Biomes refer to the different types of areas that a Terraria world can contain. Biomes can each contain their own characteristic terrain blocks, collectible items, backdrops, walls, enemies, theme music, and other traits.
The most common biomes are Forests, located on the surface. Going farther left or right will eventually lead to the Corruption or the Crimson, Deserts, Snow, Jungle, the Dungeon, and at the far right and left of the world, the two Oceans.
"Underground" biomes begin at the Cavern layer and include the Underground Mushroom biome, the Underground Jungle biome, the Underground Snow biome, and the Underground Desert. The sky contains Floating Islands.
The world is also divided into Layers that describe world characteristics depending on depth. The Surface, Underground, and Cavern layers can each contain several different biomes. In contrast, Space, the layer appearing at the very top of the world, and The Underworld, the layer covering the very bottom of the map, additionally sport their own biome characteristics across the entire map horizontally, rather than containing multiple biomes.
After the initial defeat of the Wall of Flesh in The Underworld, the world converts to Hardmode, and new points of Corruption or Crimson will form, as well as a new environment, The Hallow, in addition to underground versions of those.
Space
Space is a layer appearing at the top of the world: 773 feet and above, for large worlds. The sky is dark and stars are visible, even when the Sun is still up, and gravity affects players less. Nothing much happens in Space, except for the exclusive background and music. In Hardmode, Wyverns will spawn.
Surface/Underground
Biomes that appear above the Cavern layer operate as surface biomes, even though they can and do often extend underground. The actual "Underground" versions of biomes, such as the Underground Snow biome, with distinct underground characteristics, do not begin until Cavern layer depths.
Forest
Forests are the most common surface biome, and are where the player spawns upon starting a new world. Green Grass grows across the dirt, which can spawn mushrooms, Daybloom, and Trees. Forests appear whenever no other biome is valid.
Snow
Snow biomes are winter-themed and predominately made of Snow and Ice blocks. Snow falls constantly, though this is only an aesthetic effect. The Snow Biome is always located opposite to the Jungle and thus on the same side of the map as the Dungeon.
Desert
Deserts are large expanses of Sand that require at least 1000 sand or other desert themed blocks. They are common between Forests.
Jungle
The Jungle is a difficult surface biome composed of Jungle Grass, Vines, Mud and Jungle Trees. The sky appears a vibrant green color. Jungle Trees respawn automatically without the need to plant Acorns. The Jungle will always be located on the opposite side of the map from the Snow and Dungeon. Very easy to find.
The Crimson and The Corruption
A world will always generate with either Crimson or Corruption, but never both. Each are hazardous biomes that offer access to important loot, crafting materials, and bosses.
- The Corruption follows a mental theme and features vertical chasms, Shadow Orbs, and Demon Altars.
- The Crimson follows a gory theme and features angled chasms, Crimson Hearts, and Crimson Altars.
Mushroom
The surface version of the Mushroom biome does not occur naturally, but can be cultivated by players, using Mushroom Grass Seeds or an imported Clentaminator with Dark Blue Solution on surface-level Mud. Regardless of the time of day it will always appear as night time.
Ocean
At each end of every map stands a deep body of water, where dangerous swimming enemies are found, and Water Chests contain water-themed loot.
Cavern
The Cavern layer marks the beginning of distinct Underground biome variants, with separate characteristics from their surface versions.
Underground Snow
The Cavern layer equivalent to the Snow biome. Many ledges and bodies of water will have a thin layer of ice over them, and while they can support the player's weight they can break if you land on them with high enough speed. Ice Chests contain ice-themed equipment. It contains more dangerous enemies than its surface counterpart.
Underground Mushroom
This biome features glowing mushrooms on top of mud, and if there is enough height in the cavern, giant mushrooms can grow as well. It has a unique background.
Underground Jungle
The Underground Jungle is a difficult biome found at Cavern depth under the surface Jungle. Its dense catacomb of compartments contain several hazards and dense vegetation, as well as important loot and crafting materials. In Hardmode, valuable Chlorophyte Ore can be mined here. After the Mechanical Bosses have been defeated, Plantera's Bulbs spawn, allowing the player to summon Plantera, an important boss. The Jungle Temple is also found here, where the Golem boss can be summoned after Plantera is defeated.
Underground Desert
This is a difficult pre-Hardmode biome found at Cavern layer under the surface Desert.
Underworld
The Underworld is a difficult area located along the entire bottom of the world. Lava pools cover much of its terrain and dangerous enemies spawn often. Hellstone can be mined here, Ruined Houses offer valuable loot (some within their Shadow Chests), and unique furniture, and the Wall of Flesh boss can be summoned here in order to activate Hardmode.
Hardmode
Hardmode biomes spawn or convert as a result of the game transitioning to Hardmode.
The Hallow
The Hallow is the "anti-corruption" biome, which is automatically created once the player activates Hardmode by defeating the Wall of Flesh. The biome has pastel-colored imagery but is nevertheless highly difficult.
