The four modes
| Mode | Building/resources | Survival rules |
|---|---|---|
| Stasis | Finite gathering, crafting, tools and inventory | Peaceful; no hunger/thirst drain; health regeneration; falls and breath still matter |
| Mortal | Finite gathering, crafting, tools and inventory | Hunger, hydration, breath, damage and hostile encounters; death drops carried inventory |
| Creator | Library supplies, infinite placement, instant mining, flight | Damage immunity; creatures do not target the Creator player |
| Immortal | Observe and fly through terrain | No inventory, mining, building or combat |
Switch locally with /mode stasis, /mode mortal, /mode creator or /mode immortal if you want to change the experience. Commands are local cheats rather than a separate progression system.
Read the meters
Health is measured out of 20, food out of 20, and hydration out of 8. Breath is a separate underwater meter. Food and water drain in Mortal, with sprinting consuming them faster than walking and standing still. Sprinting needs food above 6.
A full breath reserve lasts about 12.5 seconds continuously submerged before drowning damage begins. The reserve recovers quickly when your head is out of water. Fall damage begins after a drop of more than roughly three blocks. Avoid using peaceful Stasis as a reason to ignore deep water or dangerous ledges.
Recovering health
In Stasis, health regenerates by one point about every four active seconds, and food/water are restored. In Mortal, health regenerates by half a point on that interval when food is above 16 and hydration above 5. If either food or hydration reaches zero, the same interval causes one damage instead.
Eat cooked food and drink before attempting recovery. Completing the short night-sleep transition restores four health. Milk also clears poison. Bandages, herbal remedies and settlement doctors provide additional recovery options; see the healing article.
Armor reduces damage and loses durability when it absorbs a hit. A raised shield only protects the direction you are facing. Damage can wake you from a bed.
Death and recovering your possessions
In Mortal, death drops your inventory, worn armor and offhand into the world for recovery. The death screen allows you to return to play. You respawn at a valid wool-bed home point; if the bed is gone or the standing space is blocked, you return to the original world spawn. Health, food and hydration are restored on respawn.
Stasis still allows damage and death, but its death handling does not eject the carried Mortal inventory. Creator and Immortal are not normal damage-taking modes.
Dropped items are physical objects: they fall, bounce, drift in water and can be picked up when approached. A death in water or on rough terrain can scatter them. Dropped items expire after about five simulated minutes, including while you remain on the death screen or have a menu open, so recover them promptly. Store spare tools and supplies at home to make recovery easier.
Menus and stopping safely
Opening a menu does not stop this world or protect your body. This applies with or without a companion. Movement input stops outside normal play, but simulation, survival meters and hazards continue. Choose Save & return to title, or save and close the game, when you need the world to stop. The legacy /freeze_all command does not freeze the current implementation.