Single biome

The customization screen for Single Biome.

Single Biome (formerly known as Buffet) is a world type or a vanilla world preset in which the entire Overworld consists of one biome. It is simple to customize, albeit very limited.

Generation

Single Biome uses a single fixed biome source for generating the Overworld with the default noise generator. Similar to the Default world type, this configuration generates a world with a bedrock floor at the Y=-64 lower height limit, and the rest of the terrain is generated on top of it. However, in contrast to the Default world type, the Overworld in a Single Biome world consists of only one biome.

The Nether and the End are unchanged from their Default world type counterpart. The Nether uses the multi-noise biome source and the End uses the minecraft:the_end biome source.

Additionally, players can override any dimension with the same fixed biome source generation like Single Biome using a custom dimension data pack.

Custom biome

Single Biome world type allows players to choose a biome that the world generates in the terrain of the Overworld. Biome choice determines things such as terrain, vegetation, generated structures, and to some extent, mob spawning. Single Biome worlds can be customized to use any one of the available biomes, using only that particular biome for the entire world. The player can choose any of the existing biomes, including the Nether and the End biomes, and custom biomes from data packs.

This customization is available in the "Buffet world customization" menu, accessible by clicking the "Customize" button beside the world type selector in the world creation settings.

Using a biome from the Nether or the End to generate the Overworld results in a world with their structures and characteristics, albeit very incomplete. For example, warped forest does not generate any warped trees, but still generates fogs, particles, and nether fortresses. This is caused by a bug where the biome surface and terrain is different from their own dimension.

Server operators can set a Single Biome world type by setting level-type=minecraft:single_biome_surface in server.properties.

Bedrock Edition (unused)

The code for Single Biome world is inside of Bedrock Edition, but inaccessible through the game's UI. They can be accessed only by editing a world's code or via a third-party site. This code supports every biome within Bedrock Edition, including removed biomes.

In Bedrock Edition, Single Biome has few quirks such as:

• Mineshafts and strongholds generate in every biome.
• Single Biome affects the End but not Nether.
• Non-land biomes do not generate their terrain.
• Oceans and rivers when inside of a Nether biome have a checkerboard-like pattern of water and lava.
• Structure generation cuts off at y-level 256 when in a Nether or End biome.

This feature is neither widely known nor is it fully developed, and is unlikely to be fully implemented into the game, but it can still be accessed.

History

[hide]Java Edition
1.13			18w16a				Added Buffet world type. At this time, the world generation options were "Overworld" and "End".
			18w19a				Added the "Caves" generation option.
							Changed the "Overworld" generator option to "Surface", and changed the "End" option to "Floating Islands".
							Before this snapshot, players could change the level.dat's [String] generatorOptions tag to {"biome_source":{"type":"minecraft:fixed","biomes":["minecraft:plains"]},"chunk_generator":{"type":"minecraft:nether"}} to create the "Caves" generation option.
			pre4				Biome names are now sorted alphabetically in the Buffet menu.
1.16			20w21a				The world generator types are now world type values instead of being an option in the Buffet world type.
							Renamed "Surface" generator to "Single Biome".
1.17			21w06a				Cave and Floating Island worlds now generate up to y=319 and down to y=-64.
			21w07a				Cave and Floating Island worlds do not generate with grimstone.
			21w15a				Cave and Floating Island worlds now generate up to y=255 and down to y=0.
			21w17a				Cave and Floating Island worlds now once again generate as they did prior to 21w06a.
1.18			Experimental Snapshot 1				Cave and Floating Island worlds no longer generate surface features.
							Floating Island worlds no longer generate terrain properly, and terrain generated above y=~64 now generates as end stone.
			21w43a				Cave worlds now generate with netherrack on the ceiling.
			21w44a				Cave worlds now once again generate with a bedrock ceiling, but now generate with netherrack instead of stone, and without a surface layer.
							Floating Island worlds now generate as a single thick floating layer of end stone.
			Pre-release 1				Removed the "Caves" and "Floating Islands" generation options from the world creation screen.
							Existing Cave and Floating Island worlds can still be opened, but still do not generate properly.
			Pre-release 5				Cave worlds once again generate with stone and a surface layer, and now generate down to y=-64.
							Deepslate now generates in Cave worlds.
							Floating Island worlds once again generate as they did in 21w16a.

Issues

Issues relating to "Single biome" or "Buffet" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Trivia

• If the Nether or the End is used as the sole biome, then the sky would appear as if it is a mixture of the Overworld and the dimensions.

Gallery

Screenshots

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  A beach biome generated using Single Biome world type, showing a borderless beach that looks like a desert, but with naturally spawning turtles.

• 

  A river biome generated using Single Biome world type, showing a borderless river that looks like a shallow ocean.

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  A void-like biome generated using Single Biome world type, resulting in terrain made entirely of stone with a single block of cobblestone generated on the player's spawn point.

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  The End generated using the Single Biome generation.

• 

  The End buffet world generated using Overworld terrain.

• 

  A mountain edge buffet world.

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  A nether wastes biome using Single Biome type. Although the terrain is that of the Overworld, ghasts still spawn naturally.

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  A mushroom fields buffet world.

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  A desert buffet world.

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  The same terrain in different biomes.

See also

• Old Buffet world generators
• Custom