Keep your items on death
/gamerule keep_inventory truePlayers keep their inventory and experience when they die.
/gamerule command in Minecraft
The /gamerule command reads or changes the rules of a world: keeping your inventory on death, mob griefing, the day cycle, phantoms, the sleep percentage and many more. One command changes the rule for every player and every dimension of the world.
Syntax
/gamerule <rule> [<value>]| Argument | Expects | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| rule | Game rule | Rule name in snake_case, e.g. keep_inventory, mob_griefing or advance_time. All rules are listed further down this page. |
| valueoptional | true / false or a number | true or false for switches, a whole number for counters. Leave it out to read the current value. |
All 2 forms
- /gamerule <rule>
- /gamerule <rule> <value>
Examples
Stop mobs breaking blocks
/gamerule mob_griefing falseCreeper explosions no longer destroy blocks and Endermen stop picking them up.
Skip the night with half the players
/gamerule players_sleeping_percentage 50The night ends once half of the online players are in bed.
Check the value of a rule
/gamerule keep_inventoryPrints the current value without changing anything.
Freeze the time of day
/gamerule advance_time falseThe sun and moon stop moving until you set the rule back to true.
Interactive tool
Command generator
Fill in the fields, copy the command, paste it in the chat. Syntax checked against Java Edition 26.3.
Turn on JavaScript to use the interactive version.
/gamerule keep_inventory trueCalculated from the Java Edition 26.3 game files
All game rules
| Rule | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| advance_time | true / false | |
| advance_weather | true / false | |
| allow_entering_nether_using_portals | true / false | |
| block_drops | true / false | |
| block_explosion_drop_decay | true / false | |
| command_block_output | true / false | |
| command_blocks_work | true / false | |
| drowning_damage | true / false | |
| elytra_movement_check | true / false | |
| ender_pearls_vanish_on_death | true / false | |
| entity_drops | true / false | |
| fall_damage | true / false | |
| fire_damage | true / false | |
| fire_spread_radius_around_player | -1+ | |
| forgive_dead_players | true / false | |
| freeze_damage | true / false | |
| global_sound_events | true / false | |
| immediate_respawn | true / false | |
| keep_inventory | true / false | |
| lava_source_conversion | true / false | |
| limited_crafting | true / false | |
| locator_bar | true / false | |
| log_admin_commands | true / false | |
| max_block_modifications | 1+ | |
| max_command_forks | 0+ | |
| max_command_sequence_length | 0+ | |
| max_entity_cramming | 0+ | |
| max_minecart_speed | 1 … 1000 | |
| max_snow_accumulation_height | 0 … 8 | |
| mob_drops | true / false | |
| mob_explosion_drop_decay | true / false | |
| mob_griefing | true / false | |
| natural_health_regeneration | true / false | |
| player_movement_check | true / false | |
| players_nether_portal_creative_delay | 0+ | |
| players_nether_portal_default_delay | 0+ | |
| players_sleeping_percentage | 0+ | |
| projectiles_can_break_blocks | true / false | |
| pvp | true / false | |
| raids | true / false | |
| random_tick_speed | 0+ | |
| reduced_debug_info | true / false | |
| respawn_radius | 0+ | |
| send_command_feedback | true / false | |
| show_advancement_messages | true / false | |
| show_death_messages | true / false | |
| spawn_mobs | true / false | |
| spawn_monsters | true / false | |
| spawn_patrols | true / false | |
| spawn_phantoms | true / false | |
| spawn_wandering_traders | true / false | |
| spawn_wardens | true / false | |
| spawner_blocks_work | true / false | |
| spectators_generate_chunks | true / false | |
| spread_vines | true / false | |
| tnt_explodes | true / false | |
| tnt_explosion_drop_decay | true / false | |
| universal_anger | true / false | |
| water_source_conversion | true / false |
Rule names in 26.3
Rules use lowercase names with underscores: keep_inventory, mob_griefing, advance_time, advance_weather, spawn_phantoms. Older guides show the previous camel case names, which the game now rejects. Tab completion lists every valid rule.
Switches take true or false. Number rules have limits, for example max_snow_accumulation_height goes from 0 to 8. A rule without a value answers "Game rule ... is currently set to ...".
Popular rules
keep_inventory: keep items and experience after death.mob_griefing: false stops a Creeper from breaking blocks and an Enderman from taking them.players_sleeping_percentage: share of players who must sleep to skip the night.random_tick_speed: speed of crop growth and other random updates, 3 by default.spawn_phantoms: false stops Phantom spawns.spawn_monsters: false stops natural monster spawns without switching to Peaceful.
Rules and world settings
When you create a world, the Game Rules screen sets the same values without commands. Rules are saved with the world, so they stay after a restart. For a custom survival setup, combine them with /difficulty and /time.
✓ Checked in Java Edition 26.3 · updated 2 November 2026
/gamerule: FAQ
Why does /gamerule keepInventory not work anymore?
Rule names now use snake_case. Write /gamerule keep_inventory true instead, the old spelling is no longer accepted.
Do game rules apply to all players?
Yes. A rule applies to the whole world, for every player and every dimension. There is no per-player setting.
How do I use /gamerule?
Type it in the chat with cheats on: /gamerule <rule> [<value>].
Who can use /gamerule?
Cheats on, or operator level 2.