A free, older version of Minecraft
Minecraft Classic is a free building and adventure game created by Mojang AB. This playable prototype is the second version of the game that later achieved massive popularity and fame on the Internet. Created back in 2009, this version of Minecraft is missing many of the components that now accompany the full release.
Still, Minecraft Classic remains entertaining to explore in its own right. Playable on Windows, Mac, and Linux, this bare-bones version of the well-known video game feels like Minecraft today in most regards. It even has multiplayer support, however, more sparse in its presentation, and does suffer the same bugs as the original had when it was first released.
Revisit the game’s foundation
To celebrate the game’s tenth anniversary, Microsoft and Mojang have made it possible to play Minecraft Classic online right from your browser. Compared to modern Minecraft, this is a smaller scale game, with only 32 blocks to play with. Minecraft Classic still has standard necessities like stone, gravel, cobblestone, dirt, grass, sponge, wood, and sand, but it is missing some of the more niche options.
Birch, amethyst, or acacia, for example, will not be available in this early build of the game. While this arguably reduces player freedom and creativity, in a way it just challenges players to construct with more minimalist designs. To that extent, it’s almost more impressive to build a breathtaking fortress with only 32 different block variants in your arsenal.
In that same vein, while the bugs in the game will be a turnoff for most players, for some Minecraft veterans it will be a boon. Many of these old bugs can be exploited to make adventuring less punishing or to add new back doors to the building process. Gravel and sand, for example, will fall when placed on the ledge. Likewise, water and lava will once again spread to occupy an unlimited amount of space.
Playing this web app game is also a way to relive the glory days of Notch’s initial upload over ten years ago. It strikes a nostalgic chord exploring simple cave complexes or gazing over the vast blocky oceans of cyan. Constructing maps and structures in this creative mode of Minecraft is kind of a meta experience; these grassroots building blocks, too, will go on to achieve grander heights and more complex game mechanics. This way new fans of the franchise will get to experience gaming history.
For players who love Minecraft but who are also unfamiliar with this older version, there are some important differences to note besides just having fewer block types. In this older build Notch focused more on a building sandbox than an adventure game. As such, stamina, health, and armor are absent. Similarly, neither the player nor mobs will take any fall damage. It’s also impossible to drown.
For Minecraft players who prefer the building aspect of the game to exploring, Minecraft Classic may even become the preference. You’ll get to build mansions above labyrinthian cave complexes or an ancient geometric space monolith. You will experience some limitations, however, since you only have voxel-style blocks to work with. As such, everything will appear cubed; you can’t design with any slopes or curves.
Minecraft Classic vs Minecraft
Modern Minecraft has evolved tremendously since the early days of Minecraft Classic, but it is as disparate in its differences as it is similar in its comparisons. While today’s Minecraft experience has made many strides in its immersion, playability, customization, and adventuring – Minecraft Classic has all the core components that made Minecraft so much fun. Unfortunately, however, one big disappointment is that there is no way to save progress.
Nostalgic, nuanced, and noteworthy
Minecraft Classic is as entertaining as you let it be. With some imagination and a group of friends, it can be every bit as engaging and addictive as modern Minecraft. From both a financial and a gameplay perspective, it’s almost recommended to try Minecraft Classic before playing newer builds. Minecraft Classic is free, so it’s a great way to find out if you like the basic concept of the game.
As far as gameplay is concerned, this is also a more risk-free way to get acquainted with the pace and the process of the game as a whole. There’s no survival mode to layer the building experience, there are fewer enemy types, and there’s no way to complicate the game by adding NPCs. For the imaginative player who wants to create without distraction, Minecraft Classic is a simple, blank canvas ready for your ideas.
