In May 2009, the Swedish video game developer Mojang Studios unveiled a simple PC title calledCave Game. Here players would explore a flat world filled only with cobblestone and grass in the form of pixelated, square blocks. The only gameplay for this title at the time involved destroying and placing these blocks. Little did Mojang or the gaming world know thatCave Gamewould quickly become a global phenomenon that millions still play to this day. That game isMinecraft.
Minecraft’s Humble Indie Origins
For gamers today, it may be hard to picture a world withoutMinecraftgiven its widespread appeal, easy accessibility, and diverse gameplay options, but it wasn’t completed in a few years like its AAA counterparts. Rather, it was a game that continuously evolved and was expanded upon as its players too grew over the years.
From 2009-2011Minecraftwas testedand expanded in Alpha and Beta forms. At first only other types of blocks were introduced, such as dirt blocks, but development quickly proceeded to creating the basic form ofMinecraftmany 2013 console players would be familiar with. Multiplayer allowed players from across the globe to see others' creations, basic animal mobs brought life to the blocky world, and trees became the bridge for the game’s namesake: crafting.
This process wasn’t without its challenges or happy accidents, however. Famously,Minecraft’s mascot mob, the creeper,was created by accident when a coding error caused a pig mob to stand vertically with all four legs at the bottom of its body. A slight color and face change and the addition of a explosive defensive mechanism, quickly made this coding error into a gaming icon that causes instantaneous fear for millions of players.
Minecraft’s Expanded Adventure
Beyond expanding the world and crafting capabilities in these three years, several original concepts were introduced to the game. While players had to fight against zombies, skeleton archers, and spiders at night, with a few blocks of obsidian and a flint and steel, people can enter afiery hellscape known as the Nether. Inspired by a form of traversal found in the book seriesThe Wheel of Time, in the Nether’s first incarnation, players would have only found a few zombie pigmen and flying ghasts in a dimension filled with netherrack, bedrock, and gravel. The simple original Nether is a far cry from the colorful, bountiful, and mob-filled landscape the Nether is today.
If players didn’t want to venture into an underworld-like dimension, players could have explored their technical ingenuity with the use of redstone. EssentiallyMinecraft’sore-based version of electricity, redstoneallowed players to create simple to complex mechanisms with the use of pistons, dust, torches, and eventually more. While players could create simple mechanisms such as powered rails or dispensers through the crafting table, others have gone beyond the constraint of the crafting table to create truly spectacular feats such as giant working computers that play other pixel-based games withinMinecraftitself.
Later, a new hostile, teleporting mob was created, inspired by one of the internet’s most infamous horror icons, Slenderman. The Enderman would teleport throughout the world, picking up blocks at their whim, and only attack players if people stare at them in the eye. At first, the Endermen were just another enemy to fight in the game, but Mojang developers expanded upon their enigmatic nature to create another dimension: The End. Here, players would have to use all their combat and crafting skills to take downMinecraft’sfinal boss: the Ender Dragon.
Minecraft’s Global Takeover
By late 2011,Minecraftwas fully released on PC with its 1.0 build and would quickly jump to other gaming platforms. These include but are not limited to Android and IOS in 2011, Xbox 360 in 2012, PlayStation 3 in 2013, Wii U in 2015, and 3DS in 2017. Over the following decade,Mojang added numerous updates toMinecraft,adding various features and settings to the game, including the jungle biome, trading with villagers, riding horses, potion making, enchanting armor and weapons, pillager mansions, and more.
Today,Minecraftis one of the most played and sold video games of all time, alongside industry juggernautsTetrisandGrand Theft Auto 5.
Minecraft’s Many Varied Spinoffs
In 2014, Microsoft, seeing the profitable potential ofMinecraft, purchased the game’s IP and Mojang for $2.5 billion. In 2015,Minecraftwould venture into the realm of spinoff games with theepisodic release of Telltale’sMinecraft: Story Mode. While the game was received moderately compared to Telltale’s more acclaimed games likeThe Walking DeadorThe Wolf Among Us,Story Modeproved popular enough to receive a second season in 2017 and even saw a release on Netflix in 2018 before Telltale was shut down.
Several other spinoffs forMinecraftwere released following the acquisition by Microsoft. These include the augmented reality gameMinecraft: Earthin 2019, the Diablo-esque dungeon crawlerMinecraft: Dungeonsin 2020, and most recently thereal-time strategyMinecraft: Legendsin 2023.
Minecraft Beyond Games
Minecrafthasn’t been bound to the gaming world, however. In 2012, Lego released its firstMinecraftthemed set with the 480 piece Micro World product.MinecraftLego sets can still be found on store shelves today. In 2016,Mojang debutedMinecraft: Education Edition,designed for schools to teach through the game. The game has helped teachers worldwide educate students about navigating online platforms safely, how to code, the potential of esports, and even about traditional subjects such as science and language arts.
In 2014, Mojang revealed that it was working on a movie adaption ofMinecraftwith Warner Bros. That project remained stagnant until 2022 when production resumed. The live actionMinecraftmovie is expected to release in April 2025 with Jack Black reportedly starring as Steve.
Minecraft’s Impact and Legacy
According to the SEO Agency Search Logistics, over600 million copies ofMinecrafthave been soldsince its full release in 2011. Currently, over 166 million people playMinecraftmonthly worldwide with about 20% of players coming from the U.S. and another 20% coming from Brazil, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom combined. Today,Minecraftis one of the most played and sold video games of all time, alongside industry juggernautsTetrisandGrand Theft Auto 5.
The accessibility and replayability ofMinecraftcannot be understated. Gamers of any age or playstyle can have a fun time in this blocky world.In the 15 years sinceCave Gamewas created, whole families have grown up alongsideMinecraftand have introduced it to the next generation of gamers as they embark on blocky adventures of their very own.
Whether it be grinding to battle the Ender Dragon, playing the snow-falling spleef game type with friends, creating complex machines with redstone, creating wool pixel art in creative mode, tending a farm, or even simply building an original home out of wooden planks, players are sure to have a fun time.Mojang will undoubtedly add numerous new featurestoMinecraftin the next 15 years. The exact contents are uncertain, one thing that’s clear is that millions of people will continue adventuring and crafting in this pixelated game for years to come.
In celebration ofMinecraft’s15th Anniversary, players can receive a free exclusive Character Creator item to customize their character till May 31. Players can access the free item by launchingMinecraft: Bedrock Editionand opening the Dressing Room in game.
Minecraft
WHERE TO PLAY
Minecraft is a game made up of blocks, creatures, and community. You can survive the night or build a work of art – the choice is all yours. But if the thought of exploring a vast new world all on your own feels overwhelming, then fear not!Minecraft has no set goal and can be played however you’d like! This is why it’s sometimes called a “sandbox game” – there are lots of things for you to do, and lots of ways that you can play. If you like being creative, then you can use the blocks to build things from your imagination. If you’re feeling brave, you can explore the world and face daring challenges. Blocks can be broken, crafted, placed to reshape the landscape, or used to build fantastical creations.Creatures can be battled or befriended, depending on how you play. The world of Minecraft allows for epic adventures, quiet meditations, and everything in between. You can even share your creations with other players, or play in community worlds!
