World generation

World generation (sometimes abbreviated as worldgen) is the procedural generation process Minecraft uses to algorithmically generate terrain, biomes, features, and thus ultimately decides which blocks are placed where. Minecraft worlds are made of 16×16 blocks wide chunks stretching the full height of the dimension. Because there are more than 18 quintillion (18×1018, or 264) possible worlds, the game generates them using randomness, algorithms, and some manually built decorations. The benefits of procedural world generation include smaller game file size and practically infinite possibilities of gameplay.

In order to generate a different world every time, the game uses random numbers generated from a seed. However, pure randomness makes terrain and biomes too chaotic with no continuity.[1]

To solve this problem, the game makes use of gradient noise algorithms, like Perlin noise.[2] This makes sure blocks and chunks fit with their neighbors and gives the world both continuity and randomness.