The upcoming Minecraft 1.20 Trails and Tales update will introduce numerous new features to the long-standing sandbox game. Unlike previous years, Mojang opted for a different approach in developing this update. Instead of unveiling all the new additions at once during their annual event, they chose to gradually reveal each feature as it was fully completed and confirmed for the update. As a result, players were able to steadily learn about the upcoming content. In addition to various smaller additions and adjustments, there are a few standout features that players should definitely try out when the update is released.

1. Sniffer

During the 2022 mob vote competition held before Mojang's yearly event, the sniffer emerged as the winner, garnering more than half of the votes from the player community. As a result, it was confirmed to be included in the 1.20 update. The sniffer is a special ancient mob that can exclusively be encountered by obtaining a sniffer egg from suspicious sand blocks within warm ocean ruins. Once spawned, these sizable creatures will wander around, using their sense of smell to search the ground and unearth the seeds of distinct plants.

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Sniffer in Minecraft

Sniffer Eggs are particularly noteworthy because they serve as the means for players to discover the mob in Survival Mode. Given that Sniffers are ancient and were previously believed to be extinct, players must locate a Sniffer Egg in ocean ruins or suspicious sand blocks found in desert biomes. When hatching the egg, be sure to place it on moss, as this will reduce the time it takes for the egg to hatch into a Snifflet by half!

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Sniffer egg

2. Cherry Grove

The upcoming 1.20 update will introduce a fresh biome known as Cherry Grove. This biome will primarily generate atop mountains and feature the growth of new cherry trees, as well as pink petals scattered across the ground. With the addition of these new trees, Mojang will also include a new set of cherry wood, characterized by its light pink hue.

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Cherry wood house

Situated in mountainous areas, Cherry Grove provides abundant resources that players can utilize for their survival and progress in the game.

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The cherry grove biome is going to be pretty peaceful, as the 3 mobs spawning on it are passive.

3. Camel

In addition to the Sniffers, Mojang is introducing a new camel mob to the game. These passive creatures will exclusively appear in desert villages. Like other tameable mobs, players can turn them into pets by feeding them cactus blocks. Once tamed, players have the option to equip saddles on the camels, enabling two players to ride them together at the same time.

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The camels are actually pretty fast in real life.

4. Archeology

The archeology component was initially revealed by Mojang in 2020 while they were developing the 1.17 update. However, due to multiple challenges, its release was repeatedly postponed until 2023. This feature introduces new blocks and items, including pottery sherds, decorated pots, and suspicious sand and gravel. Additionally, players can now encounter a fresh structure called Trail Ruins, providing them with an opportunity for exploration.

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Decorated pots

Various structures will contain suspicious sand and gravel, which players can brush to uncover pottery sherds or other miscellaneous items.

5. Armor Trims

Another addition to the game is the introduction of armor trims, which enable players to incorporate different designs onto their armor pieces. These trims can be discovered in various preexisting structures throughout the game world. Once acquired, players can utilize a smithing table along with a crystal or mineral item and an armor part to apply the trims and enhance their armor's appearance.

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Minecraft all armor trims.

6. Bamboo Blocks

Among the initial additions by Mojang, a fresh wood set created from bamboo was introduced. With the arrival of the 1.20 update, players can now craft bamboo planks, which can be further utilized to create a diverse range of wooden blocks such as doors, trapdoors, fences, stairs, slabs, and more. This exciting inclusion expands the wood selection within the game, providing users with an array of options to explore.

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Bamboo wood

7. Calibrated Sculk Sensor

Enthusiasts of redstone contraptions should definitely experiment with the Calibrated Sculk Sensor, a recently introduced block. While regular sculk sensors detect any vibration and activate accordingly, this new block offers the ability to set a precise detection level using a lectern and a book. To create a Calibrated Sculk Sensor, players can combine regular sculk sensor blocks with three amethyst shards.

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Calibrated sculk sensor

8. Piglin head

The Piglins can now drop their heads when killed by a charged creeper.

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Piglin head

Additionally, with the release of Minecraft 1.20, Mojang is introducing a new mechanic that lets you place mob heads on note blocks to play ambient mob sounds. It is a fun new mechanic that players can use to pull pranks or as doorbells. For example, the creeper mob head makes the sound of an exploding creeper.

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