Minecraft, first released in 2011, has since become a global phenomenon, becoming the best-selling game of all time and getting releases and versions on virtually every platform. Although visually simple, there's surprising depth to what you can create with the different blocks on offer. From a simple wooden house to a sprawling, intricately detailed mansion, straightforward building alone provides limitless possibilities. Add to this the Redstone mechanic that lets you create machines from automatic doors to functioning minigames and computers, and there's something for everyone.
There are several spin-off games set within the Minecraft universe, offering experiences with vastly different mechanics and genres:
- Minecraft: Story Mode (2015) PC, Mac, Switch, iOS, Apple TV, Android, Amazon Fire, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Netflix.
- Minecraft Dungeons (2020) PC, Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4.
- Minecraft Legends (2023) PC, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5.
- Minecraft Earth (2019-2021) iOS and Android: an AR experience that let you explore the real world (like Pokémon Go) and build in real places using your camera. The game was shut down in June 2021.
There are also community-run servers such as Hypixel, Hive, and MCC Island, that offer different minigames where you play against other players from around the world. Some of these minigames have become so popular that they've spawned remakes in other games (such as
Bedwars in
Roblox), or other games entirely - the battle royale genre and
Fortnite were arguably inspired by early Hunger Games Minecraft servers.
There have been 5 games in the Minecraft franchise.
The first game was released in 2011 on Android, Mac, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and iOS and the most recent release was Minecraft Legends in 2023 on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
The most popular game in the franchise is Minecraft with 284 likes. The franchise as a whole has 426 likes on the database. Unfortunately, Minecraft Legends is not available on Android, Mac or iOS. However, there are other games similar to Minecraft Legends on these platforms that offer an equivalent experience.