Skip to main content

How to make a recovery compass in Minecraft

The Wild Update for Minecraft has made the already dangerous world you live in even more dangerous. While the swamp may not pose many new threats, the Deep Dark, and the new mobs that lurk in those dangerous depths, can easily send even the most experienced player back to spawn. No matter how well-prepared you are and how great your equipment is, sometimes death is just unavoidable. However, there's a new item that can make that sting a little less painful.

Difficulty

Moderate

Duration

20 minutes

What You Need

  • Echo Shards

  • Compass

  • Crafting table

The recovery compass is a brand new item you can craft for yourself in Minecraft that, while not completely negating the negatives, makes an unfortunate death a little more tolerable. However, this item uses a brand new resource just introduced in The Wild Update that wasn't previously known about. Then, once you have it, there are a few tricks to understanding how it works. Here's exactly what the recovery compass does and how you can make one in Minecraft.

An underground city with chests.

What is the recovery compass?

In short, the recovery compass turns a feature that players have already been using via console commands into an in-game item. It is a compass, as the name suggests, but instead of pointing to either your spawn point or loadstone, the recovery compass points in the direction of your last death. There are a few main things to keep in mind when using it, though.

First, you need to be in the same dimension as where you died for it to work. If you died in the Nether, for example, the recovery compass won't work in the overworld, and vice versa.

Second, it only points in the direction of your most recent death. If you die on your way to recovering your XP and dropped loot, the compass will then point to that new death location.

Finally, the compass can't show you depth. Hopefully, you will know more or less what elevation you were at when you died, but the compass can only lead you toward it via the X-axis.

Crafting a recovery compass.

How to make a recovery compass

Making a recovery compass isn't complex, but it is somewhat random and requires resources from a dangerous location.

Step 1: Locate an Ancient City in the Deep Dark biome.

Step 2: Loot the chests and hope you get at least eight Echo Shards.

Step 3: Combine the Echo Shards with a compass on the crafting table.

Step 4: Voila! You now have a handy recovery compass. Stash it near your spawn so you can grab it if things go south while exploring. It's no use if you die while holding it and drop it.

Editors' Recommendations

The best Xbox Series X games for 2023
Two Spartans side by side in Halo Infinite.

After an uneven console cycle with the Xbox One, Microsoft's latest consoles are aimed at getting the ship back on course. The Xbox Series X is a next-generation powerhouse that rivals gaming PCs, while the Xbox Series S is an affordable stopgap for those who are curious about trying new games.

There's no shortage of games to play on either console thanks to Xbox Game Pass, which gives players immediate access to a library of titles old and new. That built-in catalog is an extra value on top of all the new games available on the system that take advantage of its impressive technical specs. When it comes to first-party exclusives, the Series X is still growing. Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 gave a good boost to the console's library following a somewhat sparse first year. More games are also on the way. Microsoft's Bethesda acquisition will bring exclusives like Starfield and Redfall, and the potential addition of all Activision Blizzard games would further bolster that list, but the console's real strength lies in third-party support.

Read more
The best Nintendo Switch games for 2023
Samus stares down Thardus in Metroid Prime Remastered.

The Nintendo Switch has had a lot of success in the nearly six years since its release. The console-handheld hybrid has been on the market since 2017, and a slew of fantastic games from first- and third-party developers launched over the course of the system's life cycle. Recently, heavy hitters such as Metroid Dread, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land have boosted the system's appeal, while a healthy list of upcoming games continues to drum up excitement.

There are plenty of incredible games to enjoy on the Switch right now. But which ones should you check out? These are the best Nintendo Switch games (including free-to-play titles) for 2023.
Action

Read more
The best PS5 games for 2023
Leon parries a chainsaw villager in Resident Evil 4.

The PlayStation 4's success was largely due to its stellar game library, which featured some of the best titles of the past generation. Now, the PlayStation 5 is looking to repeat that success, though it's going to have to overcome some initial bumps in the road to reach that point.

Sony suffered some road bumps bringing major titles to market over the course of 2022 but new hit games are finally punching through. God of War Ragnarok, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, and Overwatch 2 are the most recent top titles to hit PS5, but there are plenty of other killer games for every kind of gamer out on the platform. As always, there's a running list of great upcoming PS5 games. Currently, there's no shortage of incredible experiences to be had right now on PS5.

Read more