Minecraft Hardcore or How to Survive 100 Days in Minecraft

Minecraft boasts many different game modes, the most dangerous of which is Minecraft hardcore mode. In the world created with this mode, permanency is everything. Survival hard mode? Permanent. Disengaged cheats and commands? Permanent. Death? Permanent, of course. Minecraft hardcore mode is as old as the game itself. The environment is as hostile as possible so much so that the community has created a Minecraft challenge specifically for this mode: The 100 days in hardcore Minecraft challenge.

What is 100 Days in Minecraft?

As the name suggests, participants must survive for 100 in-game days in hardcore mode. Over time, even harder challenges have been proposed to raise the stakes, such as the 200-, 300- and 1.000-day challenge and even surviving 100 days in Minecraft modded, where the challenge is taken into the strange worlds of the Aether, Biomes o’ Plenty and Twilight Forest Mods.

But back to the 100 days hardcore Minecraft challenge. As mentioned previously, the world the challengers find themselves in is extremely dangerous, boasting mobs such as spiders, skeletons and creepers in their most dangerous forms. And yet, the number of players that attempt to survive for 100 days in Minecraft hardcore is seemingly infinite. Players from all walks of life see the challenge as their masterpiece, be they challenge seekers or curious explorers. This is the story of one of these brave souls. While we have changed the individual's name, we will refer to them as Alex.

Alex is young, yet an experienced survivor. She has not attempted a challenge on this level, but is hopeful that she can put her knowledge about biomes, animals and weapons to good use. Although we have not been able to contact Alex, we have been able to find her diary, detailing her struggle to survive for 100 days in Minecraft.

Day 1: The Journey Begins

It’s my first day in this unforgiving blocky world of Minecraft. Hardcore mode – it’s either victory or oblivion. The sun’s barely risen and already I can feel the pressure of time ticking away. I punch trees, gather wood and make a crude shelter by sundown. As the night closes in, I hear the groans of zombies outside. My hands shake, but I know the rules: one health bar, one chance. If I die, it’s all over. I need to survive. I need to endure. I can barely get some sleep in my bed as the mobs howl in the night. Luckily they haven’t found me, but I need to prepare for when they do.

Day 10: So Far So Good

The house is coming along well. Managed to build a furnace and a composter. My armor is weak and my food supplies are running low. I need iron. I need diamonds. But most of all, I need to survive these 100 days in Minecraft.

Day 23: Triumph in the Depths

I keep dreaming about all these possibilities. What if I find redstone, that would make things easier, what with a daylight sensor, a fire charge throwing dispenser or even just some pistons to make farming easier. Yet, a river or stack of silverfish could spell my doom. I have to wake up and concentrate.

I also planted some crops and vegetables and they’re growing well. Pumpkins, carrots and beetroot will be my food base for the next weeks. But every victory here is bittersweet. For every piece of diamond armor I craft, there are skeletons lurking, arrows ready to pierce my defenses. I feel like something’s constantly watching me. Still, this is progress. I’ve never felt so powerful, yet I know that one mistake can end it all before the 100 days in Minecraft hardcore are over.

Day 34: The Enderman Encounter

I thought I was safe – just another night beneath the stars, fending off the usual skeletons and zombies to keep my sheep and chickens safe. But then I saw them – endermen. Tall, dark, silent, unsettling. Their eyes gleamed with an otherworldly light, daring me to look at them. One misstep, one accidental glance and I screwed up. In an instant, they turned from passive observers to relentless pursuers, teleporting around me faster than I could keep track. My heart pounded in my chest as I fought to avoid their attacks, slashing at the air, praying my sword would hit its mark. The worst part? I know it was all my fault for setting up that mob farm.

Day 45: The Nether Beckons

The overworld has become routine, so I did the unthinkable – I built a portal to the Nether. Stepping through felt like I was stepping into another dimension entirely and not just physically. The heat is oppressive, the air thick with danger. Ghasts wail in the distance and piglins stalk the ground, their golden armor glinting in the hellish glow. The place is terrifying, but it holds what I need. Blaze rods, nether wart – if I’m going to beat this challenge, potions will be my lifeline. But the thought of venturing back in gives me chills.

