Minecraft: Java Edition free for PC, Mac

Minecraft is a sandbox game that lets you design large structures and objects from cubic blocks. The game goal, apparently simple, is to build during the day to survive during the night. You will find yourself in a totally unknown world with mountains, valleys, trees, and animals. Infinite possibilities are waiting for you.

Plot

In Minecraft, you are the creator of your own story based on every choice you make in a world where everything from the ground to the sun is cube-shaped. It is worth mentioning that in 2018 an interactive series based on its universe, Minecraft: Story Mode, was released. In this story, you will start a journey with Jesse and his friends Olivia, Petra, Axel, and Ruben in their quest for The Order of the Stone, a group of heroes who will help them save their world. In the movie, you can make real-time decisions and shape the story just like you can in the books where you are the hero.

Gameplay

• Each world is unique: First, you will create a rich and memorable world procedurally generated. In this randomly created world, you will be able to use a map and visualize the places you have already explored and what you have left to go through. You will also have access to an inventory of objects.
• Blocks: Blocks are the core components of the game. They are made up of different materials and they have different characteristics: some will be opaque, others will emit light, others will not stand on their own, etc. These are used to build and craft everything on a grid pattern that must be respected when placing them. All of them can be collected, harvested, and used for different purposes.

• Explore, build, and make progress: As described below, there are several modes and the objectives will change from one to another. Depending on your choice, you will have to explore the areas and interact with different objects. In addition, in almost all of them, you will have to gather materials to be able to build and protect yourself.
• Day and night cycles: Minecraft manages day and night cycles, each day lasts 20 minutes. In some game modes, you may receive attacks during the night, so you should focus on building a shelter during the day.
• Protect and take care of yourself: In addition to protecting yourself from hostile creatures, you will have to feed your character and avoid drowning, falling, or getting stuck in one of the world's blocks.
• Extensible: You can add all kinds of mods that will shape your final experience the way you like. 

Graphics and sound

Minecraft has a very unique and beautiful graphic style where everything is created from cubes in a 3D world. The design may seem to look like retro games but in a more stylish way. You will be able to select your graphics settings depending on the performance of your graphics card, including Fast, Fancy, or Fabulous! You can even fine-tune the whole game's aesthetics using mods like OptiFine. Last but not least, Minecraft offers a beautiful OST and responsive audio feedback.

Duration and game modes

Minecraft is an open-world sandbox where you can switch from the first to the third-person perspective camera. It also allows you to play solo or multiplayer through either a local or remote connection. If you like it, you will spend dozens and dozens of hours playing it as it offers lots of replayability. Different game modes are also available:

• Survival Mode: Survival is the main mode, where the players will have to focus on building a safe place to protect themselves from the creatures that lurk during the night, managing hunger, and crafting items using materials they collected in the wild.
• Creative Mode: Creative is the best option for new players since you will not be attacked and you will be able to move around the map without any limitations, including resources, and explore the mechanics without any problems. Basically, this is the god mode.
• Adventure Mode: In Adventure mode, you will have access to other players' maps, you will not be able to build or destroy, but you will be able to interact with different objects.
• Hardcore Mode: The Hardcore mode is the difficult version of Survival Mode, where you will only have one life, and the creatures will be more aggressive and will do more damage. If you die, the game is over and you lose everything. This mode is suitable for experienced players.

In addition to the original version that we offer here (Java Edition), there are also other versions such as Minecraft Dungeons, Minecraft: Education Edition, and Minecraft Earth, not to mention the huge amount of mods created by the community.

What do the reviews say?

Minecraft is one of the most played and recognized titles of the last decade. On the review aggregator Metacritic it has been rated with a score of 93/100.

“Minecraft is less of a game than a giant toy box where everyone can shape their own experience. Minecraft is one of the most important creations in video games, and its influence will lead to new and exciting ways of perceiving digital worlds and their potential.” (GameOver.gr)

Age rating

Minecraft is rated PEGI 7. When an enemy is defeated, it will disintegrate into cubes before completely disappearing. There is no explicit violence or foul language. The only thing that may be disturbing for children is that some of the characters they are going to encounter can be a little spooky (spiders, zombies, monsters, etc.).