How to Change Game Rules on a Minecraft Bedrock Server

Q: How do I turn on keep inventory on a Bedrock server?

Type gamerule keepinventory true in the server console. It applies straight away and stays on for that world.

Q: Do game rules reset when the Bedrock server restarts?

No. They are saved in the world's level.dat, so they survive restarts. Only switching to a different world gives you different rules.

Q: How do I make one player sleeping skip the night on Bedrock?

Run gamerule playerssleepingpercentage 1 in the console. One sleeping player is then enough to skip the night.

To change game rules on a Minecraft Bedrock server, type gamerule <rule> <value> in the server console without a slash, for example gamerule keepinventory true, or /gamerule in chat as an operator with cheats on. Rules are saved in the world's level.dat, so they apply to your existing world straight away and survive restarts, but only for that world. Type gamerule alone to list every rule. Before turning cheats on, know that a Bedrock world with cheats enabled loses achievements for good.

What you can change on an existing world

Change	Existing world	Needs a new world
Game rules (`keepinventory`, `mobgriefing`, sleep percentage and the rest)	Yes, right away, no restart
Difficulty and default game mode	Yes, after a restart
Allow cheats	Yes, but achievements are gone for that world afterwards
Experimental features such as Beta APIs	Only by editing the world in the game client
Hardcore		Yes, chosen when the world is created
Seed and world type		Yes

Where do Bedrock game rules live?

Setting	Stored in	How to change it
Game rules	`worlds/<level-name>/level.dat`	`gamerule` command
`difficulty`, `gamemode`, `allow-cheats`	`server.properties`	The file, or the panel on GamezServers
Experiments	`level.dat`	Only through the client's world settings
Operators	`permissions.json`	`op "Gamertag"` in the console

Because game rules sit inside level.dat, each world folder in worlds has its own set. Switch level-name to another world and you get that world's rules. Upload a world and it brings the rules it was made with.

Which Bedrock game rules are worth changing?

Some Bedrock rule names differ from Java's, so commands copied from a Java guide can fail. Use the names the gamerule command lists. Defaults below are from the Minecraft Wiki's game rule page.

Rule	Default	What it does	Friend server pick
`keepinventory`	false	Keep items and XP on death	`true` for relaxed groups
`playerssleepingpercentage`	100	Percent of players who must sleep to skip the night	`1` so one sleeper is enough
`mobgriefing`	true	Creepers break blocks, endermen take blocks, villagers farm	`false` protects builds but stops villager farming too
`doinsomnia`	true	Phantoms spawn when you skip sleep	`false` to remove phantoms
`dofiretick`	true	Fire spreads and burns out	`false` for wooden bases
`tntexplodes`	true	TNT explodes	`false` on public servers
`pvp`	true	Players can damage each other	`false` for co-op only
`doimmediaterespawn`	false	Skip the death screen	Personal taste
`showcoordinates`	true	Coordinates on screen	Keep on
`showdaysplayed`	false	Day counter on screen	`true` for long running worlds
`spawnradius`	10	How far from spawn new players appear	`0` for a spawn hub
`playerwaypoints`	everyone	The locator bar, `everyone` or `off`	Personal taste
`randomtickspeed`	1	Crop and plant growth speed	Leave it, higher costs CPU

playerwaypoints was called locatorbar before Bedrock 26.30, so older guides that use the old name return a syntax error on a current server.

A Minecraft Bedrock world with a village and fields, where game rules like mobgriefing and keepinventory apply

Step 1: Back up first

Press Backup, or copy the world folder in worlds while the server is stopped. Game rules are easy to change back, but cheats and achievements are not, and the backup is the only way back if you change your mind about cheats.

Step 2: See the current rules

In the server console, type:

gamerule

The server lists every rule with its current value. No slash, and no cheats needed, because the console has full rights.

Step 3: Change a rule

gamerule keepinventory true
gamerule playerssleepingpercentage 1
gamerule mobgriefing false

Each change applies right away and is saved into level.dat. There is nothing to restart.

Step 4: Or change rules from in game chat

Operators can use /gamerule keepinventory true in chat, but most commands in chat need cheats on for the world (allow-cheats=true in server.properties, then a restart). If achievements matter to your group, use the console instead and leave cheats off. Every console command is in Minecraft Bedrock server commands.

The gotcha: cheats switch off achievements permanently

On Bedrock, a world that has had cheats enabled is marked for good, and achievements stay off in it even after you turn cheats back off. Players set allow-cheats=true "just for a minute" to fix one thing with /gamerule in chat, and the whole group loses achievements on a world they have played for months.

The Minecraft Wiki lists a set of rules that the client's world settings can change without enabling cheats: dotiledrops, domobloot, tntexplodes, doimmediaterespawn, naturalregeneration, playerssleepingpercentage, dofiretick, recipesunlock, respawnblocksexplode, showcoordinates, showdaysplayed, showrecipemessages, showtags and playerwaypoints. Everything else, keepinventory and mobgriefing included, counts as a cheat rule.

The safe habit: decide on cheats when the world is new. If you need a cheat rule on a world you care about, take a backup first, so you can return to the version that still had achievements.

Common problems

"Unknown command" in the console: you typed a slash, or a Java only command. Console commands have no slash.
Syntax error on a rule name: a Java name or an old name. Use the names the gamerule command lists, and playerwaypoints instead of locatorbar.
"You do not have permission" in chat: you are not an operator, or cheats are off. Use the console, or op yourself with op "Gamertag".
Rules gone after switching worlds: each world keeps its own rules in its level.dat. Set them again on that world.
Difficulty or game mode reverts after a restart: those come from server.properties, which our panel writes on every start. Change them in Settings.
Achievements stopped working: cheats were enabled on this world at some point. Restore a backup from before that.

Game rules on GamezServers

On a Minecraft Bedrock server from GamezServers, the Console tab runs gamerule with full rights, so you can tune a world without turning cheats on, and Keep inventory is a one click button. Allow cheats, Difficulty and Game mode are in Settings, and Backup covers you before anything permanent. For world level features like experiments, see how to add add-ons to a Minecraft Bedrock server.

FAQ

How do I turn on keep inventory on a Bedrock server?

Type gamerule keepinventory true in the server console. It applies straight away and stays on for that world.

Do game rules reset when the Bedrock server restarts?

No. They are saved in the world's level.dat, so they survive restarts. Only switching to a different world gives you different rules.

Does changing game rules disable achievements on Bedrock?

Turning cheats on for the world disables achievements permanently. Several rules, such as playerssleepingpercentage and showcoordinates, can be changed without cheats.

How do I make one player sleeping skip the night on Bedrock?

Run gamerule playerssleepingpercentage 1 in the console. One sleeping player is then enough to skip the night.