Zombies are simple enemies which can make them boring. They move towards you, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, and attack when in range.
So games featuring zombies need to introduce other elements or features to make them interesting. For example, Resident Evil often uses small spaces to make each encounter tense, or will create dread by having zombies turn slowly to look at you before moving. Other games will feature zombies in large groups, making each encounter a serious threat.
Minecraft takes a different approach however as its zombies don’t have any interesting mechanics but instead are used as a tool.
How do Minecraft Zombies Behave?
Minecraft’s zombies work by locking onto the player and heading in a straight line towards them. There is no path finding to flank the player or do anything to gain an upper hand, but they will navigate around obstacles.
They inflict damage through touch which also applies a small amount of knock back. This continues until the player is dead or has left a certain range.
Minecraft zombies are one of the weaker enemies in the game, taking roughly only 5 hits from a stone sword to kill, but can take up to 23 hits with fists.
How do Minecraft Zombies Effect Gameplay?
It’s important to think about the type of game Minecraft is and the goals of its players / developers. I would argue Minecraft is a unique game in this regard, due to its popularity and therefore large audience. It tries to create an enjoyable experience for all types of players (builders, fighters, adventurers etc).
Minecraft is a sandbox survival game with heavy building elements at its core. The player can build anything if they can find the resources for it. If they want their house to be in the middle of a lake then so be it, their imagination is the only thing stopping them.
Considering this, enemy mobs are an organic way to encourage setting up a base to protect yourself. They appear at night or in dark spaces and will actively disrupt the player.
Zombies Grab the Players Attention
Minecraft’s zombies, while not a lethal threat, do require the players attention.
This is because of the way they deal damage by touch instead of an attack, which makes them a consistent threat. If they got in range and then attacked, players could simply time this and only worry about getting it wrong. Instead, players must be very aware of where the zombie is, how close they are, the terrain and if they will get stuck somewhere.
So a player will be going about their objective, see a zombie, and have to make a choice on how to best handle the situation. While this will often be to just run past quickly, it diverts the players’ attention and becomes something they’ve changed their behaviour to account for.
Zombies are Often only the Beginning of the End
While Minecraft zombies are not a lethal threat, they’re often surrounded by more dangerous opponents who the player is no longer paying attention to.
Imagine this scenario. A player is going through a Forrest and comes across a zombie who begins chasing. They turn to face threat, and then another threat comes from behind them (something they would have seen if the zombie didn’t distract them). They’re then quickly overwhelmed by mobs and either die or must seek cover.
This is the core purposes of zombies in Minecraft. To grab the players attention which exposes them to risks they would have otherwise been able to easily deal with.
Why Changing the Players’ Behaviour makes for Great Enemies
Gaming is a unique form of media because the player has control over a character and their actions. This can create a mental connection where the players problem solving skills are activated whenever a challenge is presented within the game.
For example, if you’re playing a shooter and 3 enemies suddenly burst into the room, you’ll kick into problem solving mode with a pinch of your personality showing through. Your brain will assess the threat, assess what resources you have, and then make a choice. You might quickly dive behind cover, or charge towards the enemies aggressively.
This thought process releases dopamine, which makes the player happy to be playing the game, and makes the moment stick in their mind.
Enemies with unique behaviors will activate this mental process which leads to memorable gameplay. The player will factor in their behavior, and then plan accordingly based on the behavior, their own resources / capabilities, the current surroundings, and the players’ own goals.
