Heya,

I’m thinking of getting back into Minecraft after being away for a few years. The last time I played seriously was around the Caves & Cliffs update — I remember the cave overhaul and some of the new biomes, but I didn’t really dive deep into the update at the time.

Since then, I’ve seen mentions of things like armor trims, archaeology, trial chambers, and even a new weapon called a mace. I’ve also come across the Happy Ghast update and something called Spring to Life, but I’m not exactly sure what those are or how they fit into the game — are they limited-time events? New content types? Something I can still access in survival?

Basically, I'm super out of loop and could use a rundown:

• What are the major features or changes I should know about?

• Any new mobs or mechanics that have a big impact on survival?

• What's the usual early/mid-game progression like now?

• Are there any features that are easy to miss but worth checking out?

I’d appreciate any tips or suggestions. Just trying to catch up and see what I should explore first. Thanks!