Minecraft facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Minecraft |
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Cover art since 2024
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| Series | Minecraft |
| Platform(s) |
Android
iOS iPadOS Xbox 360 Raspberry Pi Windows Phone PlayStation 3 Fire OS PlayStation 4 Xbox One PlayStation Vita Wii U tvOS Nintendo Switch New Nintendo 3DS ChromeOS PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X and S Nintendo Switch 2 |
| Release date(s) |
18 November 2011
Android
iOS
Linux, Mac OS X, Windows
Xbox 360
Raspberry Pi
PlayStation 3 Fire OS
PlayStation 4
Xbox One
PlayStation Vita Windows Phone
Windows 10
Wii U
tvOS
Nintendo Switch
New Nintendo 3DS
ChromeOS
PlayStation 5
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| Genre(s) | Sandbox, survival |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Minecraft is a super popular sandbox game created by Mojang Studios in Sweden. It came out in 2011. It's the best-selling video game ever, with over 350 million copies sold! Almost 170 million people play it every month.
The game was first made by Markus "Notch" Persson using the Java programming language. An early test version was released on May 17, 2009. The game kept getting better and was fully released on November 18, 2011. Later, Markus Persson left Mojang, and Jens "Jeb" Bergensten took over the game's development. Over the years, Minecraft has been released on many different devices, like phones, tablets, and game consoles. In 2014, Microsoft bought Mojang and Minecraft for a lot of money.
In Minecraft, players explore a huge, three-dimensional world that is created randomly. This world is made of blocks, like digital LEGOs! Players can find and collect raw materials, then use them to craft tools and items. They can also build amazing structures, dig tunnels, and even create complex machines. Depending on how they play, players can fight against computer-controlled monsters or team up with (or compete against) other players online.
The game has two main ways to play:
- Survival mode: Players must find resources to stay alive and build shelters.
- Creative mode: Players have unlimited resources and can fly, letting them build anything they imagine.
There are also other game modes, like one where you can just watch others play, or one that's like survival but you only have one life. The Minecraft community is huge! Players create and share lots of cool things, like mods (game changes), servers, skins (character looks), and custom maps. These additions bring new ways to play and explore.
Minecraft has won many awards and is known as one of the greatest video games of all time. It became super popular through social media, funny videos, merchandise, and big yearly events called Minecon. The game is even used in schools to teach subjects like chemistry, computer-aided design, and computer science. Many other Minecraft games have been made, like Minecraft: Story Mode, Minecraft Dungeons, and Minecraft Legends. A live-action Minecraft movie is also coming out in 2025!
Exploring the World of Minecraft
Minecraft is a 3D sandbox video game where you don't have to follow a set story or goals. This gives you tons of freedom to play however you like! There's also an optional system to earn achievements for completing certain tasks. You usually play from a first-person view (like you're seeing through your character's eyes), but you can switch to a third-person view.
The game world is made of rough 3D blocks. These blocks represent different materials like dirt, stone, wood, water, and lava. The main idea is to pick up and place these blocks. You can "mine" blocks to collect them and then put them somewhere else to build things. There's also a special material called redstone. You can use redstone to make simple machines, electrical circuits, and even logic gates. This lets players build very complex systems! Many people say the game's physics are not very realistic, which can be fun.
Players can also craft many different items. You can make armor to protect yourself from attacks, weapons like swords or axes, and tools like pickaxes or shovels. Tools help you break certain blocks faster. Some items can be made from different materials, with better materials making stronger and more lasting items. You can also build useful blocks like furnaces to cook food or melt ores, and torches to light up dark areas. Sometimes, you can trade items with villagers (computer characters) using emeralds. You have an inventory to carry a limited number of items.
The game world is huge and is created as you explore it. It uses a special "map seed" to make each world unique. While there are limits to how high or low you can build, the world can stretch out almost forever horizontally! The game does this by loading small sections of the world, called "chunks," only when you are nearby. The world has different areas called biomes, like deserts, jungles, and snowy fields. You'll find plains, mountains, forests, caves, and bodies of water or lava. The game also has a day and night cycle, with one full cycle lasting 20 real-life minutes.