It’s not all bad though. While I was down there, I rode one of the lava striders and what a feeling that was. Sure, horses and camels are nice, but moving over the lava is an experience unlike any other. Speaking of taming, one of the wild wolves is my companion now. I call the little guy Tobi. He and Jeff, my iron golem, get along well enough, so my house is a bit safer now.

Day 57: The Fortress Battle

After days of searching, I found a Nether fortress. But it was no easy conquest. Blazes swarmed from every direction and I narrowly avoided being burned alive. Each swing of my sword felt heavier, as if the weight of survival rested on every strike. I lost track of time in that fortress, fending off wither skeletons and hoarding blaze rods like my life depended on it – because it did, for another 43 days to survive 100 days in Minecraft. Walking out of there alive felt like I had cheated death itself.

Edit: I spotted a pillager outpost nearby.

Day 63: The Siege of Illagers

Disaster struck today. I was out gathering resources when I spotted them in the distance – a raiding party of Illagers, marching in formation with their crossbows raised and menacing banners flapping in the wind. I should’ve run. I should’ve hidden, but I thought I could defend my home. I was wrong.

Tobi barked fiercely at my side, taking down one of the pillagers, but I knew we were outnumbered. The last thing I saw was Jeff, fighting valiantly against the invaders but to no avail…

By dawn, the damage was done. My home was in ruins, my crops trampled and my chests scattered across the dirt. Everything I had built over the past two months – gone in a matter of hours. I feel defeated, exhausted. Why did I agree to this Minecraft hardcore challenge? What was I thinking? This 100 days in Minecraft challenge is really dangerous! But I can’t give up now, not after surviving for 63 days already. I’m still breathing. Tobi’s still by my side. That’s what matters now.

I’ll rebuild. I have to. I’ve survived worse.

Day 75: A Village in Ruins

I came across a village today, abandoned and overrun with zombies. Once a bustling place, now reduced to ruins. I fought through the mobs and salvaged what I could. These villagers didn’t survive, but I will. I fortified the houses and planted crops – it’s strange to feel like I’m rebuilding someone else’s life. I can’t afford to think too deeply about it though; I can’t get attached. I was too soft when I first started these 100 days in Minecraft, but now I know better. I have to fight these surrounding mobs rather than run away. I have to defend my new base, no matter what kind of mob attacks it. I have to keep my focus on the next 25 days.
The final stretch.

Day 87: New Faces, New Hope

Something unexpected has happened – after so many days of solitude, I’m no longer alone. A few days ago, I spotted movement near the edge of the village. I thought it was another raid, but when I approached, I found them: new villagers, wandering survivors who had stumbled upon the remnants of this place. They’ve taken to rebuilding the village and it feels like there’s life here again. I’m their protector now, whether I meant to be or not. And in a way, they’re protecting me too – shielding me from the loneliness that’s crept in since I started the Minecraft 100 days challenge.

Day 95: Preparing for the End

It’s incredible how much the village has thrived in just a week’s time. I installed multiple job sites and the villagers are working harder than ever to build a new future. We already have a fletching table, a blast furnace and a greenhouse, all while a beautiful splashing fountain stands in the village center... After these 100 days, Minecraft hardcore village, as I call this place (not very creative, I know) might become my new home. You know, if you meet people as friendly as these folks are after barely escaping a raid party, who wouldn’t want to find peace in a place like this?

Day 100: The End…?

I did it. I survived. That golden apple really came in clutch there. I lived through 100 days in this brutal, unforgiving world. My health bar is the symbol of triumph, I can’t help but reflect on all the times I thought I wouldn’t make it. From hunger to the Nether, to the raiders and the wolves, every moment has led me here.

What Happened after 100 Days in Minecraft?

Hopefully, Alex is fine, enjoying life in peace now. However, her last entry reads as follows:

I thought about what I would do once it’s all over. But looking back, the village is safe, even without me there. I’ve never experienced any sensation like the feeling of succeeding where so many others have failed. And you know what? I’ll do it again. Sure, surviving for 100 in Minecraft like that was tough, but somehow, I’ve enjoyed it. Maybe I’ll attempt to survive for 100 days in modded Minecraft next. But what I definitely know is that I will continue to seek new challenges, new biomes and new friends.

I’m alive. I made it. 100 days and I’m still here. On this Minecraft server from G-Portal, I managed to live. To whoever finds this diary, I say this: If I can survive 100 days in Minecraft hardcore, so can you.