They’re sticky, they’re green, and everybody wants them. That’s right, I’m talking about Slime Balls in Minecraft. Unfortunately, getting Slime Balls requires that you first find Slimes, a task that may be a little more difficult for a new or intermediate player. In our Minecraft Where to find Slimes guide, we’ll break down the best way to get your hands on these gelatinous green goodies without breaking a sweat.
Minecraft | Where to find Slimes (1.14) | Searching the Swamps
The easiest and most accessible way to find Slimes in Minecraft is by swinging by your nearest Swamp. According to the Minecraft wiki, Slimes will spawn in Swamps under the following conditions:
- The tile must be between the Y heights of 50–70. (Typically, sea level falls within this range.)
- The light level must be 7 or lower. (This is the same light level required for all mobs to spawn.)
- It must not be a new moon.
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Aside from height and light level, you might note that there is an additional condition in the above list: The moon. Minecraft’s moon changes phases just like the real-world moon. The closer you are to a new moon (a fully blacked-out moon), the fewer Slimes will spawn on the surface. Conversely, the closer you are to a full moon, the more Slimes will spawn on the surface. A full moon is always the best time to hunt Slimes in a swamp.
While a swamp is certainly serviceable enough for getting your first few Slime Balls, the better way to find them is by tracking down Slime Chunks. Getting there is, however, a bit more involved.
Minecraft | Where to find Slimes (1.14) | Best way to find Slime Chunks
What is a Slime Chunk?
What is a “Slime Chunk?” Well, Slimes can spawn in one of two different ways: Either in a swamp when three important conditions are met as noted above, or at any time in a Slime Chunk. Clearly, Slime Chunks are the way to go if you need a lot of Slime Balls.
Slime Chunk Spawning Requirements
Slimes will appear in a Slime Chunk under the following conditions:
- The player must be between 25–128 blocks in range of a Slime Chunk.
- There must be a valid spawning tile in a Slime Chunk and below the Y Height of 40. (You can check your height with F3, listed as “Y,” unsurprisingly).
It’s as simple as that. You’ll note that there is no requirement for light levels; Slimes can and do spawn in Slime Chunks at even the maximum Light level, meaning you can guarantee that you will only find Slimes in a Slime Chunk if you set it up correctly.
How to find a Slime Chunk
There are two ways to find a Slime Chunk. One requires luck, and the other is dead easy.
The lucky way is that you encounter a Slime while you’re digging around below the Y Height of 40. If you have, you’re probably very near a Slime Chunk. You should then dig out a large portion of the immediate area at least 3 blocks high (so the biggest Slimes can spawn), light it up, and seal it off with a door so you can run around in there safely.
The easy way is use Chunkbase’s Slime Finder. This is a web program that allows you to simply enter your map seed (which you can find by uploading your level.dat to MineAtlas) and then make your way to the green chunks.
Minecraft | Where to find Slimes (1.14) | Where to find Magma Cubes
There is, of course, one other type of slime: The Magma Cube. These beefy boys only spawn in the Nether and can give you Magma Cream, a valuable ingredient for brewing potions. So, how exactly do you find them?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a guaranteed way to track these guys down like you can with Slimes—there are no “Magma Cube Chunks.” Magma Cubes can and do spawn anywhere in the Nether. You have better chances of finding them in a Nether Fortress, but you’ll also have to contend with the tougher enemies in there as well!
