Minecraft
A block-building game that allows you to create and explore entire worlds from scratch.
- Build, create, and share a world using a robust toolkit of mutable building blocks.
- Make use of redstone circuits to program complicated machinery like elevators and even primitive working computers.
- Download a range of player-created mods to further customize your Minecraft world's settings.
- Create your own server or join that of others, and set your own rules for the fundamental workings of your pocket universe.
- The sheer wealth of options available to players creates an environment that encourages creativity and non-traditional learning.
- Unlike many modern games, the core features promote acts of creative cooperation over violent competition.
- Cross-platform compatibility allows players to interact with users on PCs as well as a variety of mobile and console devices.
- The full breadth of features and the lack of goal-oriented direction can sometimes be overwhelming for players in need of structure.
- The number of Minecraft mods available can make it difficult to find what you're looking for, and installing them without an automatic installer isn't always intuitive.
- Regular updates mean that jumping back into the game after a hiatus can necessitate a steep learning curve.
Minecraft seemingly developed overnight from a niche indie game to a worldwide phenomenon, and with good reason. While on the surface, it's little different from playing with Lego blocks, the deep underpinnings of the game allow an expansive variety of options for the creative player. The first release of Minecraft was ostensibly a story of survival. Guide your character through a procedurally generated world, craft blocky minerals to upgrade your weapons and build shelter against a horde of wandering beasts, and venture further into the world in search of the final boss. But this was just icing on what would eventually become a player-driven exercise in imagination. Players soon started using this tool kit to recreate their favorite fantasy settings, design fantastic works of art, and even experiment with simple feats of engineering and design. But one of the primary reasons that players have stuck with this game throughout the years is its ongoing and seemingly endless developer support. If there was ever proof of concept for the idea of games as services rather than products, Minecraft seems to have perfected it. The game's official developers regularly change the game with new updates to everything from textures to underlying functionality, and an open and robust modding community means that there's no lack of content for the curious player. If Minecraft's pulls players in with its promise of creating endless worlds, it keeps the player invested through its diverse, unique, and ever-growing community of support. Today, it's hard to define exactly what Minecraft is. Is it a grand adventure that puts survival first, an interactive set of building blocks, or a playground in which to meet, compete, and collaborate with friends? In actuality, it's all of these things, and as the game continues to develop, it's apt to become a whole lot more. Computer programmers have already pointed out how Minecraft can serve as a way for children to learn programming, and some classrooms are already starting to use it as a learning tool. Minecraft may end up as being more than just a simple game.
Alternatives to Minecraft
SurvivalCraft
Starbound
Roblox
Algodoo
Terraria
Terasology
Blockland
Stonehearth
Growtopia
Unturned
The Blockheads
Cube World
World of Cubes
Block Story
Wurm Online
Space Engineers
Scrap Mechanic
Scrap Mechanic is an all-new creative multiplayer sandbox game which drops you right into a world where you quite literally engineer your own adventures! Choose from the 100+ building parts