Underground Hallow
The Underground Hallow is located beneath surface Hallow, starting at the Cavern layer. It has a different soundtrack from the overworld Hallow, and contains even more difficult enemies as well as valuable items.
Underground Corruption
The Underground Corruption is created in the Cavern layer upon defeating the Wall of Flesh. It shares the same feel as the overworld Corruption, but has different enemies, a different soundtrack (a mix of the regular Underground and Corruption soundtrack), and it's the only place to find Souls of Night and Cursed Flames. All enemies from the overworld version are present, as well as World Feeders, Clingers, and Cursed Hammers.
Underground Crimson
The alternative to the Underground Corruption, which functions and is spawned in mostly the same way. The Underground Crimson, like the Corruption variety, will have enemies occasionally drop Souls of Night.
Corrupted/Crimson Deserts & Hallowed Deserts
When the world enters Hardmode, several Deserts of the world will become either corrupted, crimsoned, or hallowed. These have their own backgrounds, and spawn unique versions of the Mummy. Sand is replaced by Ebonsand, Crimsand, or Pearlsand.
Mini or Event Biomes
Biomes in this category tend to be small in number and size or created by an event. They have unique characteristics and monster spawns.
Rain
The most common event biome is Rain. Rain can occur in any surface biome, changing the theme music, the background and lighting dims, Goldfish walk on land, and some new enemies spawn. Once the rain has completed the effect fades away and the affected biome returns to normal. Rain in the snow biome becomes a blizzard.
Dungeon
The Dungeon is a difficult labyrinth leading from the Surface down to near-Underworld depths. The Old Man stands at the entrance, and using him to defeat Skeletron will allow you to access to the inside. If you go into the Dungeon before Skeletron is defeated, Dungeon Guardians will spawn and kill you (if you travel below 0 depth). The items/loot found in the Dungeon are rare, valuable and some cannot be found elsewhere.
Meteorite
Whenever a Shadow Orb or a Crimson Heart is destroyed, there is a chance that within the next day the game will spawn a meteor and display the message "A meteorite has landed!". The meteor will crash into land and turn a large portion of the surrounding tiles into Meteorite. Meteorite will burn the player if they do not have an accessory that nullifies fire's effects, and/or an Obsidian Skin Potion. Meteorite requires a Tungsten Pickaxe, Gold Pickaxe, or better, in order to mine the meteorite. Meteor Heads are the only enemies that spawn instead of the other natives.
Floating Islands
Floating Islands are independent masses of land in the sky. Once located, and when the player obtains the tools to reach them, they have access to their unique furniture and some powerful loot. Harpies (and Wyvern in Hardmode) attack at their height.
Living Tree
Living Trees are huge, thick trees that can be generated. Cutting the tree yields regular Wood. Some of those trees can be hollow and lead deep underground. There may be rooms containing Living Wood Chests with related loot inside, as well as Living Wood Doors, Living Wood Chairs, Living Wood Tables, Living Loom and other Living Wood furniture.
Spider Nest
Spider Nests are rare mini-biomes that can be located underground, noted by the black background wall and the numerous webs filling the area. This biome will spawn Wall Creepers when entered. The Cobwebs filling this area rapidly grow back, which is a unique feature of the biome. Spider Nests are the only location where one can find Web Covered Chests and all unique treasures discovered therein. Also the Stylist NPC is found in this biome.
Bee Hive
The Bee Hive occurs in the Underground Jungle. Bee Hives are made from Hive blocks and contain Honey and often a Larva. If you destroy the larva, it will summon the Queen Bee boss.
Jungle Temple
A large structure found in the Underground Jungle, the Jungle Temple is an end-game biome that can be accessed with a key dropped by Plantera. It is densely packed with unique enemies and Traps, and its final chamber allows the player to summon the Golem boss.
Marble Caves
An Underground Cave area made completely out of marble. Contains enemies such as Medusa and Hoplite.
Granite Caves
An Underground Cave area made completely of Granite. Contains enemies such as Granite Golem and Granite Elemental.
Thin Ice Patch
A Mini Biome found in the Underground Snow Biome that is made entirely of Thin Ice and the occasional ore vein.
Mountain Cave
A mountain caves are made at world creation, and usually found in Forests, near large expanses of mountain/hill,sometimes under. These caves feature leaf backgrounds, and contain chests with beginner's loot.
Treasure Rooms
Treasure rooms are spawned with world creation and appear as if they were man-made structures. They generally contain loot and furniture.
Underground Cabin
Underground cabins are typically wooden buildings full of dusty, broken furniture as well as chests, vases, and occasionally usable furniture and decorations. They are found in the underground in the cavern, glowing mushroom and snow biomes. As of 1.3.0.1, underground cabins now spawn with wood and walls that are unique to their biome.
Jungle Shrine
Jungle Shrines are small brick buildings and typically contain only a single chest and a light source. They are found in the underground jungle and several can appear in one biome.
