Can Adults Play 'Minecraft?'

A few years ago, I'd heard about the new phenomenon called Minecraft that had become incredibly popular with children. It was a game where you could build, explore, and adventure. You could build your own house, dig in a mine, or make enchanted weapons. It's basically a fantasy world where you can do anything you like. But what caught my eye was how everything was made of blocks. It's like Lego. It turned me off the game, and I thought it would be great if there were something like this that looked more realistic. I didn't think much of the game.

Several years later, I have a five-year-old daughter who was hooked on Minecraft. It was at this time that I decided to look into it and see what it was like. Minecraft is great for kids. It encourages creativity. It also has a logical side to it. You see, with something called redstone, you can create a kind of circuitry. If you know how it works, you can assemble a variety of parts to create a machine. Some people have even gone as far as creating cellphones that actually work.

And that's where my question comes in. Can adults play Minecraft? Easy answer: Yes. But should adults play Minecraft? I would also have to say, "Yes." It may be a game of blocks, but it's surprisingly fun and really gets your creative juices going. It's a game that often requires you to think. There are recipes to use to create new objects. There are certain resources that you have to search for, and they can only be found in certain places. In some ways, it's not an easy game. But in other ways, it's extremely relaxing.

Since my daughter introduced the game to me, I have played quite often. I've spent a lot of time watching YouTube videos of the game, and some are incredibly inspiring. Some players of Minecraft have created some amazing things, including a replica of San Francisco, remarkable castles, and fascinating and unique towns. It requires an incredible amount of patience to build some of these places, but also a lot of talent. Here is an example of what I'm talking about. I can't imagine how long it took to build these castle.

On YouTube, a person who shows their gameplay is doing something called a "Let's Play." There are many people who do Minecraft Let's Plays, as it is one of the most popular games in the world at the moment. People make a living playing games and uploading them to YouTube. These people are adults. They're also very good at storytelling, creating compelling content, and just being masterful artists in their own right.

These YouTubers can spend months working on a project, documenting each step in video. Some have made several hundred videos in a single world, one that is vibrant and full of life. Sometimes a group of people will work in the same world, as Minecraft is not just for single players, but also has online multiplayer realms.

What kind of people are these gamers? Mostly adults, though sometimes teenagers. The top Minecraft YouTubers are in their 20s or even in their 30s. They have spouses. They have children. Some are university students. Some are computer programmers. There's one that's in the military. You can find all kinds of people who play the game. As for myself, I am a teacher of English as a second language who once lived in Japan and has a seven-year-old daughter. A year ago, I never would have thought I'd be making YouTube videos of myself playing Minecraft. And yet, here we are.

The picture at the top is of something I created. It's not very complex, but it's a start. Below, you can find a video of something else I built in the same area.

So, can an adult play Minecraft? If you watched the video, then you will see that a man in his 40s did. Should an adult play Minecraft? If you have children who love Minecraft, join in. Find out why they like it. You might be surprised that it can get you addicted to a fun, yet educational game. It's just added another way I can bond with my daughter. Even if you don't have children, and you like fantasy-style role playing games, you might just like Minecraft.