by Ayianna Maddox

Minecraft is a game full of creativity and wonder. Released on May 17, 2009 and fully released on Nov. 18, 2011, Minecraft records show that there are “212.32 million monthly active players in early 2026, with more than 350 million copies sold across all platforms since its 2011 launch. The daily active users average 31.96 million,” according to QuantumRun Foresight.

My family and I are among those statistics.

I’ve been playing Minecraft for as long as I can remember, and it holds a deep place in my heart. Growing up, I played it with cousins — when I got a turn, of course. Before I knew it, I had a copy to call my own, and I was playing with my mom.

As the years went on, we both got better at the game: designing buildings, coming up with creative ideas, and creating furniture. Each time we played, we figured out our style and evolved from it. Eventually, it became routine that I’d come home from school, find my mom playing, talk about the buildings she built, and the ideas she had while I was away. One time, I made a world for us, and I woke up to a village she built overnight.

Throughout the years, Minecraft has always been a factor. I taught my little siblings at a young age, and they started teaching each other. Now, after I’m done with school-related work, I’ll come upstairs and find them building incredible things. My brother even built an airplane.

With each update, movie, mini TV series, and add-on, I became more obsessed.

Villager News is a comedic animated series created by Element Animation that I watched on Amazon Prime Video, and eventually on YouTube. Recently, Minecraft added Villager News as an add-on feature, making villager interactions more comedic. 

When I discovered this, I squealed, “Finally!”

Minecraft is a wholesome, family-fun game for all ages, whether to express creativity, obtain all trophies, or to battle and see who’s the strongest in survival. 

Minecraft

Released: Nov. 18, 2011

My grade: 100%/A+