When you start, you get a random character skin, like Steve or Alex. But you can also create your own! You'll meet different "mobs" (short for mobile entities) in the game. These include animals, villagers, and hostile creatures. Friendly animals like cows, pigs, and chickens can be used for food and crafting. They appear during the day. Hostile mobs, like big spiders, witches, skeletons, and zombies, appear at night or in dark places like caves. Some hostile mobs, like zombies and skeletons, burn in the sun if they don't have headgear or aren't in water.
Some unique Minecraft creatures include the creeper, which explodes when it gets close, and the enderman, which can teleport and pick up blocks. There are also different versions of mobs that appear in specific places.
Different Dimensions to Explore
Besides the Overworld (the main world), Minecraft has two other dimensions: the Nether and the End.
The Nether
The Nether is a fiery, underworld-like dimension. You get there by building a special portal out of obsidian blocks. In newer versions, you might find broken portals you can fix. The Nether has unique resources and is great for traveling long distances in the Overworld. This is because moving one block in the Nether is like moving eight blocks in the Overworld! Mobs in the Nether include ghasts (which shoot fireballs) and piglins (who you can trade gold with). You can also build a powerful boss called The Wither using materials from the Nether.
The End
You reach the End through special portals found underground in the Overworld. It's a place with islands floating in a dark, empty space. A big boss called the Ender Dragon protects the main island. If you defeat the dragon, an exit portal appears. Going through it shows the game's ending credits and a special poem. After the credits, you go back to your starting point and can keep playing forever. You can also explore other parts of the End to find valuable loot in structures called end cities or ships.
How to Play: Game Modes
Survival Mode
In survival mode, you need to gather resources like wood and stone from the environment. You use these to craft blocks and items. Depending on the difficulty, monsters will appear in dark areas, so you need to build a shelter to stay safe at night. You have a health bar that goes down if you get hurt by mobs, fall, drown, or get hungry. You also have a hunger bar. You need to eat food to keep it full, or you won't heal automatically and will start losing health.
If you lose all your health, you drop your items and respawn at your starting point. You can get your items back if you reach them before they disappear. You earn experience points by defeating mobs, mining, cooking, and breeding animals. You can use these points to enchant your tools, armor, and weapons. Enchanted items are usually stronger or have special effects.
There are two other survival-based modes:
- Hardcore mode: This is like survival, but you only have one life. If you die, you can't respawn in that world.
- Adventure mode: This mode stops you from directly changing the world. It's mostly used for custom maps made by other players.
Creative Mode
In creative mode, you have endless amounts of almost every item in the game. You can place or break blocks instantly. You can also fly freely around the world. Your character doesn't take damage or get hungry. This mode is perfect for focusing on building and creating huge projects without any interruptions.
Playing with Others: Multiplayer
Multiplayer in Minecraft lets many players play and talk together in the same world. You can play directly with friends, on a local network (LAN), using split-screen on consoles, or on special servers. Servers can be run by players or by companies. You can even set up your own server! Server operators can control things like the time of day and who can join. Many multiplayer servers have their own unique rules and activities. The biggest and most popular server is Hypixel, which has had over 14 million unique players. You can also turn on Player versus player combat (PvP) to fight other players.
Minecraft Realms
In 2013, Mojang launched Minecraft Realms. This is a service that hosts servers, making it easy and safe for players to play together without setting up their own server. Only invited players can join Realms servers. For Minecraft: Java Edition, a Realm owner can invite up to 20 people, with 10 playing at once. For Minecraft Bedrock Realms, owners can invite up to 3,000 people, with 10 online at a time. Java Edition Realms don't support player-made plugins, but you can use custom maps. Bedrock Realms support player-made add-ons, resource packs, and custom maps. In 2016, Realms added support for playing across different devices like Windows 10, iOS, and Android. Later, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch also got this feature.
