Minecraft facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Minecraft
Cover art since 2024
Developer(s)	Mojang Studios
Publisher(s)	Mojang Studios Xbox Game Studios
Designer(s)	Markus Persson Jens Bergensten
Artist(s)	Markus Toivonen Jasper Boerstra Kristoffer Zetterstrand
Composer(s)	C418 Lena Raine Kumi Tanioka Aaron Cherof Gareth Coker
Series	Minecraft
Platform(s)	Linux Mac OS X Windows 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/S
Release date(s)	18 November 2011 Android WW 7 October 2011 iOS WW 17 November 2011 Linux, Mac OS X, Windows WW 18 November 2011 Xbox 360 WW 9 May 2012 Raspberry Pi WW 11 February 2013 PlayStation 3 17 December 2013 EU Fire OS WW 2 April 2014 PlayStation 4 WW 4 September 2014 Xbox One WW 5 September 2014 PlayStation Vita 14 October 2014 EU Windows Phone WW 10 December 2014 Windows 10 WW 29 July 2015 Wii U WW 17 December 2015 tvOS WW 19 December 2016 Nintendo Switch 11 May 2017 PAL New Nintendo 3DS WW 13 September 2017 ChromeOS WW 8 June 2023 PlayStation 5 WW 22 October 2024 Xbox Series X/S
Genre(s)	Sandbox, survival
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Minecraft is a super popular sandbox game that came out in 2011. It was made by a Swedish company called Mojang Studios. The game was first created by Markus "Notch" Persson. It started as an early test version in 2009 and was fully released in 2011. Later, Jens "Jeb" Bergensten took over its development. In 2014, Microsoft bought Mojang and Minecraft.

In Minecraft, you explore a huge, three-dimensional world made of blocks. This world is created as you play, so it's always new! You can find and collect materials, then use them to craft tools and items. You can also build amazing structures and machines. You can play by yourself or with friends in multiplayer.

The game has different ways to play. In Survival mode, you gather resources and try to stay safe from creatures. In Creative mode, you have unlimited blocks and can fly, letting you build anything you can imagine. The Minecraft community is huge, and players create lots of cool things like mods, servers, custom skins, and special maps.

Minecraft is the best-selling video game ever, with over 350 million copies sold! Millions of people play it every month. It has won many awards and is considered one of the greatest video games of all time. Minecraft is also used in schools to teach subjects like computer science. There are other Minecraft games too, like Minecraft Dungeons. A live-action movie called A Minecraft Movie came out in 2025.

Exploring the World of Minecraft

Minecraft is a 3D sandbox video game where you have lots of freedom. There are no set goals, so you can play however you like! You usually play from a first-person view.

The game world is made of many different blocks. These blocks represent materials like dirt, stone, wood, water, and lava. The main idea is to pick up and place these blocks. You can mine (break) blocks and then put them somewhere else to build anything. There's also redstone. You can use redstone to make simple machines and circuits!

An example of Minecraft's procedurally generated terrain, including a village and the default skin Steve

You can craft many useful items. This includes armor to protect you. You can also craft weapons like swords to fight monsters. Tools like pickaxes help you break blocks faster. You can also build helpful blocks like furnaces to cook food. Torches give light. You can even trade items with villagers! You have an inventory to carry items.

The game world is huge and keeps creating itself as you explore. It has different areas called biomes, like deserts, jungles, and snowy lands. You'll find plains, mountains, forests, caves, and water. The game also has a day and night cycle, with each full cycle lasting 20 real-life minutes.

Some of Minecraft's monsters, displayed from left to right: a zombie, a spider, an enderman, a creeper, and a skeleton. All can spawn in the Overworld.

You'll meet different "mobs" (mobile entities) in the game. These include friendly animals, villagers, and hostile creatures. Friendly mobs like cows can be used for food. Hostile mobs, such as spiders, skeletons, and zombies, appear at night or in dark places. Some hostile mobs burn in sunlight.

Some mobs are unique to Minecraft. The creeper is an exploding creature. The enderman can teleport and pick up blocks.

Discovering New Dimensions

Besides the main world (Overworld), Minecraft has two other dimensions: the Nether and the End.

The Fiery Nether World

The Nether is a challenging, fiery underground dimension. You can get there by building a special portal out of obsidian. The Nether has many unique resources. It's also great for traveling long distances in the Overworld.

Mobs in the Nether include ghasts, which shoot fireballs. You'll also find piglins, who you can trade gold with. Nether Fortresses are structures found here, home to mobs like blazes. Blazes drop "blaze rods," which you need to reach the End. You can even build a powerful boss called the Wither in the Nether.

