Last Updated on July 11, 2021
Minecraft is a sandbox construction indie video game where you can build anything imaginable. It is also about blocks and collecting. The game is inspired by Infiniminer, a block-based digging/building game, Dungeon Keeper and Dwarf Fortress.
The game involves players creating and destroying various types of blocks in a 3D environment. The player takes an avatar that can destroy or create blocks, forming fantastic structures, creations and artwork across the various multiplayer servers in multiple game modes.
The game offers two different game modes. In the creative game mode you can build and destroy blocks to make any sort of object. With an infinite amount of each block to build, players can build huge structures such as skywalks, castles, and buildings. The other game mode is called survival and represents the main focus of development. In the survival mode, players can build shelters to fend off spawning enemy mobs.
The game is written in Java and has been in development since May 2009.
Features include:
- Simple controls make the game extremely playable.
- Focused on creativity and building.
- Complex systems can be built using the in-game physics engine.
- Game world is procedurally generated with no hard limit to the gaming world.
- Community-made modifications that alter the gameplay.
- Over 100 different types of blocks which are integral to the in-game environment. They include Air, Stone, Grass, Snow, Dirt, Water, Water Source, Lava, Lava Source, Sand, Sandstone, Gravel, Gold Ore, Iron Ore, Diamond Ore, Redstone Ore, Lapis Lazuli Ore, Clay Block, Coal Ore, Bedrock, Ice, Wood, Birch Wood, Pine/Spurce Wood, Leaves, Cactus, Sugar Cane, Pumpkins, yellow and red Flowers, brown and red Mushrooms, dead and living Shrubs and Tall Grass.
- 14 unique mobs. The term “mob” is short for “mobile” and has been used as generic term for moving entities in games since the first MUDs were created:
- Allied: Wolf (tamed).
- Passive: Chicken, cow, pig, sheep, squid.
- Neutral: Zombie Pigman, Wolf (wild).
- Hostile: Creeper, Ghast, Skeleton, Slime, Spider, Spider Jockey, and Zombie.
- Texture packs to change the in-game textures of blocks, items, mobs and the graphical user interface.
- Custom textures.
- Crafting.
- Throwable eggs.
- Server-side inventory.
- Leaf decay.
- Single and multiplayer games.
Website: minecraft.net
Support:
Developer: Mojang
License: Proprietary
| Popular series | |
|---|---|
 | The largest compilation of the best free and open source software in the universe. Each article is supplied with a legendary ratings chart helping you to make informed decisions. |
 | Hundreds of in-depth reviews offering our unbiased and expert opinion on software. We offer helpful and impartial information. |
 | The Big List of Active Linux Distros is a large compilation of actively developed Linux distributions. |
 | Replace proprietary software with open source alternatives: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Autodesk, Oracle, Atlassian, Corel, Cisco, Intuit, and SAS. |
 | Awesome Free Linux Games Tools showcases a series of tools that making gaming on Linux a more pleasurable experience. This is a new series. |
 | Machine Learning explores practical applications of machine learning and deep learning from a Linux perspective. We've written reviews of more than 40 self-hosted apps. All are free and open source. |
 | New to Linux? Read our Linux for Starters series. We start right at the basics and teach you everything you need to know to get started with Linux. |
 | Alternatives to popular CLI tools showcases essential tools that are modern replacements for core Linux utilities. |
 | Essential Linux system tools focuses on small, indispensable utilities, useful for system administrators as well as regular users. |
 | Linux utilities to maximise your productivity. Small, indispensable tools, useful for anyone running a Linux machine. |
 | Surveys popular streaming services from a Linux perspective: Amazon Music Unlimited, Myuzi, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal. |
 | Saving Money with Linux looks at how you can reduce your energy bills running Linux. |
 | Home computers became commonplace in the 1980s. Emulate home computers including the Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST, ZX81, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum. |
 | Now and Then examines how promising open source software fared over the years. It can be a bumpy ride. |
 | Linux at Home looks at a range of home activities where Linux can play its part, making the most of our time at home, keeping active and engaged. |
 | Linux Candy reveals the lighter side of Linux. Have some fun and escape from the daily drudgery. |
 | Getting Started with Docker helps you master Docker, a set of platform as a service products that delivers software in packages called containers. |
 | Best Free Android Apps. We showcase free Android apps that are definitely worth downloading. There's a strict eligibility criteria for inclusion in this series. |
 | These best free books accelerate your learning of every programming language. Learn a new language today! |
 | These free tutorials offer the perfect tonic to our free programming books series. |
 | Linux Around The World showcases usergroups that are relevant to Linux enthusiasts. Great ways to meet up with fellow enthusiasts. |
 | Stars and Stripes is an occasional series looking at the impact of Linux in the USA. |