Ruined House
Ruined houses are generated at World creation in The Underworld in the middle third of the Underworld (laterally). They are towers with multiple levels, constructed with missing parts for a "ruined" look, from Obsidian Brick or Hellstone Brick. They are sometimes partially submerged in lava and often contain deposits of hellstone just outside their walls.
Gemstone Cave
A Gemstone Cave is filled with concentrated gem deposits of one or more varieties and features a unique background (a gemstone wall) that is speckled with gems of the same color found in the Gemstone Cave.
Pyramid
Pyramids are rarely generated in the Desert at world creation. They are made of Sandstone Brick and contain a narrow passage. The treasure room is filled with coins, vases and a gold chest that can contain unique loot. There is also a passage to a mine at the bottom.
Enchanted Sword Shrine
Houses an Enchanted Sword, the Arkhalis or a fake sword. Every shrine will contain one breakable background sword sprite, which has a 2/3 chance of being a fake sword and a 1/3 chance of being a real sword, which has a 1/10 chance of dropping the Arkhalis, instead of the Enchanted Sword, when destroyed.
Heart Shrine
Exclusive to the mobile version Template:Mobile icon, Heart Shrines are heart-shaped caves sometimes found in Snow biomes. They hold two Crystal Hearts and a chest that may contain "heart"-items.
Hybrid Biomes
Reason: "Corrupt and Crimson Deserts should be listed above, as they have unique spawns and items"
While many of the basic biomes appear at world generation or triggered by events, it is possible for pure or hybridized biomes to be synthesized by player action or, in Hardmode, by world mechanics.
Hybrid Biomes
Hybrid biomes are those created by the requirements being met for multiple biomes in a certain space. The simplest examples are Hallowed or corrupted Deserts; however, not only Deserts can be hybridized. Floating Islands can be corrupted or Hallowed upon entry of Hardmode, and such high-layered biomes are even required by some Angler quests. Player action can similarly introduce Corruption, Crimson, Hallow, Desert, Jungle, Mushroom, Meteorite, or Snow biomes to any location from Underworld to Sky and likely even Space. This can lead to, for example in an Underworld Crimson, Underworld and Crimson enemies both spawning in the applicable areas.
Biome Existence Requirements
The discussion of the area used for counting required blocks for the existence of biomes at a location appears to be 50 tiles to each side and approximately 42 below and 44 above. Note that Compatible Biomes lists the biomes which can co-exist in the same general location, and has nothing to do with spreading mechanics.
| Name | Block Requirements | Location | Compatible Biomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest | N/A | Above the Underworld | Sky, Surface, Underground, Cavern, Ocean |
| Corruption | At least 200  Corrupt Grass,  Ebonsand Blocks,  Ebonstone Blocks,  Purple Ice Blocks, Corrupt Thorny Bushes, or  Vile Mushrooms
|
Any | Not Forest, Meteorite, or Hallow |
| Crimson | At least 200  Crimson Grass,  Crimsand Blocks,  Crimstone Blocks,  Red Ice Blocks, Crimson Vines, or  Vicious Mushroom |
Any | Not Forest, Meteorite, or Hallow |
| Mushroom | At least 100  Mushroom Grass or  Glowing Mushrooms
|
Any | Not Forest or Meteorite |
| Jungle | At least 80  Jungle Grass,  Lihzahrd Bricks, Jungle Thorny Bushes, or Jungle Vines
|
Any | Not Forest or Meteorite |
| Hallow | At least 100  Hallowed Grass,  Pearlsand Blocks,  Pearlstone Blocks,  Pink Ice Blocks, or Hallowed Vines
|
Any | Not Forest, Meteorite, Corruption, or Crimson |
| Desert | At least 1,000  Sand Blocks, Crimsand Blocks, Ebonsand Blocks, or Pearlsand Blocks
|
Any | Not Forest or Meteorite |
| Ocean | At least 1,000 block spaces of water | Outer lateral edges of the world, above Cavern layer | Not Meteorite, Corrupted Desert, Crimson Desert, or Hallowed Desert |
| Snow | At least 300  Snow Blocks,  Ice Blocks, and possibly other Snow Biome blocks
|
Any | Not Meteorite or Desert |
| Meteorite | At least 50  Meteorite
|
Any | None |
| Dungeon | At least 250 Dungeon Bricks and a naturally-placed Wall other than Dirt Wall[1] | Below -4 feet | None |
- ↑ Note that the requirement for naturally-placed Walls makes a synthetic Dungeon biome nearly impossible and, if accomplished, it would be unable to spawn Hardmode Dungeon enemies or Cursed Skulls (as they require naturally-placed Dungeon Brick Walls), though it may be useful for creating a lake for farming Dungeon Crates. It appears that the only option for expanding the space in which Hardmode Dungeon enemies can spawn is by mining blocks already inside the area in which the Dungeon originally generated, without damaging any naturally-placed Walls they are covering.
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