#minecraftstem

DIY Minecraft Redstone Logic Simulator (Scratch Edition)

If you’ve ever played Minecraft, you’ve probably marveled at the creative power of redstone circuits — the virtual wiring system that brings logic and automation to life. From hidden doors to complex traps and mini computers, redstone teaches logic in the most entertaining way possible. But what if you could recreate that experience outside Minecraft, while learning real-world programming concepts at the same time?

Welcome to the DIY Minecraft Redstone Logic Simulator, built entirely in Scratch 3.0! This beginner-friendly project combines Minecraft-inspired creativity with programming fundamentals. By the end, you’ll have your own working redstone simulator that uses logic gates, interactive switches, and glowing lamps — all made with code.

Step 1: The Idea Behind the Project

Minecraft’s redstone system works similarly to how electrical circuits and computer logic gates operate. Levers (or switches) act as inputs, redstone dust acts as wiring, and lamps or pistons serve as outputs. The way you connect these elements determines the behavior of your circuit — whether it turns on, stays off, or reacts based on certain conditions.

This project brings that logic into Scratch, a block-based programming platform developed by MIT. Using Scratch’s event-driven blocks and variables, you can simulate how redstone behaves — turning switches on and off, triggering torches and lamps, and even building puzzles that require the right combinations of logic gates to solve. It’s perfect for students, young programmers, or Minecraft fans who want to understand the coding behind the magic.

Step 2: What You’ll Need

Before diving into the simulator, make sure you have the following:

Scratch 3.0 — You can use the online version (scratch.mit.edu) or download it for offline use.

Sprites for levers, torches, and lamps — You can draw these using Scratch’s built-in costume editor or import Minecraft-style images for authenticity.

A basic understanding of redstone logic — Familiarize yourself with the core gates:

AND Gate: Output is ON only when both inputs are ON.

OR Gate: Output is ON when any input is ON.

NOT Gate: Inverts the signal — if input is OFF, output is ON.

Once you’ve gathered these resources, you’re ready to build your virtual circuit world.

Step 3: Setting Up Your Scratch Project

Open a new Scratch project and start by deleting the default cat sprite. Next, import or draw your lever sprite — this will act as your redstone switch. You can make two different costumes for it: one showing the lever in the “up” position (ON) and another in the “down” position (OFF).

Then, create a lamp sprite that lights up when the correct logic condition is met. You can make two versions here as well — one for “Lamp Off” and another glowing yellow or orange for “Lamp On.”

Now, arrange these sprites on your stage as if you were laying out a redstone circuit in Minecraft: levers on one side, lamp on the other. You’ll soon connect them with code instead of dust!

Step 4: Building the Logic with Scratch Blocks

Scratch makes logic simulation surprisingly easy. Each lever sprite will have a variable to represent its state, such as switch1 and switch2, which can be set to “on” or “off.”

When a lever is clicked, use an “if” block to toggle its state:when this sprite clicked if <switch1 = "off"> then set [switch1 v] to [on] switch costume to [Lever On v] else set [switch1 v] to [off] switch costume to [Lever Off v] end broadcast [checkLogic v]

The broadcast block sends a signal to all sprites to update the circuit based on the new input. This is where your redstone magic comes alive!

Now, in your lamp sprite, use a script like this:when I receive [checkLogic v] if <(switch1 = "on") and (switch2 = "on")> then switch costume to [Lamp On v] else switch costume to [Lamp Off v] end

This mimics an AND gate in Minecraft — both switches must be on for the lamp to light up. You can easily modify the condition to simulate OR (or) or NOT (not) gates.

For instance:

OR Gate: Use <(switch1 = "on") or (switch2 = "on")>

NOT Gate: Set lamp on when a switch equals “off”

You can even chain gates together by nesting conditions, creating more complex circuits — just like in Minecraft.

Step 5: Making It Interactive

Once your logic works, turn it into a mini-game or puzzle. Create levels where players must flip the correct combination of switches to light up all the lamps or unlock a hidden animation. You can add broadcast messages like Next Level or Puzzle Solved! to make it more dynamic.

If you’re feeling creative, design your stage like a Minecraft world — add pixel-art backgrounds of blocks, torches, and wires to make it visually familiar. You can even add sound effects for lever clicks and lamp activations for extra immersion.

Step 6: Wrapping It Up

By now, you’ve built your very own Minecraft Redstone Logic Simulator inside Scratch! This project doesn’t just teach you how redstone works — it also introduces you to computer logic, conditional programming, and event-driven design. With Scratch’s simple drag-and-drop interface, you can visually understand how AND, OR, and NOT gates interact and form the foundation of all digital circuits.

Once you’re comfortable, challenge yourself to build a more advanced system — a working combination lock, a binary counter, or even a simple redstone computer simulation.