What Is Minecraft?
Minecraft is a game that allows players to build anything they want in an ever-expanding 3D world made up of blocks. Players can create a tiny hut or a grand castle, as well as create menagerie of virtual creatures to hunt (or tame for pets). Minecraft is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Xbox One S and Xbox One X, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.
A player can play Minecraft solo or with friends in multiplayer. Players can play in Creative mode, which has no violence and allows unlimited resources; or Survival mode, which is more like a campaign: players must forage for food, hunt or gather for weapons and tools, and battle mobs of scary creatures, including the infamous Ender Dragon. Kids can also set up their own servers to host a private world that they and their friends can log into from different devices.
The game was originally designed to teach computer programming skills. The designer, Swedish developer Markus Persson, developed the game so that it could run on computers running the free open source software Linux. This allowed a lot of kids to play the game on their home computers or school-issued laptops. Later, he added a feature that let players share their creations by packaging them as “maps” and posting them online. In turn, other people could download these maps and play the game inside them.
Kids can also play Minecraft on a server with other players in the same room or at remote locations, but they must be careful to monitor their interactions. In recent years, some servers have been targeted by malicious players who break other players’ work and destroy it with TNT, a practice known as “griefing.” A 12-year-old from Washington state named London recently started his own server so he and his friends could play together; however, when he left it public, strangers began to log on and start destroying his and their creations. In response, he created a private server that includes a whitelist so only players preapproved by him can play; and a plug-in to prevent players from blowing up other players’ works.
While Minecraft is an incredibly complex game, at its core it’s really a Lego-like toy that encourages creativity and problem solving. In addition, it teaches basic computer skills and can even help kids develop a sense of social responsibility by encouraging them to respect other players’ work.
Kids who enjoy Minecraft are likely to find it engaging for a long time, as the game continues to evolve thanks to regular updates that add new biomes, creatures, and blocks. Moreover, it can be played on nearly any electronic device that supports the operating system used for that platform, meaning kids can take their Minecraft creations with them wherever they go. This makes it a perfect way to kill time on flights, road trips, and other waiting situations.