5 cool things to do when Minecraft 1.20 update releases

Minecraft 1.20, labeled the Trails & Tales update, hasn't arrived quite yet. However, fans have been preparing for it, courtesy of the steady release schedule of Java Edition snapshots and Bedrock Edition previews that allow players to preview the 1.20 update's upcoming content. This has helped tide fans over, but the snapshots/previews aren't complete in the same way the 1.20 update will be.

Once the Trails & Tales update arrives, the features being previewed in its snapshots, previews, and pre-releases will be complete for all intents and purposes and should work as intended. There may be a few bugs to address, but otherwise, the gameplay and content additions should be ready to be enjoyed.

But what are some cool and fun things Minecraft players can do in the 1.20 update? Fortunately, there are plenty of options available.

Note: This list is subjective and reflects the opinions of the writer

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Decorate with new wood sets and other fun things to do in Minecraft 1.20

1) Hatch a sniffer

Ever since its Minecraft Mob Vote 2022 win, the sniffer has generated plenty of buzz among members of the community. Fortunately, the experimental and developmental stages of the new mob will be completed when update 1.20 arrives.

Players can conduct an archeological dig in warm ocean ruins, brushing suspicious sand blocks to potentially acquire a sniffer egg. Once they do, they can plop the egg down on most blocks (though moss blocks are best) and allow time to eventually hatch it. A baby snifflet will pop out of the egg and will grow into an adult sniffer over time.

Once Minecraft fans have their sniffer, they can use it to find ancient seeds and pitcher pods in the environment to grow ancient plants like the torchflower and the pitcher plant. Even better, players can use torchflower seeds with at least two sniffers to breed them and create additional eggs.

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2) Trim and customize armor

Customization is one of the largest overarching themes in Minecraft 1.20, and this is made very apparent with the new armor trimming feature. By finding new smithing template items in loot chests within generated structures as well as brushing suspicious gravel in trail ruins, players can collect templates and use them at a smithing table to apply custom patterns on their armor.

Thanks to the ability to pick a pattern for each armor piece and various materials capable of coloring them, players can create near-endless customization possibilities for their armor.

Even better, players can create copies of smithing templates so they don't have to continuously search generated structures to find the templates they need.

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3) Build and decorate with new wood sets

Minecraft 1.20 will introduce not just one but two new sets of wooden blocks to use in builds and decorations. One set is the bamboo wood set, which can be crafted directly from individual pieces of bamboo without needing to worry about cutting down any trees. Players can also venture near mountains to find the new cherry grove biome, complete with pink-hued cherry trees and the wood set that comes from them.

Much like other wood sets, cherry logs and bamboo blocks can be crafted into planks and all the variant blocks that players expect from other wooden blocks.

Bamboo blocks in Minecraft 1.20 can also be used to make a unique wooden block type known as the bamboo mosaic as well as rafts, a new boat variant that operates the same as other boats but possesses a slimmer appearance.

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4) Delve into archeology

After being delayed from Minecraft's Caves & Cliffs update, archeology is finally making its way to the Trails & Tales update instead. By crafting a brush and brushing new blocks known as suspicious sand and suspicious gravel, fans can find a bevy of new and old items to collect.

In addition to snagging materials like emeralds and diamonds, players can find new items like pottery "sherds" to make decorated pots with, sniffer eggs, smithing templates, music discs, and more.

Additionally, Minecraft 1.20 introduces the trail ruins generated structure, a new location that generates in temperate and cold biomes that is full of suspicious gravel for players to brush through.

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5) Grab a friend and ride on a camel

Though the sniffer may have gotten most of the attention from the Minecraft community, there's another mob arriving in the 1.20 update. Camels, which have been added via mods for years, are finally arriving in the vanilla game.

Spawning in desert villages, camels can be saddled and ridden by up to two players. They love snacking on a tasty piece of cactus. These creatures are so tall that their riders can't be hit by most standard hostile mobs. They can also be bred by being fed cactus blocks.

Camels in update 1.20 may not reach the top speed of horses, but their ability to carry more than one player at once is a pretty helpful feature.