Facts for Kids

In Minecraft you move around a blocky world, gather materials, and use a small menu to craft tools and blocks. In Survival mode you must collect food and resources, keep a health bar up, and make shelter because dark places can have monsters. You gain experience from activities like mining and can use it to enchant items for special powers.

There are other modes too. In Creative mode you get nearly everything and can fly so you can focus on building. Adventure mode is for maps that tell stories, and Hardcore is a very hard version where you must be extra careful. Which mode sounds most fun to you?

Markus "Notch" Persson started Minecraft as a small game idea in 2009 and released an early version people could try. The game grew fast with new features and a big community. A full release came in 2011, and later another lead developer, Jens Bergensten, continued adding updates. In 2014 a larger company, Microsoft, became the game's owner, and Minecraft kept getting new additions and improvements.

Over the years, special versions and graphical updates arrived to make the game look different or run on new devices. What new feature would you add if you were a developer?

Minecraft lets many people play together in the same world. You can join friends on the same Wi-Fi (LAN), play split-screen on some consoles, or connect to online places called servers. Some servers are private for friends, while others are public with mini-games, shops, or building contests.

People who run servers can set rules, change the time, or move players around. Some servers let players fight each other and some focus on teamwork. Big servers, like Hypixel, host lots of players and special games. How would you like to play with others — build together or race to finish first?

Minecraft is a game where you explore and build in a world made of blocks. The game began as a small project in 2009 and was officially released for computers in 2011. You can dig for materials like wood and stone, craft tools and items, and build houses, farms, or big machines. The world is mostly made by rules the computer follows, so every place feels new and different. People play alone or with friends, make changes called mods, and create custom maps. Millions of people have played Minecraft — what would you build first?

Block by Block and other projects show how Minecraft is used beyond just play. Teachers use it to teach subjects like chemistry, coding, and design because building in the game helps people understand real ideas. Communities have used Minecraft to try new park layouts or classroom plans, and groups recreated real places inside the game to practice designs.

People also make art, run races called speedruns, and build libraries to share stories from places that have limits on free reading. How could you use Minecraft to learn or help your neighborhood?

Minecraft comes in different versions for many devices. The two main ones are Java Edition (popular on computers) and Bedrock Edition (made to play across phones, tablets, consoles, and some computers). Bedrock lets friends on different devices play together more easily.

The Minecraft name also includes other games like Minecraft Dungeons and story-based adventures, plus a movie released in 2025. Millions of copies have been sold, so lots of people play on phones, game consoles, and computers. Which device would you pick to play on?