Summary
- Mojang's spin-off projects like Minecraft Earth and Legends faced challenges, with some being discontinued early.
- A city-building spin-off for Minecraft could be successful, leveraging the game's existing mechanics and player interactions.
- To avoid past pitfalls, Mojang must focus on deep mechanics, steer clear of mobile game tropes, and fully embrace the city-building concept.
Minecraft has been struggling for a while with its spinoff releases, as few among them have gotten much of anywhere. However, there's one genre that could really benefit from a Minecraft coat of paint—so long as Mojang is willing to see the idea through.
Time has not been kind to Mojang's spin-off projects. Minecraft Earth never properly got off the ground, Minecraft Dungeons managed some success but a lukewarm reception, and Minecraft Legends saw only nine months of support before getting the axe. There's no singular reason why any of these games failed, and some may not even consider them failures. While Minecraft Earth never ended up getting its time in the spotlight, Minecraft Dungeons got itself three years of post-launch content and Minecraft Legends still has a campaign of content for players to check out. Games don't need to be updated forever to be successful, though it'd be hard to say that all of these spin-offs have been in line with Mojang's expectations.
Minecraft Update 1.21 Now Has an Official Name
Minecraft Update 1.21 arrives this June, and though Mojang has been previewing a lot of its content ahead of time, it now finally has a name.
A Minecraft City-Builder Is An Idea With A Lot Going For It
If Mojang wants to keep branching off into other genres while keeping Minecraft's trappings, a city-building sim could be the perfect avenue. Minecraft's villagers and their hamlets are a great blueprint for such a title, with everything a developer would need already included in the base game. Aesthetics, behavior, and economic mechanics are ripe for the taking, but Mojang will need to really lean into the concept if it wants to avoid the pitfalls of other spinoffs.
Minecraft Already Has City Building Mechanics Built-In
Minecraft's villagers offer a lot for a city-building system, including a diverse array of trades and professions. With pre-built structures and villager skins already designed, a hypothetical city builder has a lot of its ground already covered. In addition, Minecraft's raids are also an existing element that could add a fun twist. These events would add a dose of action to the title, as well as a reason to invest in iron golems—which are also an existing mob. With how much of a foundation the base game already provides, a villager-based city builder is practically a no-brainer.
Another part of the fun with Minecraft's villagers is in how players can interact with them. Thanks to the game's sandbox qualities, villages aren't just there to have their denizens traded with. Players can add to Minecraft's villages—they can edit and create buildings, build defensive structures, start their own village with cured zombie villagers, and much more. A city builder would take advantage of this aspect in a way that a dungeon crawler and an RTS could only dream of—truly building on Minecraft's core conceit.
Mojang Needs To Come Out The Gate Swinging
While Minecraft's spinoffs have all had unique issues, there have been some recurring flaws. Notably, both Legends and Dungeons have been criticized for being too simple. Mojang has also received criticism for not investing enough resources in Legends, allowing it to flounder. To rectify both problems, Mojang would need to go all-in with a theoretical city builder; a stripped-down version of a genre with a Minecraft face is an idea that simply won't do anymore. The game would need some deep mechanics which, as stated previously, are already present within the base game, prime for expansion.
On the other hand, Mojang should be wary not to turn the game into a mobile title adjacent to something like Clash of Clans or The Simpsons: Tapped Out. While these games have their fans, a microtransaction-fueled take on Minecraft village building may not be what the fanbase wants.
Minecraft
- Released
- November 18, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
Minecraft is a game made up of blocks, creatures, and community. You can survive the night or build a work of art – the choice is all yours. But if the thought of exploring a vast new world all on your own feels overwhelming, then fear not!
Minecraft has no set goal and can be played however you’d like! This is why it’s sometimes called a “sandbox game” – there are lots of things for you to do, and lots of ways that you can play. If you like being creative, then you can use the blocks to build things from your imagination. If you’re feeling brave, you can explore the world and face daring challenges. Blocks can be broken, crafted, placed to reshape the landscape, or used to build fantastical creations.
Creatures can be battled or befriended, depending on how you play. The world of Minecraft allows for epic adventures, quiet meditations, and everything in between. You can even share your creations with other players, or play in community worlds!
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Mojang
- Publisher(s)
- Mojang
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical or Horizontal
- Platform(s)
- 3DS, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
- How Long To Beat
- 129 Hours
- File Size Xbox Series
- 1.42 GB (August 2024)
- Metascore
- 93
