Geeky Nerd

A sandbox is a place where children can make anything they can imagine with sand. The only two limitations are the amount of sand and the child’s imagination. Judging by this logic, Minecraft, a game beloved by many, would be a perfect example of a sandbox video game.

Instead of sand the player can use any block in the game and with every update the only real limit is the amount of ideas one may have.

I have started playing Minecraft during beta and I still call “crafting table” a “workbench”, so it is truly bewildering for me to return to the game every once in a while to find something new.

But one may ask what is a goal of a sandbox? It’s fun for children because they may not know any better, but why should adults indulge in this? Well, the answer is rather simple: you forge the goals yourself. It can be simply “beating” the game by defeating the Ender Dragon but it can also be exploring every biome, collecting every block in the game, get to the void or simply build a nice village. No one is making you to take one route. Do what you feel like doing.

Check out my little village I’m building 👇:

Minecraft is not just mining and crafting. It’s resource management and ability to let your imagination run wild. Some players even say that there are two Minecrafts.

Old & New Minecraft

The old Minecraft about the pre-release versions and versions that are generally over 10 years old, while New Minecraft refers to the newer versions. Some may wonder why to even talk about a bunch of old versions of the game? Well, because they feel like two different games and can be viewed separately.

To begin with, the Old Minecraft is, well, old. It lacks the variety of blocks and structures of the newer versions. What it doesn’t lack though, is space for your imagination to run wild. Pretty literally, who of new players may remember such thing as the Far Lands? I’ve seen them and needless to say that it leaves an impression.

Then, there is a certain simplicity to the old Minecraft versions. They have the essentials to be a fun game and sometimes bare minimum is all you need. Having a variety of blocks is good, but old versions give you a world that is for you to fill with life and civilization. the newer versions seem to have done the job for you and instead of discovering a new world you are acting as a historian who looks at ruins of a fallen civilisation.

Old Minecraft is a great game for those who can set goals for themselves and work for the set goals since the majority of it’s versions lack even an Ender Dragon to begin with. Old Minecraft is not about beating a boss, it’s about doing what you feel like doing.

In contrast, New Minecraft is far more varied with a different terrain generation and countless mobs to interact with. However, it also means that you’ve got access to a larger pool of items to craft from, so if you want some finer details to add to your builds, then this is what you need.

It also defines certain milestones for you to achieve and some players may struggle to set them for themselves. However, it doesn’t mean that you cannot play modern versions of Minecraft without simplicity in your builds.

As I have said before, crafting table is called “workbench” for me, I use fire to create chainmail armour and apple surrounded by golden blocks to craft enchanted apples. By proxy, even now when I return to Minecraft, Nether is a place you can only get glowstone for me and the End just doesn’t exist. Yes, I have never defeated the Ender Dragon. It’s just not part of my Minecraft and it’s fine. For me this is a definition of a sandbox video game. I play like I want with the abilities that I am given.

Thus I am concluding this love letter to the game of my childhood. I also encourage you to give the two Minecraft a try. This is a truly magical experience to be able to create what you want in the game without having any certain rules and plots to follow.