When you first see or download Hytale, the first thing that likely pops into your mind is how much it looks like Minecraft. The inspiration is obvious, as the developers are former Minecraft modders and wanted to make something similar to the game that changed the industry forever. However, while the two games are extremely alike on the surface, Hytale features several key differences that separate it from Minecraft.

Below, we’ve listed seven of the biggest differences from Minecraft that you’ll experience when playing Hytale. Some of these differences are readily apparent and in-game now, while others are currently planned and will take time to develop, as Hytale is still in early access. If you’re ready to jump into Hypixel’s new sandbox, be sure to use our Hytale guides hub to help you through it,

Modding Support

Right off the bat, the number one biggest change Hytale made compared to Minecraft is the support for mods. With the game being created by modders, one of the sole purposes of Hytale was to be a safe haven for creative minds. Mods can be directly downloaded into Hytale using CurseForge, which is also where thousands of Minecraft mods are hosted. However, the primary difference is that Hytale offers official support for mods, and they’re extremely simple to install and get working. Mods can even be downloaded without you even doing anything, as joining a friend’s world downloads all of the mods that are active on that world.

Bottom line, if you’ve ever gotten frustrated with the modding process in Minecraft, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how easy it is in Hytale. Make sure to check out our list of the best mods you can download now in Hytale.

Movement

There are a number of quality-of-life improvements Hytale has made from the current version of Minecraft. One of the improvements you’ll notice right away is the movement. In Hytale, you can mantle blocks, allowing you to climb instead of having to place down other blocks to reach taller heights or get yourself out of a jam.

You’ll also notice that the base sprinting and overall movement mechanics in Hytale are much faster than they are in Minecraft. There’s even some “movement tech” players have figured out that allows you to glide over surfaces with ease, even when you’re on a Survival world.

Building

One of the core elements of any sandbox game is the building aspect, and Hytale gives you the ultimate freedom to build whatever you can imagine. While the general concept of building is the same as Minecraft, there are subtle enhancements to the process that make constructing a base or large-scale structure much simpler. For example, when placing roof slabs, you can see a preview of where the roof will go and how it will look before you place it down. No more placing a block down just to see how it looks, only to scrap the idea and have to swing your axe at the block to start over again.

RPG Elements

This is one of the areas where Hytale is lacking at the moment due to it being in early access, but there are plans to add a host of RPG elements to the game in the future. We don’t know exactly what’s planned at the moment, but the developers have talked about adding a story campaign to the game as well as some sort of character progression.

Unfortunately, the game doesn’t offer any kind of quests or abilities you can unlock as of now, but hopefully, in the near future, we’ll see some updates that start to add those RPG elements. Until then, Hytale is a regular sandbox game.

Furniture and Decor

A common complaint from Minecraft fans over the years is about the sheer lack of furniture and decoration crafting recipes. It’s become standard practice to make your own kitchen table or couch using creative block designs rather than just being able to craft a table. Fortunately, Hytale has picked up the ball in a major way with this realm of crafting. You have access to dozens of unique furniture crafting recipes as well as plenty of options for decorations in your base. There are also different sorts of workbenches in Hytale, which allow you to craft specific recipes.

All of these crafting additions make designing the interior and exterior of a base far more enjoyable, as you don’t have to rely on chests and janky furniture designs to fill out open space.

Detailed Combat

While combat in Minecraft has gotten better over the years, Hytale takes things to another level. Even in early access, there are over a dozen mobs to fight, and most of them come equipped with a specific combat style that forces you to change up how you engage them. Hytale also offers fantastic gear progression and plenty of options for armor and weapons, so you should always be well-equipped to fight whatever comes your way.

During actual combat, you can do more than just press the attack button over and over. While that’s what you might be used to in Minecraft, Hytale features slightly more fluid combat and the added movement mechanics, which can alter how you go about finishing off an enemy.

Map Exploration

When it comes to a sandbox game, map exploration is the name of the game. Procedurally-generated worlds offer players a sense of unlimited freedom, as there are different biomes to explore both on the surface and beneath it. While a Hytale world will look similar to a Minecraft one at the start, you’ll find that there are more points of interest to discover in Hytale. This includes Forgotten Temples, which allow you to unlock memories and upgrade key parts of your base and character. You can also head into the ocean and find a sunken ship teeming with treasure or stumble across a swamp that’s not lacking in dangerous enemies.

You’ll still explore different biomes just as you do in Minecraft, but there are more things to see in Hytale when traversing these areas. The biomes all feel unique from one another, and having a mini-map that tracks your movements by default just makes you want to head out and see what you’ll discover next.