Minecraft's modern Adventure Mode is effectively Survival Mode but with the inability to break blocks. This mode is useful for mapmakers who wish to keep their creations unsullied by players, limiting world modification to specific instances using the CanPlaceOn and CanDestroy tags.
However, before release 1.8, Adventure Mode was different: block breaking was instead limited to the correct tool type. The mode adds just the slightest challenge to the usual survival experience, particularly at the start. And, in contrast to modern Adventure Mode, the game is actually playable1.
The Classic Adventure mod restores Adventure Mode to its former glory while also implementing a few obvious adjustments. The mod is faithful to this list of tools and the blocks they can destroy, with a few reasonable exceptions:
- Axe -> Leaves
- Hoe -> Cactus
- Pickaxe -> Pistons, infested blocks, packed ice, blue ice
- No tool -> Beds, dirt, gravel, hay bales, mud, (red) sand, snow (layers), (wet) sponges
The mod also adds a flint axe, which can be obtained without any other tools at the start of the game. Craft it shapelessly in the 2x2 grid with a stick and piece of flint. If you don't want to bother with it, give yourself a bonus chest.
Footnotes
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Not that you can't play it; resources and tools can be garnered from loot chests. ↩