The Mysterious End Dimension

You can reach the End through an "end portal." These portals are found in underground structures called strongholds. To find a stronghold, you craft "eyes of ender" and throw them. They fly towards the stronghold. Once you find the portal, you activate it with eyes of ender.

The End dimension has islands floating in a dark, empty space. A powerful boss called the Ender Dragon guards the main island. When you defeat the Ender Dragon, a special exit portal appears. Going through it shows the game's ending, and you can keep playing your game forever! You can also explore other parts of the End to find valuable loot.

Different Ways to Play

Survival Mode: Build and Survive

The crafting menu in Minecraft, showing the crafting recipe of a wooden sword as well as some other blocks and items in the player's inventory

In Survival mode, you must gather resources like wood and stone. You use these to craft blocks and items. Monsters appear in dark areas, so you'll need to build a shelter! You have a health bar that goes down if you get hurt. You also have a hunger bar; you need to eat food to keep it full.

If you lose all your health, you drop your items and respawn. You can set your respawn point by sleeping in a bed. You can get your dropped items back if you reach them in time. You also earn experience points (XP) by fighting mobs or mining. You can use XP to enchant your tools and weapons. Enchanted items are stronger.

Hardcore mode is like Survival but much harder. You only have one life, and if you die, you can't respawn in that world! Adventure mode is mainly for playing custom maps. In this mode, you can't break or place blocks freely.

Creative Mode: Build Anything!

In Creative mode, you have endless amounts of almost every block and item. You can place or break them instantly. You can also fly around the world freely. Your character doesn't take damage or get hungry. Creative mode is perfect for building huge projects without interruptions.

Playing with Friends: Multiplayer

You can play Minecraft with other people in multiplayer mode! This lets many players explore and build together. You can play directly with friends, on a local network, or on special servers. You can even create your own "Realm" for friends.

Server operators help manage the game. They can change the time of day or teleport players. Many servers have unique games and activities. Player versus player (PvP) combat can be enabled, allowing players to fight each other.

Minecraft Realms: Your Own Private World

In 2013, Mojang launched Minecraft Realms. This service makes it easy and safe to play with friends online. Only people you invite can join your Realm. You don't need complicated settings.

For Minecraft: Java Edition Realms, you can invite up to 20 people. For Minecraft: Bedrock Edition Realms, you can invite up to 3,000 people. Both allow up to 10 players online at once. Realms also allow cross-platform play, meaning players on different devices like Windows, iOS, Android, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch can play together!

Customizing Your Game: Mods and More

A smeltery within the mod Tinkers' Construct

The Minecraft community loves to create new things for the game! Fans make lots of extra content. This includes mods, texture packs, and custom maps. Mods change the game by adding new blocks, items, or creatures.

Mojang also helps players customize the game. They provide tools for creating "resource packs" that change how textures and sounds look. Players can also make their own "maps," which are special worlds with unique rules. These maps can be shared for others to play.

Console versions of Minecraft also have downloadable content (DLC). These often include new character skins or "mash-up packs" that change the game's theme.

The Minecraft Marketplace

In June 2017, Mojang added the "Marketplace" to the Bedrock Edition. This is where Minecraft creators can sell their content. You can buy skins, maps, texture packs, and add-ons using "Minecoins." Minecoins are a digital currency bought with real money. The Marketplace features creations from independent artists, Mojang, and official collaborations.

By 2022, the Marketplace had over 1.7 billion downloads!

How Minecraft Was Made

Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson at the GDC in 2016

Before Minecraft, Markus "Notch" Persson was a game developer. He was inspired by other block-based games.

Minecraft lead designer and creative director Jens "Jeb_" Bergensten in 2012

The first public test version of Minecraft came out on May 17, 2009. Markus Persson kept adding new features. In 2011, as the game became very popular, he released the full version. Soon after, Jens "Jeb" Bergensten became the lead designer.

On September 15, 2014, Microsoft bought Mojang and Minecraft for $2.5 billion. For many years, Minecraft got big, free updates every year. In late 2024, Mojang decided to release smaller updates more often.

New visual modes have also been added. Minecraft RTX came out in 2020 for Bedrock Edition. It adds realistic lighting for players with special graphics cards. In 2025, "Vibrant Visuals" was announced. This new mode will bring modern graphics to more players.

Different Versions of Minecraft

Java Edition: The Original Game

Cave Game, an early 2009 version of Minecraft

The very first version of Minecraft was called "Cave Game." It started being developed in May 2009. It was later named Minecraft.

