Imagine a world where you can craft armor and weapons, slay monsters, knock down trees with your bare hands and build anything from your dreams. Welcome to the world of Minecraft! If you have never played this video game before, you are in for an unforgettable experience. The possibilities are simply endless. Do you want to go on an adventure? Build a castle and invite your friends over? You can do it all in Minecraft.

Designed by Markus “Notch” Persson and developed by Mojang in 2011, Minecraft is a relatively recent sandbox-type game, where there is little structure and players' decisions control the direction of the game. It began with a small following, but people liked the idea so much that it quickly exploded in popularity. Xbox and mobile versions have been released, and now over 21 million people play the game. The game has become wildly popular largely because it serves as a building ground for creating almost anything you can imagine.

Minecraft is played from a first-person point of view, allowing the player to become the main character in a very immersive, three-dimensional world. Use the keys on your keyboard to walk and move your mouse to look around. Look up to see the sky, and if you look toward the horizon, the ground stretches out in all directions. Minecraft is a world made up entirely of square cubes or blocks, so nothing is round. For example, the ground is made up of blocks of grass or dirt. This may seem strange, but it actually gives the game a unique quality that is easily recognized. Right click to place these blocks and left click to destroy them. Two modes to the game add flexibility. In survival mode you start in a random biome, like a swamp or forest, where you have to hunt for and gather resources necessary for survival. Mine for materials and use them to craft tools and useful objects such as pickaxes, armor, and weapons. You have limited health and growing hunger, so you must fight monsters and kill animals to subsist. Alternatively, in creative mode you are invincible and have unlimited access to all of the blocks and materials in the game. You can also fly around, so this mode is like a blank canvas for your creations. Maybe there’s a dream house or a spaceship you’ve always wanted to build. Well, in Minecraft, you can realize this dream!

The graphics in Minecraft are not realistic and are instead rough and pixelated. This is actually done on purpose and adds to Minecraft’s unique style and original look. There are also some basic sound effects like footsteps, animal noises, monster growls, and distinctive sounds when different blocks are broken. These sound effects make the game more atmospheric and riveting but can be turned off in the settings. Background music also comes on periodically while you are playing. This music is generally soothing and peaceful but is optional as well.

The best thing about Minecraft is its versatility. Although it began as a very simple concept, it was the players (not the creators) who developed the product and used it to its full potential. One player built the entire Star Trek Enterprise and another assembled a working computer, all within Minecraft. There are now hundreds of different modifications that people program, like one that allows you to travel to space, which can be added to the game. There are also thousands of multiplayer online Minecraft servers that have whole communities of players on them. Clever ideas and themes have been developed for these servers such as role-playing, which allows participants to pretend to be characters that they make up. There are also servers that have PvP (player vs. player) where you can battle other Minecraft players. There is so much to explore in Minecraft and, because it is constantly changing, it’s impossible to become bored with this enthralling game. 

Minecraft is truly a breakthrough among video games. No other game has captured the imaginations and released the latent creativity of so many kids around the world. Already an incredible 21 million players have become enchanted with the world of Minecraft. Much like the classic children’s toy Lego, the game serves as a platform for children to exercise their imaginations: to build, explore, and construct the things of their dreams. If you’re looking for endless hours of fun and exploration, join the millions of players who have been captivated by the world of Minecraft.