“And the universe said you have played the game well.”

 Julian Gough wrote Minecraft’s “End Poem” in 2012 to give the game an impactful ending, and the message within the poem and the game as a whole illuminate what is important about both the game and the people who play, which is that experiences and connections shape what one chooses to do with their time. 

Minecraft, the most popular video game of all time, has over the years become the central hub for innovation and imagination within gaming, and it continues to be described as beautiful and a unique experience in the world. Minecraft has something about it that always draws people back, even after years of not playing; it has something that other games or media do not have, which is that it gives players full control of their gameplay. 

“I think why people always come back to the game is because every once in a while it’s good to come back to something that’s calm and where you can go at your own pace and have a great time with your friends,” junior Mason Jessie said. Minecraft has something that other games do not— it always draws the  player back. Some say this is due to the nostalgia factor or the desire to remember old times, while others believe it is because of the game’s unlimited possibilities. “People come back to the game because of the childlike joy that [they] first had, and whenever [people are] super stressed, it’s like an escapism from actually having to face the fears and then finding comfort in something we once loved,” senior Benjamin Hahn said. On the contrary, another senior, Xavier Lerch, said, “People always come back to it because [they] can always focus on something else every time [they] play it. There’s always that one thing that [they] didn’t get to do in your first playthrough that [they] might want to do in the next one.” Whether it be making new experiences, reflecting on old times or finding a safe space, Minecraft allows players to carve their own path, and it allows them to play the game however they choose.

Another reason people feel attached to the game is the connections that stem from the community aspect of Minecraft. The game offers the ability to either play with hundreds of thousands of people on collaborative servers. The ability to work with others and build communities allows players to create greater things together. “Minecraft is so much more than a game; it’s a community. It’s a community of so many different people coming together to show their love for the same thing, and I think that is so beautiful,” junior Jillian Nolan said. Players showing their creativity and passion for the game across these servers is what makes the game unique, and the ability to create these new experiences for so many people makes the game stay relevant to this day. 

For some, though, they prefer to just play with a group of friends. The game allows for the creation of private servers, or realms, to play with a small group of people, and many players choose to do this to create new experiences in the form of creating in the game. “I play almost exclusively with friends. Every time we beat the game together, I feel like part of a team, and it brings us closer,” Lerch said. Whether it be with hundreds of thousands or just a few players, Minecraft is a space that brings people together to showcase their passion for the game.

What makes Minecraft significant compared to other things, not just games, is that it provides an experience like no other; it gives players the ability to do almost anything they choose to do. The game gives a platform for the growth of so many different types of communities, ideas, and creations that are only made possible by its free nature. Whether it be with so many or so few players, Minecraft continues to resonate with so many people, and it is a representation of how people are shaped by their experiences and connections.