the dungeon necessarily, and you can very well see some mobs roaming the cave the dungeon connects to. However, given enough time, the spawner will populate the dungeon with mobs until they can no longer fit.

When you kill the inhabitants, treasure awaits! Two treasure chests contain your rewards for clearing the dungeon, each with valuable loot that you’ll be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.

Odd Placements

Sometimes, dungeons will generate in odd places. For instance, a cave might have more than one dungeon attached to it, and you can even have interconnected dungeons. Since the requirements are relatively loose, the combinations are endless. When you chance upon a rare find, make sure to screenshot it, as you may never encounter it again!

Dungeoneering

If you prefer to play Minecraft in survival mode, dungeons are a great place to find valuable loot and a pivotal point for exploring the unknown. Just make sure you’re well-equipped to go through its inhabitants before claiming their chests for yourself.

Did you find a dungeon on your map? What are some of your most memorable dungeons? Leave a comment below to let us know.