How to Change the Game Mode on Your Minecraft Server

Minecraft offers four distinct game modes that define how players interact with the world, take damage, and build structures. Whether you want to test redstone contraptions in Creative mode or set up a custom Adventure map, changing game modes is simple.

This guide covers the differences between each game mode and how to change them on your Cubes Hosting server.

Understanding the Four Game Modes

• Survival (survival): The default Minecraft experience. Players must gather resources, manage hunger, craft tools, and take damage from mobs and environmental hazards.
• Creative (creative): Gives players unlimited items, instant block breaking, immortality, and the ability to fly. Perfect for massive building projects or server testing.
• Adventure (adventure): Designed for custom maps and mini-games. Players cannot place or break blocks unless using tools specifically tagged with CanDestroy or CanPlaceOn.
• Spectator (spectator): Players become invisible, fly through solid blocks, and observe the world without interacting with it. Useful for server moderation or watching events.

Method 1: Changing the Default Game Mode (Server.Properties)

To set the default game mode that all new players join with, edit your main configuration file:

1. Go to your Cubes Hosting Game Panel and open the File Manager.
2. Locate the server.properties file in your root directory and open it.
3. Find the line gamemode=. By default, it is:

   gamemode=survival
   

4. Change the value to survival, creative, adventure, or spectator.
5. Force Game Mode: If you want returning players to be forced into the default mode every time they log in (instead of saving their previous mode), set:

   force-gamemode=true
   

6. Save the file and Restart your server.

Method 2: Changing Game Mode In-Game (Commands)

You can change your own game mode or another player's game mode instantly without restarting the server.

1. In-Game Commands (OP Status Required)

• Change your own game mode:

  /gamemode creative
  

• Change another player's game mode:

  /gamemode survival Steve
  

2. Fast Switching Shortcut (F3 + F4)

If you are an OP in Java Edition, hold down F3 and press F4 to open the quick Game Mode Switcher menu on your screen!

3. Via Game Panel Console

You can also change game modes directly from your browser console:

gamemode creative Steve

(Do not include the / slash when typing in the console).

Conclusion

Knowing how to switch game modes gives you full flexibility over your server. Set the default in server.properties for long-term worlds, or use /gamemode and F3+F4 for instant in-game adjustments!