Making it Your Own: Customization
The modding community is made of fans and programmers who create lots of extra content for Minecraft. This includes modifications (mods), texture packs, and custom maps.
- Mods change the game in many ways, adding new blocks, items, mobs, or even whole new systems.
- Resource packs change how the game looks and sounds.
- Custom maps are special world saves with rules, challenges, puzzles, or quests. Players can share these for others to enjoy.
Mojang has also added features like "adventure mode" and "command blocks" to help map creators. Data packs, added in Java Edition 1.13, allow even more customization, like new achievements and world generation.
Console versions of Minecraft also have downloadable content (DLC) like character skins and texture packs. Some "mash-up packs" combine textures, skins, sounds, and music. For example, there's a Super Mario pack for Wii U and Nintendo Switch, and a Fallout pack for consoles, Windows, and mobile.
In 2017, Mojang released the "Discovery Update" for the Bedrock version. This update included a new map, a game mode, and a "Marketplace." The Marketplace lets Minecraft creators sell their user-generated content, giving them a way to earn money from their creations.
How Minecraft Was Made
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Before Minecraft, Markus "Notch" Persson worked as a game developer. He often worked on his own game ideas at home. One of his projects was "RubyDung," a base-building game. He was inspired by other games, especially Infiniminer, a block-based mining game released in 2009. Infiniminer gave him the idea for Minecraft's blocky look and first-person view.
The very first version of Minecraft was released on May 17, 2009. Markus Persson kept releasing test versions with new features like tools, mobs, and even new dimensions. In 2011, because the game was so popular, he decided to release the full 1.0 version on November 18, 2011. Soon after, Persson stopped working on the game and gave the lead role to Jens "Jeb" Bergensten.
On September 15, 2014, Microsoft announced they would buy Mojang and Minecraft for $2.5 billion. Markus Persson had actually suggested this in a tweet after getting some criticism. Other companies were also interested, but Microsoft made the deal. This made Persson one of the "World's Billionaires."
Since its first test version, Minecraft has been updated many times. Each big update adds new blocks, items, creatures, and places to explore. Early updates changed the game a lot, while newer ones often improve existing features. The most recent major update, "Tricky Trials" (version 1.21), added new structures, a mob called the Breeze, and a Mace weapon.
The original game was renamed Minecraft: Java Edition in 2017 to tell it apart from the Bedrock Edition. The Bedrock Edition is also updated regularly, with updates matching the Java Edition themes. Other versions, like console editions, were either combined into Bedrock or stopped getting updates.
In 2020, a special Bedrock Edition beta called Minecraft RTX was released by Nvidia. It added realistic lighting and reflections for computers with special graphics cards. A new visual mode called Vibrant Visuals was announced in 2025. It promises modern graphics features like dynamic shadows and fog without needing RTX hardware. This update is planned for Bedrock Edition first, then Java Edition.
Different Ways to Play: Editions
Java Edition
| 2009 | Pre-Classic |
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| Classic | |
| Survival Test | |
| Indev | |
| 2010 | Infdev |
| Alpha | |
| Alpha v1.2.0 - v1.2.6: "Halloween Update" | |
| Beta | |
| 2011 | Beta |
| Release 1.0: "Adventure Update" | |
| 2012 | 1.1 |
| 1.2 | |
| 1.3 | |
| 1.4: "Pretty Scary Update" | |
| 2013 | 1.5: "Redstone Update" |
| 1.6: "Horse Update" | |
| 1.7: "The Update that Changed the World" | |
| 2014 | 1.8: "Bountiful Update" |
| 2015 | |
| 2016 | 1.9: "Combat Update" |
| 1.10: "Frostburn Update" | |
| 1.11: "Exploration Update" | |
| 2017 | 1.12: "World of Color Update" |
| 2018 | 1.13: "Update Aquatic" |
| 2019 | 1.14: "Village & Pillage" |
| 1.15: "Buzzy Bees" | |
| 2020 | 1.16: "Nether Update" |
| 2021 | 1.17: "Caves & Cliffs: Part I" |
| 1.18: "Caves & Cliffs: Part II" | |
| 2022 | 1.19: "The Wild Update" |
| 2023 | 1.20: "Trails & Tales" |
| 1.20.3: "Bats and Pots" | |
| 2024 | 1.20.5: "Armored Paws" |
| 1.21: "Tricky Trials" | |
| 1.21.2: "Bundles of Bravery" | |
| 1.21.4: "The Garden Awakens" | |
| 2025 | 1.21.5: "Spring to Life" |
The original Minecraft game, now called Java Edition, was first made in May 2009. Markus Persson released early test videos and versions. He updated the game based on player feedback. This early version became known as the Classic version. More test versions like Survival Test and Alpha came out in 2009 and 2010.
