Many commentators have described the game's physics system as unrealistic. Players can 'mine' blocks and then place them elsewhere, enabling them to build things. These blocks are arranged in a 3D grid, while players can move freely around the world. The core gameplay revolves around picking up and placing these objects. The game world is composed of rough 3D objects-mainly cubes and fluids, and commonly called 'blocks'-representing various materials, such as dirt, stone, ores, tree trunks, water, and lava. Gameplay is in the first-person perspective by default, but players have the option of a third-person perspective. However, there is an achievement system, known as 'advancements' in the Java Edition of the game, and ' trophies' on the PlayStation ports. Minecraft is a 3D sandbox game that has no required goals to accomplish, allowing players a large amount of freedom in choosing how to play the game.

Several spin-offs have also been made, including Minecraft: Story Mode, Minecraft Dungeons, Minecraft Earth, and the upcoming Minecraft Legends. In 2014, Mojang and the Minecraft intellectual property were purchased by Microsoft for US$2.5 billion. The game has also been used in educational environments to teach chemistry, computer-aided design, and computer science. Social media, parodies, adaptations, merchandise, and the annual Minecon conventions played prominent roles in popularizing the game. Minecraft has received critical acclaim, winning several awards and later being cited as one of the greatest video games ever created. There is also a wide variety of user-generated content, such as modifications, servers, skins, texture packs, and custom maps, which add new game mechanics and possibilities. Game modes include a survival mode (in which players must acquire resources to build in the world and maintain health) and a creative mode (in which players have unlimited resources and access to flight).

Depending on their chosen game mode, players can fight hostile mobs, as well as cooperate with or compete against other players in the same world. In Minecraft, players explore a blocky, procedurally generated, three-dimensional world with virtually infinite terrain and may discover and extract raw materials, craft tools and items, and build structures, earthworks, and machines. Minecraft is the best-selling video game in history, with over 238 million copies sold and nearly 140 million monthly active players as of 2021 and has been ported to several platforms.

Following several early private testing versions, it was first made public in May 2009 before being fully released in November 2011, with Notch stepping down and Jens 'Jeb' Bergensten taking over development. The game was created by Markus 'Notch' Persson in the Java programming language. Minecraft is a sandbox game developed by Mojang Studios.

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