Creative

Creative Mode is one of the main game modes in Minecraft. It is playable in both premium and Classic and singleplayer and multiplayer versions of the game. The Creative game mode allows you to build and destroy blocks instantly in a manner in which you can build any sort of structure you would like.

Players are given an infinite number of blocks to build with and no health bar thus rendering the player immune to all damage. The only possible ways to die are to use the /kill command, or to fall into the void. Taking advantage of this, players can create large constructions more easily such as castles, roads, water fountains, and much more along with forms of pixel art. Not only have users designed buildings, structures, and pixel arts, but also mini-sports, such as Spleef.

Along with the absence of hunger and health, the player is also able to fly.

Creative Game Play


Once a Singleplayer Creative Mode level is created, if Cheats are enabled, it can be changed to a Survival world (or vice-versa) with the  command. In multiplayer, players can be individually changed between creative and survival mode with the  command available to Operators. 0 signifies Survival, 1 is Creative, and 2 is Adventure (works only on vanilla server).. This means that individual players can play creative mode (at the Operator's discretion) on a survival map, or vice-versa.

In Creative the normal inventory screen is replaced by the item selection screen, which contains almost all blocks and items in a tabbed interface. There is also a search feature. One tab provides a survival-like inventory, including armor slots and a 2x2 crafting grid. Some items behave differently than in survival mode; for example, empty buckets will never fill with water or lava, and water and lava buckets never empty, no matter how many times they are used.

Dropped items can be picked up by the player, but if the hotbar is already full, the items will go in survival inventory.

Flying is enabled, activated by double tapping to start flying then single pressing  to go up and  to go down and the  keys (default) to move. You can disable flying in mid-air by double-tapping again, causing you to drop to the ground. Touching the ground when flying also disables flying. However, if you get into a minecart or a bed while flying, when you get out, you will still be flying. You can also destroy beds while sleeping in them, making you wake up before morning. This can also happen in the Survival and Hardcore modes.

You can pick blocks into your hotbar by pressing middle-click. This lets you obtain many other blocks that aren't in the item select, items like Nether Portal, Monster Spawner, End Portal, and the Enderdragon Egg by pressing your middle mouse button. This results in not having to use hacks or the /give command unless you're in survival mode. In SMP, any item not in the Creative inventory, including both the items above and enchanted items, will briefly appear in the Creative inventory upon being placed in the player's regular inventory, allowing players to duplicate enchanted items.

Mobs will still spawn like in survival (including from monster spawners), but are neutral and will not try to attack the player unless provoked. Even then they will do no damage. Creepers are still a hazard, as they might explode near structures.

Normally indestructible blocks like bedrock and portals can also be destroyed. Going too far into the Void will still kill the player, but the player can fly around in the Void provided they do not descend below the y coordinate of -64. This, along with the /kill command, is the only way to die in creative mode.

Blocks that are destroyed by means other than clicking on them (destroying a block it is attached to) can still be picked up. However, TNT, paintings, minecarts, powered minecarts and storage minecarts can be picked up when destroyed by punching.

Flying very close to the top of a block without touching it will generate footsteps sounds. As flying is much faster than walking, it will generate a lot of footsteps at once. You can also hear wood footstep sounds when hovering right over some non-solid blocks like torches or signs.

If one flies very high above the clouds, it will seem as if there are two suns; you are actually seeing both the sun and the moon. This is due to the game's limited render distance; changing it will only increase/decrease the height needed to see this. Some items and blocks are only available in Creative mode, such as Sponges and Spawn Eggs.

Representation in level.dat
To change the GameType in the  it has to be opened with something like NBTedit:

As of 1.2.1, the code is now different. You'll find the String "GameType" in clear text followed by 0x000000:

Missing blocks and items
As of 12w23a, there are several in game blocks and items that do not appear in the Item Select Menu:


 * End Portal block
 * Nether Portal block
 * Huge Mushroom blocks
 * Melon stems
 * Pumpkin stems
 * Farmland
 * Monster Spawners
 * Dragon Eggs

Note: Most of these (that are blocks) can be obtained with Pick Block. However, mob spawners do not spawn the right mobs (resulting in only pigs spawning), melon and pumpkin stems plant seeds instead, and huge mushrooms do not give the right type of mushroom block.

Classic Creative
Going to Minecraft website and clicking 'Classic'.

For obvious reasons, any blocks added in the full release, Beta, Alpha, Infdev, or Survival Test cannot be accessed. In order to play classic creative multiplayer you must be logged into your Minecraft account.

Many of the blocks have been retextured since. Many abilities on servers were lost (without modding) as creative and survival became separate. (/Fly, Etc.)

Bugs

 * When pressing middle mouse button ("Pick Block") on an entity the user will get bedrock instead of proper item or spawn egg.
 * Using "Pick Block" on blocks gives their drops instead of block you are looking at.