The first big update, called Alpha, was released on June 30, 2010. Markus Persson quit his day job to work on Minecraft full-time because it was selling so well. He kept adding new items, blocks, mobs, and game modes. To support the game's development, Persson started a company called Mojang.
On December 11, 2010, Minecraft entered its beta testing phase. The full game was officially released on November 18, 2011. On December 1, 2011, Jens "Jeb" Bergensten became the main designer for Minecraft.
Pocket Edition
In August 2011, Minecraft: Pocket Edition was released for Android phones. An iOS version came out in November 2011. This version focused on building and basic survival. It didn't have all the features of the computer version at first. The Pocket Edition was later updated and became part of the Bedrock Edition in 2017. This allowed players on phones to play with people on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
Bedrock Edition and Console Editions
An Xbox 360 version of Minecraft was released on May 9, 2012. It had a new crafting system, tutorials, and split-screen multiplayer. The worlds were not infinite like on computers. Versions for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 came out in 2013 and 2014. A PlayStation Vita version was also released.
Minecraft: Wii U Edition came out in December 2015, and a Nintendo Switch version in May 2017. A version for the New Nintendo 3DS was released in September 2017.
In 2018 and 2019, the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Wii U, and New Nintendo 3DS versions stopped getting updates. They are now known as "Legacy Console Editions".
On September 20, 2017, the "Better Together Update" was released. This update used the Pocket Edition game engine to allow players on Xbox One, Windows 10, VR, and mobile devices to play together. This version became known as the Bedrock Edition. The Bedrock Edition was also brought to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. The newest console to get the Bedrock Edition is the PlayStation 5 in October 2024.
Minecraft Education
Minecraft Education is a special version made for schools. It was released on November 1, 2016. It's available on Windows, Android, MacOS, iPadOS, iOS, and ChromeOS. It's based on the Bedrock Edition and includes things like a Chemistry Resource Pack and free lesson plans. It also has tools for teachers to use in the classroom.
China Edition
On May 20, 2016, a special version for China, called China Edition (or My World), was announced. It's free-to-play and had over 300 million players by 2019. The computer version is based on Java Edition, and the mobile versions are based on Bedrock Edition.
Other PC Versions
Besides Java Edition, there are other Minecraft versions for computers:
- Minecraft for Windows: This is a version of Bedrock Edition for Windows 10 and 11. It lets you play with Xbox Live friends and use different controls like gamepads or touchscreens.
- Minecraft 4k: A very simple version of Minecraft made for a programming contest. It's a small, limited world where you can only place or break a few types of blocks.
- Minecraft: Pi Edition: A version for the Raspberry Pi computer. It's based on an early Pocket Edition and lets players use the Python programming language to change the game world. It was released in 2013 and is free to download.
Different Ways to Experience Minecraft
For the 10th anniversary of Minecraft, Mojang made a version of Minecraft Classic that you can play online in your web browser. It's like creative mode, letting you build and destroy blocks alone or with friends.
Virtual Reality
Minecraft can also be played in VR! Microsoft launched official support for the Oculus Rift VR headset in 2016. There's also a version for Gear VR and support for Windows Mixed Reality headsets. In 2020, the PlayStation 4 version of the game also got PlayStation VR support.
