Spiders can be a difficult enemy for games to get right. Many games will feature spiders in name alone, with their behaviour copying a wolf / wild enemy who pursues the player if they get too close. This is sometimes accompanied by shooting webs, but even these act as a projectile and do not trap the player.
Minecraft takes a different approach to spiders by giving them unique behaviours and loot.
Minecraft Spiders have Unique Movement
Almost every enemy in Minecraft will follow you in a straight line but can’t climb or flank you. This means you can climb, or simply place blocks down, to get away from most enemies. It’s also important to note here that placing blocks down to create elevation is a technique for when you’re in serious trouble, low health, and about to die.
Spiders are unique because they can climb, making this technique useless and create a terrifying moment. This means players being chased by spiders will either stand at the top and try to beat them back, or will build sideways and attempt to parkour away (such as over trees).
Spiders are also more likely to spawn atop of trees, leading to encounters where they jump down at the player. This makes forest environments particularly tense since you cannot see through the branches. It also gives the impression of a trap or being flanked, a unique feature of Minecraft’s spiders.
How Minecraft’s Spiders Change the Players Behaviour
Minecraft’s spiders change the players behaviour through having different movements from other enemies.
The player cannot simply get away by climbing, they must keep moving or fight back. Both options leave them open to threats and create a moment of high tension.
It’s important to have a little thought about how Minecraft works as a game and the types of players who play it. I break them down into 3 categories: builders, fighters, and gamers. Enemies need to be a threat to each but not too much trouble as to not potentially disrupt a more peaceful play style.
Minecraft’s Spiders are the perfect enemy for all 3. Fighters and gamers will seek them out for their loot, having some difficulty but overall being successful, while builders will have a much more tense experience. Players will be surprised attacked by them and must flee, leading to a terrifying chase. Spiders will also climb the cool structures these players build, leading to further scares.
How to create simple yet terrifying enemies for your games
Minecraft’s spiders are terrifying because they don’t follow the same movement behaviours as other enemies. Their vertical movement allows them to strike from different angles, jump down on players, and nullifies common last-ditch emergency techniques.
This is quite easy to replicate for your own games. Simply have 1 enemy that behaves differently from the rest. For example, if your basic enemy simply moves towards the player in a straight line, have another enemy that moves in zig zags. This creates variety and means the player must change their strategy when facing both.
