Environments


 * For a list of all pages pertaining to environments, see Category:Biomes.

The World of Terraria consists of many different types of environments, also known as biomes. If you have a hard time finding these biomes such as the Floating Islands, you can use these tools to help you locate them.

Forest
Forests are composed mainly of Dirt Blocks and Trees, and occupy most of the surface. Enemies that spawn in the Forest are relatively weak, making the biome a good starting point for most players.

Caves leading to The Underground are usually scattered throughout the forest. Vines grow below grass-covered dirt. Small or large pools of Water are also quite common.

Desert

 * Main article: Desert.

Deserts are large sandy areas that are occasionally generated on the map. They have 2 types of plants: Cactus and Waterleaf, both of which are used in Alchemy. The Desert is useful if you want to craft a large amount of Glass or the Sandgun.

After the Wall of Flesh in the Underworld is defeated, The Corruption and Hallow ground will begin to spread over sand.

Ocean

 * Main article: Ocean

Oceans are large bodies of Water that spawn on both ends of the map. Oceans typically have many chests, which usually contain water-related items, such as the Trident, Flippers, and the Breathing Reed. They are also the only place you can find Coral.

Underground

 * Main article: The Underground

The Underground consists of four layers: The dirt layer, the rocky dirt layer, the stone layer and The Underworld layer. While The Underworld is considered its own environment, it is still technically an underground layer.

Dirt Layer
This area, despite being underground, is still considered to be above sea level. Therefore, the music will remain the same as the biome that's above it, and any monsters found within the dirt layer are also found on the surface, including Green, Blue, and Purple Slimes, Zombies and Demon Eyes (if it's nighttime), or, if there is Corruption within the area, Eaters of Souls and Devourers.

Rocky Dirt Layer
This layer is located just below sea level. You can tell when you've reached this layer when the background changes to a mix between dirt and stone, and when the music changes to the underground theme.

Stone Layer
The stone layer comprises most of the Underground. After moving below a certain depth underground, lava starts to appear in place of water. In this area you can find the Glowing Mushroom Biome

The Corruption

 * Main article: The Corruption.



The Corruption forms during the creation of a map at a random position. In most cases there are 2 to 4 Corruptions per map. The Corruption spawns higher-level monsters regardless of time and thus should initially be avoided by low-level players. Shadow Orbs can be found here in deep caves called chasms. These chasms can reach all the way to the stone layer. If you happen to have Corrupt Seeds, you can create your own Corruption. Odd thorn-like bushes will grow here. Avoid these, as they will do damage. While initially restricted towards spreading on patches of dirt, and being unable to spread past Sunflowers and snow, once the Wall of Flesh is defeated, the Corruption will begin to spread through stone, sand, and mud at a fast rate. When the Corruption spreads across Mud blocks, it'll turn them into Dirt blocks. Thus, it is able to spread into Jungles, though it will NOT create "Corrupted Jungles" in the process.

Underground Corruption

 * Main Article: Underground Corruption

The Underground Corruption occurs when the Corruption spreads through the underground layer. Souls of Night are a resource unique to this biome. This is a Hardmode-Only Biome.



Corrupted Desert

 * Main Article: Corrupted Desert

The Corruption transforms sand blocks into Ebonsand Blocks.

The Hallow

 * Main Article: The Hallow 


 * Hallowed ground will generate after the Wall of Flesh is defeated in the Underworld. It is the opposite of the Corruption. Like the Corruption, the Hallow can spread across dirt, stone, and sand, though unlike the Corruption, it cannot spread through mud.

Underground Hallow

 * Main Article: Underground Hallow

The Underground Hallow forms when the Hallow spreads through the underground layer. Crystal Shards and Souls of Light are resources unique to this biome.

Hallowed Desert

 * Main Article: Hallowed Desert

This biome is formed naturally when the Hallow transforms sand blocks into Pearlsand Blocks.

Meteorite

 * Main article: Meteorite

Meteorites have a 50% chance to spawn when you break a Shadow Orb during the night, and can also spawn randomly during the night. Metorites are construced of fire blocks so if you walk on meteorite without obsidian skull, obsidian shield, or obsidian horseshoe it will deal damage to you. Meteorite Ore can be used to make Meteorite Bars, which can be used to make:

The Jungle
The Jungle is a biome that exists both above ground and underground. It is usually located far away from the spawn point, at the opposite end from the Dungeon.

