 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Minecraft
Common Sense Media says
Sandbox-style game with open online play fosters creativity.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Minecraft is an open-ended environment in which to construct things. One of the best-selling, independently developed and published video games, Minecraft was published in November 2011 after a lengthy beta test phase during which millions of players pre-purchased the game. It offers sandbox-style play in which players can create items and buildings from scratch using materials they harvest from the world around them. There is no story, but players will encounter aggressive monsters they can fight using swords and bows. Graphics are extremely blocky, and there is no blood or gore, but the creatures can be a bit scary when they moan. Parents should note that this game has a thriving online community hosted by private, non-moderated servers. This means players could encounter offensive content in the form of profane text messages and suggestively shaped player-created structures.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn creative thinking, geometry, and even a little geology as they build imaginative block structures in this refreshingly open-ended mining and construction game. Given carte blanche to sculpt virtually any creation of their choice in this 3-D space, kids can try out tons of possibilities while working toward simple objectives. An option to work with others on larger building projects can help kids develop collaboration skills. Minecraft empowers players to exercise their imagination and take pride in their digital creations as they learn basic building concepts.
Subjects
- Arts
- Hobbiesbuilding
- Language & Reading
- Mathestimation, geometry, shapes
- Sciencegeology, rocks and minerals
- Social Studies
Skills
- Collaborationcooperation, group projects, teamwork
- Communication
- Creativityimagination, making new creations, producing new content
- Emotional Development
- Health & Fitness
- Responsibility & Ethics
- Self-Direction
- Tech Skills
- Thinking & Reasoningdefining problems, hypothesis-testing, problem solving
What's it about?
Minecraft begins with players looking out over a massive, randomly generated world filled with hills, lakes, trees, and other geological features. There are no artificial structures, no non-player characters with whom to chat, and no objectives. At first, the player's only concern is to survive. Monsters are a hazard, which means a shelter -- built with resources harvested from the ground and trees -- is the first order of business. Once a shelter is established, players can focus on experimenting with the resources they gather, using them to build axes, picks, hoes, swords, armor, furnaces, bricks, glass, carts, boats, and countless other items, which can then be leveraged to create everything from forts to lighthouses to ornate palaces. Privately hosted online servers allow access to other worlds, where players can interact with one another.
Is it any good?
It’s easy to see why Minecraft has ballooned in popularity. The experience is wholly compelling for those with a creative itch. Mining resources from the earth and turning them into easily usable materials employed in the construction of nearly anything the player can imagine is enormously satisfying.
However, getting started can prove tricky. There are no instructions. Part of the fun comes from discovery and experimentation, but less patient players could lose interest before they find out how much fun it can be to build a dream house or an intricate maze of mining shafts and tunnels. We recommend consulting online guides designed to help beginners, such as those at minecraftwiki.net. Once you know what you’re doing, you’ll be hard pressed to leave your computer without placing just one more block.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about creativity. How do you like to express yourself outside of video games? Do you think games can help you develop your artistic ability?
Families can also discuss common sense safety measures for online games. How can you identify an online predator? What steps should you take if you encounter someone suspicious?
What kids can learn
Kids can learn creative thinking, geometry, and even a little geology as they build imaginative block structures in this refreshingly open-ended mining and construction game. Given carte blanche to sculpt virtually any creation of their choice in this 3-D space, kids can try out tons of possibilities while working toward simple objectives. An option to work with others on larger building projects can help kids develop collaboration skills. Minecraft empowers players to exercise their imagination and take pride in their digital creations as they learn basic building concepts.
Subjects
- Arts:
- Hobbies: building
- Language & Reading:
- Math: estimation, geometry, shapes
- Science: geology, rocks and minerals
- Social Studies:
Skills
- Collaboration: cooperation, group projects, teamwork
- Communication:
- Creativity: imagination, making new creations, producing new content
- Emotional Development:
- Health & Fitness:
- Responsibility & Ethics:
- Self-Direction:
- Tech Skills:
- Thinking & Reasoning: defining problems, hypothesis-testing, problem solving
How kids will learn
Few games foster open, encouraging creativity so successfully. Ideas about what structures to construct and the tools that are required start with the players themselves. If players decide they need shelter, they might mine rocks, gravel, and wood to build a house. And players' hard work pays off. As they dig deeper into the virtual world, they discover rarer minerals with more interesting potential uses. Some might help them create glass or shed light on dark passages. A list of achievements provides inspiration for kids at a loss for ideas.
How parents can help
- Join in the game with your kids and build inventive structures with them.
- Relate the game to offline building. Invite kids to build with Legos and compare the experience. What's similar? What's different?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Complex, entertaing, addictive game is just plain fun.