Markus Persson finished the basic game in just one weekend. He kept updating it. As the game earned money, Persson started Mojang, his own game studio. The game fully launched on November 18, 2011.

Pocket Edition: Minecraft on the Go

Minecraft: Pocket Edition first came out in August 2011 for Android phones. It later came to iOS devices. This version was made for mobile phones. In 2017, Pocket Edition was renamed Bedrock Edition. This allowed players on phones to play with friends on other devices.

Bedrock and Console Editions

Minecraft first came to consoles with the Xbox 360 edition in May 2012. It later came to Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, and New Nintendo 3DS.

In 2017, the "Better Together Update" brought the Bedrock Edition to Xbox One, Windows 10, VR, and mobile. This update allowed players on these different platforms to play together! Later, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 also got the Bedrock Edition.

Other Cool Minecraft Versions

Minecraft Education: Learning with Blocks

Minecraft Education is a special version for schools. It helps teachers use Minecraft to teach different subjects. It launched in 2016 and is available on many devices. Teachers can use it to track student progress and create lessons.

Minecraft in China

In 2016, a special China Edition of Minecraft was released. It's free to play and has become very popular.

Minecraft for Windows PCs

This version of Bedrock Edition is made for Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers. In 2022, Microsoft started selling the Java and Bedrock Editions together as one bundle for Windows.

Special Minecraft Experiences

Minecraft in Virtual Reality

Minecraft can also be played in virtual reality (VR)! This lets you feel like you're truly inside the game world. Official VR support was added for Windows 10 Edition in 2016. There are also versions for Gear VR and Windows Mixed Reality. PlayStation 4 also got PlayStation VR support, but it ended in 2025.

The Sounds and Music of Minecraft

Minecraft music composer and sound designer Daniel "C418" Rosenfield in 2011

The music and sound effects in Minecraft were created by Daniel Rosenfeld, known as C418. He used special techniques to make the sounds. For example, the sound of walking on grass was made using a broken VHS tape! The famous creeper sound was originally a placeholder.

The background music in Minecraft is calm and instrumental. C418 released two official soundtracks: Minecraft – Volume Alpha in 2011 and Minecraft – Volume Beta in 2013. After C418, other talented composers like Lena Raine and Kumi Tanioka started adding new music to the game. Lena Raine is now the main composer.

Minecraft's Big Impact

In September 2019, The Guardian called Minecraft the best video game of the 21st century. It even joined the World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2020! It was also one of the first games to become popular by letting people play it while it was still being made.

Jordan Maron (known professionally as "CaptainSparklez") is known for his musical Minecraft parodies of popular songs.

Social media, especially YouTube, helped Minecraft become so famous. Many players learned about the game from online videos. These videos often show amazing creations or helpful guides. By 2021, Minecraft videos on YouTube had over one trillion views! Popular YouTubers like Jordan Maron (CaptainSparklez) have made many famous Minecraft videos, including music parodies.

Steve, a Minecraft character, is a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate! In 2025, a live-action A Minecraft Movie was released. It had a record-breaking opening at the box office for a video game movie.

Real-World Uses for Minecraft

People have found many ways to use Minecraft outside of just playing. It's been used in computer-aided design (CAD) and for education. Mojang even started a project called Block by Block with UN Habitat. This project helps young people design changes for their own neighborhoods using Minecraft.

A yarn Minecraft sheep

An organization called Reporters Without Borders built "the Uncensored Library" in Minecraft. This virtual library holds censored journalism from countries where information is restricted. It's a way to share important stories freely.

Minecraft speedrunning is also very popular. Players race to beat the game as fast as possible.

Learning with Minecraft

Minecraft being played in an educational setting

Minecraft is a great tool for learning in schools. An organization called MinecraftEdu helps schools use the game. Teachers can use special features to see student progress. They can create lessons where students explore historical places or giant animal cells built in Minecraft.

With redstone blocks, players can build working virtual computers inside Minecraft! Microsoft and Code.org have teamed up to offer Minecraft-based tutorials to teach children how to code. Millions of kids have used these lessons!

Games Inspired by Minecraft

After Minecraft became a hit, many other games were made that looked similar. Some were called "clones" because they were so much like Minecraft. Even Markus Persson hinted that he might make a new game similar to Minecraft, joking it could be like Minecraft 2! Recently, AI companies created an AI-generated version of Minecraft called Oasis.

Minecon: The Big Minecraft Party

Minecon, now called Minecraft Live, is a big yearly event for Minecraft fans. It's where new games and features are often announced. The first big Minecon was in Las Vegas in 2011. Since 2016, Minecon has been held as online livestreams.

See also

In Spanish: Minecraft para niños