Get started with GameTest Framework to test your Add-ons and Worlds

In every complex Minecraft creation you build, scaffolding is important – you’ll want to use quick and easy tools that set up, run, and reset the experiences you build. Over the years, many creators have used careful systems of base save worlds, test environments, and reset functions to re-play everything from various states of play. At the same time, Minecraft is an ever-evolving game, and new capabilities can sometimes cause wrinkles in existing add-ons and worlds. For example, the Glow Squid that spawn in the Caves & Cliffs update are pretty great, but may ruin the effect of dark, harrowing caves in your carefully constructed adventure map.  So – in addition to scaffolding and testing during the building process, you’ll want to double check your creations as Minecraft evolves to ensure that everything works the way you expect it.

GameTest Framework – an experimental feature in Minecraft – is a scaffolding toolset for you to build, test, and run your custom Add-ons and worlds. With GameTest Framework, you can build out individual tests and mechanisms to try out ideas and validate that those environments work as expected.   Minecraft itself comes with over 100 built-in gametests, which you can run by enabling the GameTest Framework experiment in a world, and running the /gametest runset command. Review our published guide for more on how to get started with GameTest Framework. 

Built-in GameTests included with Minecraft

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To build your own tests in GameTest Framework, you create Minecraft Structures (.mcstructures) and write JavaScript to set up and test for conditions. A Minecraft Structure is essentially any slice of existing worlds you’ve created, saved out via the in-game Structure Block. JavaScript provides a simple experience for setting up environments (for example, spawning mobs) and testing that conditions have been met. To build your first GameTest, see the tutorial to get started.

We have an open community as well for sharing useful and interesting GameTests, up on GitHub.  Here, you’ll see a set of GameTests that show interesting facets of Minecraft behavior. We also welcome your open source contributions! If you’ve got a particularly clever test or just want to share a replayable GameTest with the community, follow the instructions over on the GitHub repo to make a submission. 

Whether you’re just building your first Minecraft gameplay world, looking to further validate your complex add-ons, or simply sharing an interesting Minecraft mini-replay with the community, take a look at building new GameTest Framework tests to create replayable Minecraft experiences. And when you are done, consider sharing your best tests with the community. We can’t wait to see what you build!

Written By

Mike Ammerlaan

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