Music and Sounds of Minecraft
The music and sound effects for Minecraft were created by a German musician named Daniel Rosenfeld, also known as C418. He used special techniques to make the sounds. For example, to make the sound of walking on grass, he found that lightly touching a VHS tape worked best! He also liked designing the spider hisses.
Many sounds were made by accident. The sound for the creeper, for instance, was a placeholder sound of a burning matchstick that ended up being funny and stayed in the game. Rosenfeld said he wanted the zombie sounds to be funny, not scary.
The background music in Minecraft is calm, instrumental music. C418 used special software and synthesizers to make it. He released two official soundtracks: Minecraft – Volume Alpha in 2011 and Minecraft – Volume Beta in 2013. These albums include most of the music from the game.
C418's music was the only music in the game until 2020's "The Nether Update." This update added new music from Lena Raine. Since then, other composers like Kumi Tanioka and Aaron Cherof have also added music.
Minecraft's Big Impact
Minecraft is considered one of the most important games of the 21st century. It was even added to the World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2020!
Minecraft was one of the first successful games to use an "early access" model. This means players could buy and play the game while it was still being made. This helped fund its development and also made the early access idea popular for other indie games.
Social media sites like YouTube, Facebook, and Reddit played a huge part in making Minecraft famous. Many YouTubers became well-known for playing and sharing their Minecraft adventures.
How Minecraft is Used
Minecraft has many uses beyond just gaming, especially in computer-aided design (CAD) and education. People have talked about using the game to design public buildings and parks. One expert said that Minecraft has "tricked 40 million people into learning to use a CAD program." You can even print your Minecraft designs using 3D printers!
In 2012, Mojang started the Block by Block project with UN Habitat. This project uses Minecraft to help young people design changes they want to see in their real-world neighborhoods. Citizens can join Minecraft servers and build their ideas. This helps them visualize urban planning ideas.
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In 2014, the Danish Geodata Agency created all of Denmark in full scale inside Minecraft using their map data. This was possible because Denmark is a very flat country.
Minecraft has also become popular for speedrunning. This is where players try to finish the game as fast as possible, usually by defeating the Ender Dragon.
Minecraft in Education
Minecraft is used in schools to teach many subjects. An organization called MinecraftEdu helps schools use the game. They offer special features for teachers to track student progress. Teachers have created worlds with historical landmarks or giant animal cells for students to explore and learn.
With redstone blocks, players can build working virtual computers inside Minecraft! People have made things like a working hard drive and an 8-bit virtual computer. Some mods even teach kids how to program using these in-game computers.
Another cool feature is the command block. These blocks can change game rules and logic. Players have used them to create emulators for old game consoles or even a version of Pokémon Red Version inside Minecraft.
In 2014, the British Museum in London planned to rebuild its entire museum in Minecraft. Microsoft and Code.org also teamed up to offer Minecraft-based games and tutorials to teach children how to program. By 2018, over 85 million children had used these tutorials!
Other Games Like Minecraft
After Minecraft became popular, many other games were made that looked similar. Some were called "clones" because they were directly inspired by Minecraft. Examples include Terraria, FortressCraft, and Luanti.
Markus Persson himself made another similar game called Minicraft for a game competition in 2011. In 2025, he even hinted that he might be working on a new game that could be like a Minecraft 2!
In 2024, some artificial intelligence companies released Oasis, an AI-generated version of Minecraft. Every part of the game is created by AI in real time.
Minecon: The Big Minecraft Party
Minecon, now called Minecraft Live, is a big yearly event for Minecraft fans. New games or updates are often announced there. The first full Minecon was in November 2011 in Las Vegas. It included the official launch of Minecraft, speeches, building contests, and chances to meet the creators. Since 2016, Minecon has been online as a livestream instead of an in-person event.
Images for kids
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A smeltery within the mod Tinkers' Construct
See also
In Spanish: Minecraft para niños
