Just a few short years ago I had never heard the term “Minecraft.” Honestly, other than the video games I played back in the early 80s (yes, I’m that old!), like Space Invaders, Galaxian and Pac-Man  (the original versions), and the Nintendo and Sega games my son played when he was little, like Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog, I’ve been relatively clueless since then about the Video Game World. Well, that is, until my “gamer” boyfriend (a label I’m not as fond of as he is 😉 ) came into my life.

Mark introduced me to many of the more recent (and by that, we’re going back at least a decade lol) games that have been popular worldwide. Most are interactive, have mild-to-graphic elements of violence and often mature and (what I consider) inappropriate content for children*. Aside from that, I couldn’t help but be extremely impressed by the advancement in the graphics, the depth of the story lines in many of them, the sometimes educational content (this factor I like 🙂 ), and the artwork—OK, WOW! There are some VERY talented people working on these!

It wasn’t until he purchased Minecraft** that I became a “fan” of a video game—not since Mario (It’s ME! MArio!). But, to me, Minecraft is much more than a game. When I saw the way “worlds” were generated by this “LEGOs to the umpteenth degree” program, I was completely blown away! I find the very nature of it a source of inspiration for creativity and a springboard for the imagination! Trust me, for a person like me to say that—someone who’s not exactly pro-video games—you know this is some game!

The essence of the game is “creation” on every level. The creation of a “world” and almost anything you can imagine building and often making function. You can allow Minecraft to generate a random world, or you can type in any combo of letters and/or numbers to create your own world, click “Create New World” and the genesis begins! You are “spawned” (reborn) into a unique Minecraft world which forms before your awestruck eyes, block by block, continuously expanding almost infinitely in every direction—much like our universe. And much like their Minecraft worlds, the creators of Minecraft at Mojang (a Microsoft-owned studio based in Sweden) continuously expand and update the features of the program, including the game-playing aspects directly related to the players’ actions, and the beautiful terrestrial “biomes” (types of ecosystems) you encounter—and all of it is fascinating.

When Mark first got the game, he discovered Paul Soares, Jr.’s YouTube videos Man vs. Minecraft (the first person to make Minecraft videos on YouTube). I watched a few Seasons with him, Season 2 being my favorite; I was totally gripped and entertained. What a cliffhanger! Mark is also a big fan of Les Stroud’s “Survivorman” TV series. These inspired him to play Minecraft in his hardcore “Survivorman” style. Here “he” is in his Indiana Jones skin .

The images in this post are screenshots taken while in Creative mode as we explored a world together, purposely looking for the variety of biomes and shots I wanted. I never fail to be mesmerized, often losing track of time, while witnessing the perpetual blossoming effect of these worlds and how beautiful they can be. You can walk or “fly” to explore every nook and cranny…

You can soar above the clouds…

climb mountains…

venture deep into cavernous—often treacherous—ravines…

explore caves…

hike through forests…

day or night, regardless of the weather…

traverse deserts…

journey through a seldom-seen painted mesa…

swim under water (pictured here is the rare water temple protected by elder guardians)…

 

visit—or even live in—villages and build a house if you like…

witness (or put out, should you be moved to) forest fires…

find waterfalls and lava pools…

and even watch the sun rise (or set)…

I’m throwing these couple in just because they are SO cool. This is a farm OVER a ravine! Watch your step!

This one is beautiful and cool…

And as if all this wasn’t enough, there are TWO MORE completely different “world” dimensions!

There are six different modes to choose from in Minecraft. While in “Creative” mode (my favorite!) you, as a player, are relieved of survival concerns—in other words: you can’t die, or be hurt and don’t have to worry about gathering food or materials to make things. You already have as much of anything you could possibly need to build virtually anything you want! You want stained glass? First heat some sand to make glass, then combine glass with any color dye and VOILÀ! You’ve got stained glass 😎 . This program has features and capabilities so advanced, it is used as an actual design tool by architects and engineers!

