Minecraft has been moving steadily along for over a decade, and its introduction of bees a couple years ago seemed at first like a casual mob, but over time has enabled players to create some creative and fun mini-games. Bees were first introduced in the Buzzy Bees update back in late 2019, and their inclusion in the game initially seemed like a minor one. The update primarily centered around bees and the blocks that accompany them, such as honey and beehives, but players have since been able to conjure up new ways to use them.
Bees are different from most mobs, as they are able to float around and enter inside of a block, their beehive, and produce honey for the player to harvest. This mechanic, similar to the upcoming properties for Minecraft's Frogs in the Wild Update, has proved to be unique, as it provides a source to replenish hunger in liquid form while also being craftable into honey blocks, which have bounce properties that can soften the impact of a high landing. They can even be used as a pseudo-conveyer belt. While these properties have allowed players to create all sorts of fun mini-games, a new way to use bees was recently discovered that takes advantage of their floating mechanic.
On Reddit, Maxatal showcased a mini-game they had created by placing minecarts on top of bees and allowing them to float in a large enclosed arena. The player must find or spawn in Minecraft Bees, then place minecarts on top of them. The goal then becomes to get to the top of the area to a set of doors leading to an exit, using the bee-lifted minecarts to get there.
How Bees Can Influence The Mechanics Of Minecraft
The use of the bee's floating mechanic allows for considerable creativity, as it lets players go a step beyond using the bees for their intended purpose and gives them more opportunities to experiment with the mechanics of the game itself. Other mobs can be ridden with a saddle, such as after locating and breeding Minecraft horses or finding striders, but using minecarts to essentially ride a bee is an interesting way to utilize its floating mechanic to reach places the player otherwise wouldn't be able to without equipment. This mini-game shows that players can avoid using blocks like ladders or scaffolding, and can instead use the mechanics of the bee itself with just a minecart to ascend to the heavens.
While experimental mechanics, especially when it comes to utilizing Minecraft redstone with intricate wiring, is the game's bread and butter, this new use for bees is just one in a seemingly infinite number of ways that the game can be manipulated to the player's will. This mini-game leaves the door open as to how many other ways bees can be utilized and if other mobs still have the capacity to interact with the world outside of their intended function. Mojang never seems to be out of ideas, and players of Minecraft seem to have just as many of their own.
Source: Maxatal/Reddit