How do you make a local (LAN) server in minecraft?

If you want to create a LAN server to play with your buddies connected on the same network, create a single player world, then from the pause screen, select 'Open to LAN', as pictured below.

"New Server" doesn't create a server; it just lets you add one to the list of servers you connect to regularly.

To create a server, you have to run the server executable, "Minecraft_Server.exe" or "minecraft_server.jar". Detailed instructions can be found on the minecraft wiki if you need more help getting set up or run into performance issues. If you are running the server on the same machine as the client, you can connect to "localhost" as the server address, or your own IP address.

Five steps:

1. Open to LAN
2. It will give you a 5-digit port number
3. Find your IPv4 Address using ipconfig in Command prompt (search CMD in search bar)
4. If your IP address is 123.456.7.8, and LAN is 89072, then you will combine them to make something like: 123.456.7.8:80729
5. Use direct connect and connect to the game