Your tools and materials are plentiful and of wide variety, these being a few examples:

          

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want to see many impressive things people have built, you can search the internet. One of my favorites is Hogwarts (movie-based) fully constructed! Everything you see in these videos was built from scratch, block by block. I’m sure it will cast its spell on you!…

 

 

Here you’ll find a “Best of the Best” video on what this user considers the Top 5 Creations. (My preference is to start at about the 2:20-minute mark.) You also have the option to mute the sound! In fact, you can watch and put on your own music 😀 😎 . Go ahead. Let your jaw drop!…

 

 

I find it impossible not to share this with you. It’s a time-lapse video showing the construction of 5 of the most elaborate creations/cities in Minecraft. Here I start at the 1:00-minute mark. This literally gives me the chills!…

 

 

People even build Theme Parks filled with working attractions including roller coasters! This is one of many. It’s a long video so you may just want to skip along its timeline (which is what I did) just to get an idea. The last roller coaster is at about the 18:00-minute mark. Beware of motion sickness!

 

 

And thanks to Christine “Cool Mom” mentioning this in her comment below, she made us aware of something I absolutely canNOT get over! She did NOT know how much of a Disney fan I am when she said it, but I am GRATEFUL! There is an actual INTERACTIVE DISNEY WORLD Minecraft site called MCMagic Parks! Its creators have replicated (and continue to) Disney World in Orlando, from entry through the monorail system to actually going on rides. I still can’t get over this CREATION…

 

 

If you want to play Minecraft with a more competitive edge to it, you can. Whether you play alone or interactively, in “Survival,” “Adventure,” or “Hardcore” modes you must do just that—survive! Unless you have a specific “seed #” (code), you spawn into whichever random world the program or you have created in whichever random place you end up. You could pop up and be under water or on a mountaintop or in a forest overrun with “enemies!”

Minecraft has so many moving parts, whether in Creative mode or otherwise, it takes time to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills in order to play well, and without question, a large helping of CREATIVITY! Minecraft Wiki helps with that, providing necessary info on “All Things Minecraft.”

This video game is one of the most popular in the world, boasting, as of June 2015, over 70,000,000 copies sold. In fact, a special young “writer” friend, “Neighbor Girl” Felicia Maziarz, has turned her creative attention toward Minecraft with her Endergirl VIDEO GAME Aficianado series on YouTube.

Even her multi-talented “Cool Mom” created a YouTube channel with Minecraft as a focus, along with her terrific 20-Second YouTube tips (on creating videos, etc.) and other fun stuff—yes, in just 20 seconds—like an auctioneer! Fantastic 😀

For those of you unfamiliar with the workings of the game who would like to understand a few of the basics of what the kids (of all ages) are playing when in one of the “survival” modes, here is my very-scaled-down, simplified version of Mark’s explanation, including images. There are also a plethora of videos you can find if you search 🙂

Another fantastic “positive” that’s come from the creation of this game is that educators have found a beneficial use for it in schools! Yes, and it even meets with Common Core Standards. School Library Journal posted about what is called MinecraftEdu. It’s an educational use of technology that I can actually support!

Much like the phenomenon that is “Harry Potter,” Minecraft’s appeal crosses generations. And as “Cool Mom” pointed out: “It is a super fun world for all ages – for sure! It is also a super easy way to connect with your kids, if they are already on it. Parents out there, your kids will love being the expert on something and showing you the ropes.” ANYone can have fun with this program. I know I do! 😀 😎

So, tell me—are you familiar with Minecraft? Do you know anyone who plays it? Do YOU play it? What do you think of it? I want to know! 😀

 

 

*Though I know many children play these games, I won’t mention them or link to them here due to what I deem as inappropriate content, even if relatively mild, but I’m betting most or all of you are familiar with them on some level.

**I am aware there is a mild “violent” aspect to Minecraft in the “killing” of animals for food or creatures which must be fought off. Because the game is in pixel form, it is not truly graphic which is why I didn’t have a problem linking to it from here. If any child were to access this blog post, I’m confident it would be one who already plays the game, my post not being the child’s first encounter. Also, the creative aspects are the focus of this blog post.

And THANK YOU, Mark, for your Minecraft knowledge, help, resources and enthusiasm for this post 😀 ❤