I found DogeM Games and it feels like a chill brand new community to join. It is aimed at mature gamers who just want to play and talk without it being weird.
Right now they are running a Minecraft server that stays up 24 7. The server is vanilla and it has a semi anarchy style so it should feel more free and less strict.
People say the interactions are friendly and the group is tight knit. If you want a simple place to play survival and meet others this one looks like a good try.
Lounge SMP is a semi vanilla survival server that is meant to feel relaxed and welcoming. It is the kind of place where you can take your time and build something that matters without feeling rushed.
The server has a strong no griefing rule and it is focused on being inclusive and friendly. People come here to make friends and just hang out while they play.
There are custom minigames and they also run events like a custom Spleef event where you can win prizes like elytras maces and ranks. The world is a forever world and the world border grows over time.
It supports both Java and Bedrock players so more friends can play together.
Adults Night Out is a Minecraft SMP that is for people 18 and up. The vibe is grown ups only so you can chill and play without kids getting in the way.
It is a feature rich survival server with a lot of custom stuff and the staff keeps adding updates and changes based on community suggestions. It is meant to feel like a big server experience but with a more mature crowd.
The server runs on dedicated hardware that is managed by an in house sysadmin. It also has grief and theft protection with CoreProtect so people can feel safer about their builds and items.
It is also more than just Minecraft since they treat it like a wider gaming community and a place to hang out and talk in Discord.
CrabCraft is a long running survival server that keeps Minecraft feeling simple fair and fun. It is a vanilla SMP with a community focused vibe and it is inspired by HermitCraft.
The gameplay stays mostly pure with light quality of life changes that do not mess with how the game is meant to be played. It also has proximity voice chat using Simple Voice Chat.
There are no ranks and no paid perks. The server uses automatic backups with per chunk rollback protection so grief and accidents can get fixed.
Last season had over 150 players and they played for more than 7000 hours together. To join you fill out a quick application in their Discord.
Shobies SMP is a chill survival world that is trying to feel alive and not boring.
It keeps the vanilla vibe but adds custom mobs plus custom items and biomes so there is more stuff to do without it getting too crazy.
People can grind and build and also do some PvP if they want. Season 2 just started so it is a good time to join before everyone is way ahead.
It is whitelist based and the rules are handled through the Discord.
Nightsun SMP is a Survival Multiplayer server running Season 5 in a Cobbleverse powered world on Fabric. It is all about catching training and battling Pokémon while you play Minecraft.
There are extra mods added so the world feels bigger and the gameplay has more to do. You can explore a lot fight battles and enjoy quality of life stuff.
The server also runs events and it is on version 1.21.1. You have to apply to join so it feels more like a real community server.
I found a small semi vanilla SMP that is in testing right now.
They said the real start is in about a week so it feels like a new beginning. It is meant to stay close to normal Minecraft but still be a multiplayer survival world.
Right now it sounds like they are getting stuff ready and looking for people who want to join early and help test things.
The Garden SMP is a survival server for Java 1.21.11 and it also supports Bedrock players. It is made for towny roleplay and worldbuilding. It feels welcoming since there are no join restrictions and it is new player friendly.
People make towns and even nations in the overworld then go on big adventures in other dimensions. The server leans into making stories together and exploring different realms.
You can protect your builds with Towny and set up chest shops to sell stuff with no forced economy. There is a devotions system where you can be a priest cultist or devoted worshipper of a god and get rewards for your piety. Multiverse is used so you can explore your gods realm too.
The vibe is relaxed with optional challenges if you want them. There is no pay to win and the staff are active and attentive with a small community.
MCVerse feels like it is made for people who want to stick around for the long haul. The main survival world is permanent and it is meant for big projects and long breaks without coming back to a mess. It is a no reset style SMP with a long term goal.
The gameplay stays close to vanilla. There are no custom items enchants or skill systems. There is still some quality of life stuff like teleport and builder tools like armor stands mini blocks and decorative heads.
Grief protection is a big deal here and the server talks a lot about no grief. You can grind classic survival or use player markets to speed things up if you want. You can also rank up for free just by playing and perks are available without paying.
Chat is kept pretty clean with low tolerance for swearing and public chat is meant for Minecraft and gaming topics. The community is international with players from teens to older adults and events are mostly player driven with admin support.
There are multiple modes you can pick from. The permanent SMP runs on 1.21.10. There is also a hardcore vanilla server on 1.21.10 and a vanilla no grief option with smaller claims that runs 6 to 12 month worlds on 1.21.11. Creative plots are also available on 1.21.8 for experimenting and building tests.
I found a faction SMP that is mostly scripted and it is built around server lore and planned story moments.
There are two main factions. One is Eternal Regime and they are the rich and powerful group. The other is Obdolbos and they stay hidden in caves with a small but strong team.
The story is about Elias who leads Eternal Regime and wants control over the whole server and everyone on it. They are looking for more people to join Eternal Regime. If you are good at pvp you can try for Obdolbos.