A gaming staple for millions, Minecraft gives you a bottomless bucket of virtual blocks and lets you craft your own worlds and adventures. And years after the mobile version’s 2011 debut, it continues to wow us. Here are just a few reasons we still dig this pixel-perfect paradise:
It’s creative
‣ Minecraft is about constructing just about anything you can imagine with chunky cubes. In Creative mode, you can do this at your leisure, as all resources – wood, stone and even rarities like obsidian – are free and plentiful.
Since launch, a trove of decorative items, such as delicate stained glass and groovy diamond-encrusted jukeboxes, expanded the architectural possibilities. Have a vision? Bring it to life in Minecraft.
It’s a survivor
‣ Minecraft began as a survival game, challenging you to explore, gather resources and build a shelter to make it through the night. That experience lives on in Survival mode, where strategy is essential to thriving in a sometimes hostile world.
It’s not just about Creepers and spiders anymore either. Poisonous puffer fish and seaweedy zombies have since been unleashed – as have helpful critters, such as bees that speed up crop growth. Plus, the dangerous Nether has been completely revamped. Can you handle the heat?
It’s social
‣ Whether you’re taking down the Ender Dragon or taking on an elaborate construction project, Minecraft is way more fun with a few pals. You can now play and collaborate with millions across platforms – or liven up your own game by downloading user-created templates, skins, textures or even entire worlds.