This game is a wonderful game for tweens+. It is one of the most sold downloadable games ever, and is worth every penny. There is some privacy concerns by multiplayer, but you need an IP for this. (Even if multiplayer is FANTASTIC.) The monsters also can be frighting at times, but the game can be set on peaceful, removing the dangerous, scary monsters. You can die, but in a non-explicit way (The screen says "You Died!")
This is a harmless game that is extremely addictive and enjoyable. It is fine for all ages, and deferentially worth playing.
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AGE
Addicting for tween boys
My 12 year old son adores this game and needs to have his fingers pried off the keyboard. The game itself contains no bad language, or indeed any language. However there is the possibility of exposure to older players and their uncensored commentaries when your child visits Minecraft posts on YouTube.
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AGE
A box of blocks
I would recommend being careful allowing kids on a public server, but the game can be played solo, and a smart parent with the resources could set up a controlled server, for the child to play online with friends. The game allows perfect gameplay in a nearly limitless world of imagination.
It is not unlike giving a child a box of infinite blocks which can be changed and altered to fit the needs and desires of the child. Kids can't choke on it, just be sure to limit how much time they play.
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AGE
Great for tweens and above
Generally pretty good for creative kids who like to explore, kind of like Legend of Zelda without a plot. The biggest concern isn't the game, but rather the people who've recorded youtube videos of the gameplay and the language that they use in those videos. Otherwise, it's highly addictive for tweens and that is probably the biggest danger - tearing them away from this largely benign and creative game! One other thing...monsters and enemies can be a bit scary for younger tweens. Common Sense review is fairly accurate in my estimation.
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AGE
this game is really fun and with so many nice people to play this its a great pc game and should be played by everyone who has good computer skills and likes legos
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AGE
A truly beautiful game perfect for almost everyone.
It took me a while to come up with an age rating for Minecraft, but I eventually settled on what could be seen as quite an extreme rating of 5+.
Firstly, however, I'll talk briefly about the game. Minecraft is the simulation of all simulations. With its gigantic community of modders in addition to the innovative Swedish development team, there are few things that one can't do in Minecraft. There really are only two things that could be seen as an issue in minecraft: the monsters and the online gameplay.
The monsters of minecraft are not graphic, and attacking them does not result in the splashing of blood or the like, but I (as embarrassing as it may be) have to admit that it's pretty scary seeing a creeper looming out of the dark. However, there are settings to allow you to remove the monsters, and most children under 10 probably would not be able to work out how to change this.
Online gameplay is another issue, as there are no restrictions on chat. However, the online interface is not very user friendly and even teenagers may have difficulty accessing online games, so there is little cause for concern of your 10 year old getting into them.
Minecraft is one of the best games that I have ever played, and offers an almost unlimited amount of educational and creative potential. I cannot recommend it enough. My rating of 5+ may be a little extreme, but I give you full assurance that CommonSense's rating of 13+ is a huge exaggeration.
NB: Minecraft is not a completed game, and is (as of the time of writing) still in its beta phase. This means that new content is being added all the time, and I can't judge on future content. There are rumors that modes such as Capture the flag will be implemented but given Minecraft's innocent combat system I can't imagine that this will be anything to worry about. Anyway, Mojang knows Minecraft's audience well, and will not add any inappropriate content.
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AGE
10+
This game is a great game for 11+. There is nothing bad about the game. The only problem is dungeon music. whats the problem about it it's a bit scary because randomly (when by a dungeon) a freaky noise goes off like a ghost's sigh or breath or thunder and another bad part about minecraft is going on youtube to look at other peoples stuff usually the guy drops the F bomb or other language.
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AGE
GREAT GAME
THIS IS AN EPIC GAME!!!
iv been playing since Alpha 1.3 and i have to say, all the new updates have brought just a little bit of fun into my life every time i play. the mobs are only scary when it is dark and you have the volume on loud. my creativity has griped me and i have made countless things such as water slides made of glass, MASSIVE castles made of stone, and taming wolves is so helpful now. i have a cage with 22 wolves in it:) GREAT GAME
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AGE
Best mining game ever.
I got addicted to the game like many others. At night, watch out for creepers, skeletons, zombies. Try making holes everywhere so they don't hurt you but get trapped as well.
My biggest gripe is how to actually load Minecraft. You need Oracle-Sun's Java platform. Sometimes it is not easy to install.
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AGE
Warning: ADDICTING!!!!!
This is a great game, any age can play. There is no language, no talking in that case, but there is a place called The Nether (which is supposed to be hell) Players can kill monsters with anything like spiders, zombies, creepers, thieves, pig zombies, ghosts, and more. It is a puff of smoke when they die, no blood at all. This is a very fun game where you build to survive the night, and as you progress, make a bigger house, get better weapons, and better tools. This is a very easy pick up and play game.
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