Minecraft is an open-world survival sandbox released on November 18, 2011 by Notch. Markus Alexej Persson, or Notch, is a Swedish computer game designer and founder of the Mojang studio. Minecraft is one of the most popular games ever, which has gained particular popularity especially among younger players.
Since its release in 2011, many versions of Minecraft or games based on its themes have been released for different platforms and audiences.
Minecraft: Java-Edition
Minecraft: Java Edition, is a sequel to the original 2011 version of the game. More precisely, only the name of the game has changed. It is the most extensive version of the game for Windows, Linux and macOS personal computers.
Minecraft: JE is the only version of the game that allows the installation of mods, that is, modifications created by other users. It is the only version of Minecraft that does not allow cross-platform gameplay, that is, it does not allow you to play against a player with, for example, Bedrock Edition.
Minecraft: Bedrock Edition
Bedrock Edition is a multi-platform version of Minecraft, which allows you to play on consoles or mobile devices, among others. One account allows you to play on different platforms, but you may still be required to buy the game on another platform. All editions of Minecraft: BE use the name Minecraft without the subtitle.
The Bedrock Edition differs from the Java Edition in, among other things, better performance, or differences in available functionality such as the ability to play on a split screen.
Minecraft: Education Edition
This is a version designed for use in schools. It is based on the Bedrock version. Minecraft: EE has several improvements for teachers such as new blocks and objects, and features.
Minecraft Classic
It is a very simple and limited version of the game. Minecraft Classic is available for free from the browser. The capabilities of this version are limited only to building with 9 available blocks on a limited map, but it allows multiplayer play and has a simple setup.
Other Minecraft-themed games
Minecraft has been so successful that other games are coming out based on its themes. So far, three official games based on Minecraft themes have come out that differ in gameplay from the original game.
Minecraft: Story Mode
Minecraft: Story Mode is a point-and-click adventure game divided into episodes. The first episode was released in 2015. The game is mainly aimed at younger players.
The Feature Mode is no longer available for purchase, but is still, for example, on the Netflix platform.
Minecraft Dungeons
An action adventure game with RPG elements released on May 26, 2020. The game allows single-player, as well as multiplayer in co-op mode for up to 4 players.
The gameplay is based on dungeon crawl, or dungeon penetration. In the case of Minecraft Dungeons, the dungeons are procedurally generated, i.e. based on algorithms, which means that each time a level can generate differently.
