Glorious Nature – Minecraft Floating Island

Minecraft floating islands have been my go to build since the beginning. Something about a setting that’s hovering way up in the sky far above us, or just slightly out of reach, or over a void, resonates with me. There’s an air of beauty in it from the start.

This was no different. You wandered into my build, and the next thing you know – everything faded.

You wake up to a buzz. A hurricane of wind rushing past your ears. Looking around in a hurry. An enormous striped yellow and black behemoth soars past you, landing on a leafy, red flower several storeys tall with a thud. Tailwind erupting outward, knocking you back. No acknowledgement you’re there.

Everything’s massive?

Dragonflies larger than cruise ships buzz around overhead at lightspeed. Swarms of flies twirling around them. Butterflies landing on flowers so big you can barely tell the colours.

You stumble around, looking for hope. Is this a dream?

There are little houses here. A market stall. …parkour? A mine? A… dungeon entrance?

Nature At Large, one of my proudest Minecraft Floating Islands

This project was what set me off on this path of creating so actively like I do today. It was the build that opened the flood gates of creativity and ironed out the process I kept using for years after.

Each piece of it was given the absolute most dedicated care of hand-placed detailing. Picking palettes that would mesh together in the final result. Creating flowers, bugs…

…and even pond reeds to bring this enlarged piece of nature to life.

The goal was to create something where you could look in any direction and see signs of life. Capable of jumping around to any part of the build, whether by parkour or exploration. Admiring it on foot in your adventuring days.

Bits & Pieces, Size Increases

Everything for this build had to be scaled against the player in an eerily one-sided way. Purposefully ensuring it towered over them. Full of the existential dread you can imagine for the unfortunate shrunken people stumbling into it.

I wanted to capture the hidden sense you might be eaten alive if you stumble into the wrong area. Chowed down upon by a carnivorous plant, or torn apart by a bug climbing its way along the parkour. Including little details which added to the uncomfortable feel our little hearts can’t handle.

Dungeon?

Yes! Dungeon! The dungeon I mentioned earlier is a miniature adventure you could repeat again and again, fighting monsters to work your way through from the beginning all the way to the boss. Obtaining excellent resources on an oddly aesthetic journey.

I recorded a fly through showcase of it. Centred around the middle.

This gives players a reason to attend the spawn regularly, if the fun parkour, special mine and market stall did not already convince them. Pursuing wealth through combat – or just fighting for fun!

Challenging those little monsters while the giant bugs reign overhead.

Can I download it?

You can, actually! The entire map is readily available for your Skyblock spawn needs, via my Patreon, along with quite a bit more. Including all the individual pieces that went into it. Perhaps a bee or two is just what you need?

So too are the individual pieces for this, and other builds such as the beautiful Lonely Manor‘s trees and interior decorated Elven Kingdom‘s houses. Together, you’re one step closer to making a little kingdom plagued by nature’s infestation all around. Thriving in a tough world.

If that doesn’t capture your fancy, there’s an assortment of fantastic Steampunk and Cyberpunk cities and armadas, or even more Dungeoneering awaiting in A Roguelike Minecraft; a procedural generation dungeon mod.