What is MineColonies?
MineColonies is a dynamic, NPC-driven town-building mod for Minecraft that allows players to create, manage, and expand their own colony with a variety of specialized workers. Unlike vanilla villages, which operate with limited interaction, MineColonies gives players full control over city planning, worker assignments, building upgrades, and resource management. Whether you want to create a small settlement or a sprawling kingdom, MineColonies offers automation, strategic management, and immersive gameplay.
With over 60 unique buildings and 20 different worker roles, MineColonies provides endless customization and management opportunities. The mod integrates seamlessly into survival gameplay, making it perfect for both casual and hardcore Minecraft players who enjoy automation, city-building, and strategic resource management.
What Can You Do in MineColonies?
MineColonies allows you to build a living, breathing town filled with working NPCs who gather materials, craft items, protect your settlement, and expand the colony under your direction. Below are the main aspects of gameplay:
1. Establish and Expand Your Colony
Start by placing a Supply Ship or Supply Camp, which provides essential starting resources.
Build a Town Hall, which serves as the heart of your colony and manages citizen growth and job assignments.
Expand your settlement by constructing new buildings, such as houses, farms, quarries, bakeries, and more.
2. Assign Workers to Key Professions
Your colony won't thrive without workers. Each NPC has a unique job and skill progression system, making your town feel alive. Some essential worker roles include:
Builder – Constructs and upgrades buildings.
Lumberjack – Gathers wood automatically.
Miner – Mines stone, ores, and minerals.
Farmer – Grows and harvests crops to feed your citizens.
Fisherman – Collects fish for food supplies.
Baker, Cook, and Smelter – Process food and ores for crafting.
Guards (Archer & Knight) – Protect the colony from hostile mobs and raiders.
Courier – Transports items between buildings to optimize production.
3. Upgrade and Customize Buildings
Each building starts at Level 1 and can be upgraded to improve efficiency, unlock new features, and house more workers.
Custom schematics allow fully customized builds, so your colony can have a unique look.
4. Defend Your Colony from Threats
Build defensive structures like walls, towers, and barracks to protect against enemies.
Hire Guards, Archers, and Knights to patrol and respond to attacks.
Set up watchtowers to improve visibility and security around your town.
5. Automate Production and Trade
Workers automatically harvest materials, craft items, and transport goods within your town.
Trading systems allow you to exchange resources with merchants or multiplayer partners.
Storage buildings help organize and optimize resource distribution.
Essential Commands in MineColonies
To efficiently manage your colony, you'll need to use some basic commands. Here’s a list of the most useful ones:
Colony Management
/mc colony create – Establishes a new colony where you're standing.
/mc colony info – Displays detailed information about your colony, including population, buildings, and status.
/mc colony list – Lists all colonies you own or are a part of.
/mc colony delete [colony ID] – Deletes an existing colony (admin command).
/mc colony teleport [colony ID] – Instantly teleports you to your colony’s Town Hall.
/mc colony claim – Expands your colony’s territory.
Worker & Citizen Commands
/mc citizen info [citizen name] – Displays details about a specific worker, including their happiness, hunger, and job performance.
/mc citizen hire [worker type] – Hires a worker manually for a specific role.
/mc citizen fire [worker name] – Removes a worker from their current job.
/mc citizen list – Shows all workers currently in your colony.
Building Management
/mc building build [building name] – Starts construction of a specific building.
/mc building upgrade [building name] – Upgrades an existing building to a higher level.
/mc building repair [building name] – Orders a repair if the structure is damaged.
Defensive Commands
/mc guard patrol [start] [end] – Assigns a guard to patrol between two points.
/mc guard assign [guard name] [building] – Assigns a guard to protect a specific building.
These commands make colony management much easier, especially as your town expands.
Step-by-Step Guide to Starting a Successful Colony
Step 1: Place a Supply Ship or Supply Camp
Required to start a colony.
Provides basic resources like tools, food, and building materials.
Step 2: Establish the Town Hall
The Town Hall block defines your colony’s borders and lets you manage citizens and buildings.
Step 3: Build Essential Starter Buildings
Builder’s Hut – Required to construct and upgrade all other buildings.
Citizen Huts – Increases population and allows more workers.
Lumberjack Hut – Supplies wood for construction.
Farm or Fisherman’s Hut – Provides food for your citizens.
Step 4: Assign Workers and Automate Resource Collection
Once the Builder’s Hut is active, assign a Builder to begin construction.
Assign Lumberjacks, Miners, and Farmers to gather essential materials.
Recruit Couriers to transport items between storage and production buildings.
Step 5: Expand, Upgrade, and Secure Your Colony
Upgrade buildings to boost efficiency and unlock new worker abilities.
Hire Guards and Archers to protect against hostile mobs and raids.
Set up Storage Huts and Couriers to optimize resource flow.