Minecraft was developed by Mojang with an alpha version becoming available to the masses back in 2009 for the PC platform. Throughout the years, new updates added content and tools within the gameplay though for the most part, gameplay for Minecraft remained the same. Players are tossed into a randomly generated world where they can create anything imaginable while also attempting to survive against the various enemies, otherwise known as mobs.
This blocky video game continues to be a massive hit for gamers all over the world, both young and old. Kids easily take to the game and there are plenty of merchandise that goes along with it such as coloring books, novels, toys, and clothing. If you’re a parent with a child that is yearning to play Minecraft, then there are a few things worth noting before the purchase. Check out these ten things every parent should know about Minecraft, the good and the bad.
There’s Really No Rhyme or Reason
I get it parents; you want to know the story behind a video game to make sure it’s safe and suitable for your children. That’s totally understandable and something that all parents should take into consideration when letting their child play any video game. However, within Minecraft, there’s really not an active story. Grant it, this game does have a few end bosses to defeat but as for a story or campaign, Minecraft is pretty bare bones.
Instead, Minecraft is all about imagination, going out and starting a journey of building. Kids can go mine for resources to later use in creating their own world or story. Each new game opens a brand new unique world waiting to be explored and manipulated to the player’s liking.
It Inspires Creativity
Minecraft is a game where players are free to come up with their own creations–making everything from programming functional clocks, to building vast cities and locations inspired by fantasy, science fiction, and the real world. One group of Minecraft players remade the region of Westeros from Game of Thrones, which includes cities like King’s Landing and Winterfell. The results are astonishing.
Minecraft Can Be Tough
Minecraft won’t be a walk in the park. This is a tough video game to master as there’s tons of resources players can collect, most of which can be used for a variety of crafts and builds. Finding out just what an item does or is used for can be hard at first and it usually leads to players going online to find out this precious information. If you’re a parent that enjoys playing along with your child in a video game, be prepared to search online for a variety of different recipes on how to craft several objects or for that matter, what an object is even used for.
Luckily for you, because Minecraft is such a massive video game, it’s easy to find guides and walkthrough. Forums, Wikipedia guides, fan websites, there are an unlimited amount of resources for you to go through to help your child during gameplay, it’s just the matter of searching online. Through repetition, it will be a breeze to craft items, it can even be worth jotting down notes to remember some of the more common item crafts. However, you could even dabble into mods if you’re playing Minecraft on PC. There’s one mod out there we can’t recommend enough to remember all the little crafts and what each item does. We’re referring to NotEnoughItems, which is extremely helpful for new and veteran players.
Inspirational
As we pointed out before in this list, Minecraft is all about creating. Because of the heavy emphasis on creating, players will be going about collecting resources to lay down new foundations, inspiring kids to think of new potential creations for their world. Oftentimes, when kids are not playing Minecraft, they are watching videos of it, talking to their friends about their builds, even drawing up ideas of what they would like to tackle on in their next play session.
Beware of Mods
Okay, we just mentioned mods in a previous point so why the sudden warning? Parents should be aware of what mods are being installed on Minecraft. There are obviously some that players really benefit from such as the NotEnoughItems mod which adds the ability to see all the various crafts along with the added benefit of showcasing all the uses a particular item may have. However, there are some mods that are not aimed or meant to be suited for a younger audience.
Because there are tons and tons of monds online, it’s best to know which ones are downloading onto your computer. Some mods can be unstable together causing the game to crash or simply not function properly while others may showcase mature content or even contain a dreaded virus. Before you or your child downloads a mod, it’s best to check for background information.
Multiplayer Servers
Minecraft is a fun game to play alone but players can also connect online and play together. To do this, players will have to connect to a server, either publicly or a private server. Because it’s easier to simply connect online to a server than to create one, if you’ve never made a server before, you’ll want to carefully decide which server to join. Now most servers add a wide range of different minigames players can enjoy and there are often added benefits in paying for a premium membership for servers but you’ll want to use some caution.
For one, most servers are free for players to join in and play so you don’t necessarily have to purchase any premiums. Also, because these servers are free, they are often flooded with other players. Inappropriate language may be used along with unsuitable character skin designs.
It’s Educational
Parents may find it a surprise that Minecraft, a video game, can be educational. The game was a certain of focus for Joel Levin, a Brooklyn school teacher that created the website MinecraftEDU. Joel decided to tap into the video game in order to showcase the various ways teachers can use this video game to help kids learn. For instance, the game could be used as a tool to have children create various buildings they have learned in their classroom in order to help visualize the time period in a new an exciting way.
Creative vs Adventure Mode
When you first start up a world there’s a choice, play in Creative or Adventure mode. The Adventure mode puts players into the game where they must survive, explore, build, and collect. Within Adventure mode, players will battle against enemies while maintaining their character’s health but that also requires knowing the various crafts and items.
In Creative mode, players are worry free from enemies attacking them or having to maintain their characters health. For the most part, Creative mode allows players to build and explore as much as they like. A menu will give them the option to use and select any item within the game so there’s no need to remember how to craft an item nor will players run out of any items in this mode as blocks are unlimited and tools never break.
It’s Available For Several Platforms
If you’re rewarding your child with the video game Minecraft, make sure to decide which platform works best for your home. This particular video game is available for several platforms including the PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Raspberry Pi, and even mobile devices running Apple’s or Google’s operating service. Decide which platform would work well with your home rather than tying up time with a certain device or computer for the highly desirable video game. It’s a small point but one worth noting before the purchase.
It’s Relatively Inexpensive
A brand new game can cost quite a bit of money especially knowing if it’s a linear title that doesn’t offer much of a replay value. However, Minecraft released back in 2009 and it’s continued to be played by kids to adults. The actual game doesn’t cost much either with the PC version of the game only running about $30. You’ll even find that the game is considerably less on mobile devices.