Surface Jungle

 * Main article: Surface Jungle

The Surface Jungle is a tree-filled biome containing decorative vines. The trees here grow without the need to plant Acorns, as long as there is Jungle Grass present. The Surface Jungle typically directly connects to the Underground Jungle. This Biome was added in the 1.0.4 update. Like the Corruption, the Surface Jungle has its own music. The Jungle is certainly less dangerous than the Underground Jungle, and yields Chest(s). However you can still die easily without a weapon.

Underground Jungle

 * Main article: Underground Jungle

The Underground Jungle is a very remote area of the World. It is often found near or under the Corruption. Like Dungeons, these areas have few dead ends; however unlike Dungeons they are covered in plants. Special items that are unique to the Underground Jungle are found in Jungle Shrines which are small buildings made of Gold Bricks that are spawned at random locations. You can often find a higher concentration of Ores like Gold, Silver, Iron, and Copper in the Underground Jungle.

Dungeons

 * Main article: Dungeon

The dungeon is an enormous building found close to the edge of a generated World, spanning many layers deep. It is filled with chests that contain unique items.

There is only one Dungeon in each World, although a player may create new Worlds and plunder the Dungeons to gain additional items. Rarely, the Dungeon can get cut off by the ocean and only have the Old Man. Digging down through the sand can most often reveal the buried Dungeon.

The Dungeon's upper level is home to an Old Man, which will turn into Skeletron should the player talk to him at night, or summon a Dungeon Guardian if the player attempts to enter the dungeon without killing him first.

Floating Islands

 * Main article: Floating Islands

Floating Islands are masses of land that appear in the sky. Just like forests, you can find trees and grass growing over dirt blocks, with some stone and Ores in the ground. Each Floating Island also has a building made of Copper Brick, Silver Brick, or Gold Brick which contains a chest. In the chest will be a Shiny Red Balloon, Lucky Horseshoe, or a Starfury along with other various items. Floating Islands are more difficult to find on a large map without the use of a Sky Bridge or Gravitation Potion, but it is considerably easier on a Small map. If there is Gold in the surface, there is usually a sky island above it, since Gold is usually only found underground. If you have Guns, you can use Meteor Shot, (crafted from Meteorite Bar(s), which bounce off of blocks), to find a floating island as well. The Water Bolt spell could also be useful, if you are patient enough for it to bounce back. There is also a lot of of gold and silver in the islands. Meteors have been known to occasionally hit these.

Floating Islands are also known as Sky Islands or Skylands Floating Islands near the edges of the world can have a Goblin Scout spawn on them.

The Underworld

 * Main article: The Underworld

The Underworld, also known as Hell,Hades Land, or the home of the lava is a hellish realm (about 3500 Feet below on Large maps and 1700 on Small ones) that can be reached by digging past the stone layer. It is very easily identified by its background of stone with veins of Lava. It is primarily made of Hellstone ore deposits surrounded by Ash Blocks, with extensive pools of Lava. Chests with unique loot can be found here. The chests in the underworld are Shadow Chests and require a Shadow Key to open. Hellstone can be used to make molten tools and armor.

The Wall of Flesh is a boss that can be summoned by tossing a Guide Voodoo Doll (From a voodo demon you killed) into one of the many pools of lava within the Underworld. Defeating it will unlock Hard Mode for your world. After killing the WoF, it is possible to have the underworld become Corrupted or Hallowed - The background color change indictes this. The wall of flesh must be beaten for any hardmode to occur, unless you cheat from another world that is hardmode.

Snow Biome

 * Main Article: Snow Biome

The Snow Biome is a christmas style biome, with snowmen monsters, snow and presents. It also introduces a new NPC, Santa Claus. In the Snow Biome you can find Snow Blocks and during christmas any enemy you kill has a chance to drop a Snow Globe, which can be used to summon the Frost Legion. After you beat the Frost Legion you can find Santa Claus, and he will for example sell the Santa Outfit and Christmas Lights. Snow can also spawn randomly in worlds.

Glowing Mushroom Biome
You find this biome in the stone layer of the world and the items found are glowing mushrooms. Dart Traps seem to be more common here, with the usually being one or more per biome.