Every week I write about Minecraft, and every week I come away incredulous. How players can transform the simple blocks into remarkable structures is passé at this point, as they are now diving into the code and modifying the game on a fundamental level. The latest impressive feat that I’ve stumbled across is that someone has created a working mirror in the game, thanks to the addition of mannequins in the latest snapshot. There’s a bit of trickery involved, but the result is magnificent.
Did you know in Terminator 2, they used Linda Hamilton’s twin sister for any shots of Sarah Connor looking in a mirror? Instead of a real mirror, there was a hole. We saw the back of Leslie Hamilton’s head, and Linda’s face through the gap, giving the illusion of a reflection. It’s a classic piece of movie magic that makes it appear like there’s a real mirror, but the camera isn’t reflected in it.
A similar thing is going on with this Minecraft mirror. Reddit user u/Palkip has used the mannequin added in snapshot 25w36b to create the illusion of a reflection—a first for the survival game.
It appears that Palkip has created two identical rooms with windows between them. Then, he has programmed the mannequin so it can move and copy the player’s actions. Without this modification, the effect would not work, or only work if the player stood completely still in one specific spot. That kind of ruins the illusion, though.
As it is, the effect is creepy. There’s a slight delay between your actions and those of your reflection, as if it’s a separate entity copying everything you do, from jumping around to equipping items. Obviously that’s exactly what is happening, but knowing doesn’t ease that eerie feeling.
Adding mirrors to Minecraft is something that players never knew they wanted, but have jumped on board with. As always with this game, players are using their ingenuity to create brilliant, unexpected additions. Sure, developer Mojang facilitated it with the latest snapshot, but without the players, the mannequin would just be, well, a dummy.
If you’re looking for more clever additions to the game, our list of the best Minecraft mods has you covered. And if you’ve never tried the best Minecraft seeds to get your game off to the best possible start, there’s only one place to look.
You can also head to our community Discord server to discuss your favorite Minecraft moments. There’s plenty of other readers and staff to compare notes with.
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