Is Minecraft the Greatest Video Game Ever?

There are so many video games that claim to be the greatest ever, but there’s a pretty good case to be made that Minecraft – a game about blocks and creatures and community – is the one. It’s a creative sandbox, a survival adventure, an educational tool, and a platform where people come together to form and maintain connections. I’ve heard tales of families using it to stay connected during the pandemic, for instance – and of kids making friendships that last years, even after they’ve moved away.

The game, which has a recommended PEGI rating of 7 and an ESRB rating of Everyone 10+, can be played on computers, smartphones, tablets, the Xbox, or Nintendo Switch. It comes in two different modes: Creative mode, where players can build whatever they want without worrying about hunger or health, and Survival mode, which focuses on surviving the world by engaging in combat and exploring biomes.

Both modes encourage kids to develop spatial awareness, resource management skills, and architectural design. They also learn about the basics of physics and math through building structures, mining for materials, and navigating the map using compass directions. And the fun doesn’t stop when the screen is turned off: Minecraft toys and merchandise abound, encouraging kids to continue exploring and creating outside of the digital realm.

There’s no right or wrong way to play the game, either: Players can build anything they can imagine and collaborate with friends in community worlds, explore other people’s creations, or take part in the official Minecraft Dungeons tournament. The game also offers a range of challenges, quests, and mini-games to keep players engaged.

As the game continues to grow and evolve, new experiences, updates, and adventures will lure old and new players in. For example, the upcoming update, slated for later this year, will include a new biome – mesa – to mine for resources and new mobs to fight.

The game also teaches kids to be resourceful in the real world by encouraging them to hunt for food or water and to find items in the wild. They’ll also learn to defend their beds by defending it with platforms, and will learn how to navigate the world’s various terrain by climbing and flying, and will be challenged to think critically about the impact of their actions on the environment.

There are also plenty of ways to customize the game to improve performance, depending on the type of computer used: For older machines, turn off “Entity Shadows,” which can be a major drag on performance. Similarly, turning off “Smooth Lighting” can help boost graphics, especially for those who don’t have high-end video cards. You can also adjust the in-game resolution to reduce graphics detail, which is another easy way to increase gameplay speed.