Minecraft Achievements & Advancements

You might’ve stumbled upon the advancement tab in your pause menu and wondered what it is all about. Or why sometimes there is a special sound when you do something? That has something to do with advancements, or achievements, as they are called in Bedrock Edition. This might be a lot to take in at once, but don’t worry, we’ll take you by the hand and show you all there is to know about the wonderful world of Minecraft advancements. And Minecraft achievements. And there isn’t an entire Minecraft advancements list here, since that would be a bit much. The basics is what we’ll do.

What is the Difference between Minecraft Achievements and Minecraft Advancements?

While Minecraft achievement and Minecraft advancement sound pretty similar, they are different in more ways than one. For starters, advancements are exclusive to Java Edition, while achievements fulfill a similar role in Bedrock Edition. Other than that, there are a few more achievements than advancements. While there are 125 Minecraft achievements, there are only 110 Minecraft advancements, as Minecraft 1.20 increased their numbers a bit.

How to get Minecraft Advancements

While achievements are not put into different categories, advancements are categorized by five different tabs:

1. Minecraft: Refers to basic tasks that almost all players do
2. Nether: Advancements you can only get in the nether
3. The End: Advancements you can get in the late game
4. Adventure: Advancements found in combat and exploration
5. Husbandry: Advancements you get by interacting with food and animals

For each of these categories, Minecraft advancements are unlocked in a tree, but you don’t have to do them in any order. For example, in the “Minecraft” tree, the first Minecraft advancement is called “Minecraft”, which is very creative. Once you get it, you see the next 2 advancements, “stone age” and “getting an upgrade” as well as a hint that tells you how to get them. Since advancements are not visible right off the bat, you won’t know what you have to do to get them, so doing the ones you can see makes it easier to get new ones.

If you manage to get a Minecraft advancement that is further up in the tree, all of the advancements that come before are revealed. So, if you get lucky and do a super late game advancement, all others in that branch are revealed, making it easier to get them too. Once you unlock an advancement, you get some XP and its title is revealed in the advancement menu.

Lastly, advancements have different frames behind their names depending on the challenge level they have. Easy ones are simply called “advancements”, harder ones are “goals” and the really difficult ones are “challenges”. But don’t be intimidated by the sheer number of advancements there are. They are meant to guide new players by showing them what is possible. Meanwhile, experienced players are still challenged by the higher level advancements, so everyone gets something out of them. Therefore, it's fine if you don’t get all of them. Just take them at your own pace.

Fun Fact: Almost all of the advancement names are references to other media. For example, “Is it a bird?” is a reference to the iconic punchline in the “Superman™” comics: “Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Superman!” Unlock all of the advancements and see if you recognize them all!

Minecraft Achievements

While advancements mark the player’s progression in Java Edition, Minecraft achievements do the same for Bedrock Edition. There are a few differences however. For starters, they are not only called Minecraft achievements, some know them as trophies, namely PlayStation 4™ users.

Also, Minecraft achievements lack the tree structure Minecraft advancements have. You can see all of them from the start. So, the question as to how to get Minecraft achievements can easily be answered with “by doing what the description tells you to do.” Also, Minecraft achievements are awarded per player account, not per Minecraft world. Therefore, once you unlock one, you cannot get the same Minecraft achievement again, unless you make a new Microsoft™account. The rewards you get are also different, since Bedrock Edition features a character creator with new outfits you can put on. Getting Minecraft achievements unlocks new outfits, to create your personal character that fits you.

Aside from these differences, Minecraft achievements are a lot like their Java Edition counterparts. Many of the Minecraft achievements that are currently available take their name and obtainment condition from the Minecraft Advancements. However, they all have a small portrait that shows some Minecraft characters in pixel art, so they have that going for them.

Conclusion: Minecraft Achievements & Advancements

Now, you might feel a longing inside. To venture out into the vast Minecraft world and get all of the Minecraft advancements or Minecraft achievements out there. But we must warn you that it is an arduous journey. One full of danger, excitement and strange animals, in a world with a really confusing lore. And yet, if you can boast a full advancement or achievement portfolio, you will feel like the king of the world! (Disclaimer: Feeling like the king of the world is not guaranteed). So go out there and catch all the Minecraft achievements and Minecraft advancements. Get on a Minecraft server from G-Portal, venture out and become an achievement hunter, solo or with your friends in multiplayer.