Why Minecraft is Fun

Minecraft is a video game that can be played on your computer, phone, or Xbox. At the time I am writing this, 14,283,669 people have bought the PC edition of Minecraft. It is a game that I personally enjoy.

“Ooh, look at this!” I exclaim. “I found it!”. I’m sitting on the couch, on my laptop. I had just found the IP of one of the biggest Minecraft servers that I knew of, and I was going to join. I was extremely excited, because I knew it would be very fun, just because Minecraft is amazing.

For one thing, Minecraft gameplay can be customized with programs you can download. These programs, called mods or resource packs, range from the simple-to-install and play to large, complex ones that change the game a lot. There are even modpacks, which are large groups of mods that work together and add many, many things to Minecraft. A good example of this is FTB, or Feed the Beast. FTB is many different mods that are all compatible and use features from each other. There are mods that add more magic, better worlds, and more technology. Anything from portal guns (yes, from Portal), to jetpacks, to quantum physics, to volcanoes, to wands that let you zap things with lightning. The best thing is, making a small mod is not that difficult. All you need to know is some Java coding, and there are many tutorials to help with the rest. Installing most mods is pretty simple too, but be careful: always back up your files, make sure that if you need a modloader, such as Forge, you have it, and follow the instructions on the mod’s website or the Minecraft Forums.

If you just wish to change how the game looks or sounds, resource packs can be installed. These change smaller things, like the way stone looks or the sound dogs make. Resource packs are much simpler to install, too—there is a menu in Minecraft itself for them, if you dropped the files into the resource packs folder. Minecraft is enjoyable because the gameplay can be changed.

In addition, Minecraft is fun because you can play it with other people on servers. Servers may have maps, minigames, or many other things, such as making towns, basic Minecraft only with your friends or whoever, and simply having land to build on and sharing your creations with other people. Maps are usually made up of puzzles or challenges you have to do to move on. They are like a challenge that you can do with a few friends, and then be really happy when you beat it. Minigames are pretty different. There are servers where you can play many different minigames, and most of them are other games that someone created in Minecraft. The games could be anything from Connect 4 to Flappy Bird to capture the flag. There are even some games that don’t exist outside of Minecraft at all! Other things that I’ve done on servers include Factions, which is where you gather a group of people, find some land, and try to make your new town the best there is. I’ve also just had a chunk of land and unlimited things to build with, and created a giant house to show off. Playing Minecraft is exciting because you can go on servers.

Similarly, I enjoy Minecraft because other people enjoy it. There are many, many famous Minecraft Youtubers, including people with MILLIONS of subscribers. You could be on Youtube for days, just watching all the mod reviews, map playthroughs, minigame competitions, and even Let’s Plays, which are videos of someone playing Minecraft with or without mods and what they’re doing. It just makes you think, “Hey, I could do that! Maybe I should be famous.”. There is even a famous project going on in which one guy is trying to reach the edge of the world. This project is called “Far Lands or Bust!” Minecraft is interesting because it has its own share of celebrities.

Lastly, Minecraft is actually being used in schools to teach engineering, math, and history. Students can use circuitry, recreate historical buildings, or just learn physics or graphing. The best part? It’s fun. Teachers can run their own servers and assign them projects and the students can submit them to the teacher when they are done. Minecraft is the greatest because it is educational.

I think that Minecraft is pretty underrated. It’s a fun game with a lot to offer, and it doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves. I think that if people knew more interesting things that they could do, more people would play. Maybe one of you could be the 14,283,670th person to join! But there’s not much time for that now— the Nexus is almost full, and I’m not going to miss a perfect opportunity.

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3 thoughts on “Why Minecraft is Fun

  1. Hi Megan,

    Many of my students love Minecraft, too! I really need to try it; your post makes it seem so fun!

    –Ms. Velasco

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