Minecraft is a game based around a seemingly simple goal. Players must navigate an infinitely expanding world of cubes and collect blocks of various materials. With these materials, players can use the Minecraft crafting system to build nearly anything they can imagine. From simple huts and buildings to complex logic gates and switch systems used to power elaborate cities, in Minecraft anything is possible.

With a few basic materials, the crafting system allows players to craft everything needed to create an entire world. In the beginning, the player must use their hands to harvest wood, dirt, and stone to craft the basic essentials. These essential items include tools, such as pickaxes and shovels, construction components such as doors, glass and bricks, and equipment such as swords, bows and pieces of armor. By placing materials in a certain order on a 3-by-3 grid, players can craft any item they may need to build and defend their always evolving houses and fortresses. As a quick example, placing two pieces of wood in the bottom-middle of the grid and lining the top of the grid with stone, a player can craft a stone pickaxe.

This basic tool will allow them to harvest minerals at a faster pace than if they were to use their hands. However, most items created within the game will slowly lose their durability as they are being used and will eventually break. This requires that players ensure they have an ample supply of materials to keep progressing in the game. When travelling deeper into the world, players may run across stronger minerals and ores such as iron, diamond or obsidian. Using the same system, players may then craft tools which are more durable or deal more damage to hostile creatures. Player can also construct elaborate switch arrangements and transport systems to secure locations and make navigating their world quick and easy.

In the current release of Minecraft, there are multiple game play modes to fit a given players style. For those that wish to build and construct with no need to gather materials or worry about other players and monsters roaming the world, there is the Classic mode. If a player wishes to enjoy the exploration and harvesting aspects of the game without the online aspects, there is Single Player mode. The Single Player mode also allows the player to decide if they wish to have hostile creatures spawn within the world. For those looking to have it all, there is Multiplayer mode, allowing players to connect to hosted servers where any combination of the above rules may apply. Regardless of which mode of play a player chooses, the core concepts of Minecraft such as mining, crafting and building still apply.