![]() The world and dig and build almost every block in the world to create new You start in a randomly-generated world made entirely of cubes. The goal of this project is to create a free clone (or imitation) of Minecraft. Survive, gather, hunt, mine for ores, build houses, explore, and do much more. New games have either moved to a game console system or a streaming, server side system, both challenges for my library.MineClone2 is a survival sandbox game that is still a work in progress. Unfortunately, there are very few PC games available to purchase anymore. *We had setup a computer in our children’s area solely for gaming. Minetest has become a natural extension of our Lego Club. ![]() Despite that, word has slowly spread and we now have a small, but steady stream of Minetest players coming to the library. Their reactions were golden, “Cool,” and “Wow,” “This is different but I like it.” I then explained they could get this game for free and install it on a computer at home if they wanted. Then I identified a few kids who I knew were Minecraft gamers and asked them to try it out. My library had a computer* dedicated to gaming in our children’s area and the install and setup was fairly quick. I watched YouTube videos of Minetest game play to better understand what I could do in the game. ![]() I printed out some of the Wiki pages that gave basic instructions, for reference. Installing mods was a little trickier than I would have liked, but not too difficult either. I learned how to teleport, set a home location, find diamonds, build, craft, etc. ![]() I very quickly understood the appeal and have become addicted to exploring the world I created. The second is a Minecraft gamer using Minetest for the first time.īefore deploying Minetest at the library, I installed the game on my home computer and spent some time learning the game. The first is a teacher who explains how he uses the game in his classroom. Here are a couple videos showing the game. There are several mods, or game extensions available for free.The game can be played as a single-player, or if you are adventurous you can setup a local server.The game is played using a keyboard and mouse, so no special controllers needed.The game can be played on Windows, Linux, OSX, and FreeBSD.Minetest provides several advantages over Minecraft: The developers describe Minetest as “an infinite-world block sandbox game and a game engine, inspired by InfiniMiner, Minecraft and the like.” The game visuals and game play are very similar to Minecraft and anyone who has played with Minecraft will almost immediately be able to play Minetest. And then the cost of acquiring a game system, television, extra controllers, and the games themselves.Īnd then I ran across Minetest, a Minecraft clone. In other words, we could not provide streaming or server-based gaming due to limited bandwidth. The games played would have to be limited to either single-player or whatever the game is setup to provide. Every square inch of space that we do have must be flexible to other uses, limiting availability. We do not have a space that we can dedicate entirely to a gaming area with a large screen and sufficient seating. Our biggest challenges are space, bandwidth, and cost. Passive learning through gaming is a trend and something that does fit in a library.Īt my small rural library we have long discussed adding a game system and gaming to our youth programming. Gaming in the library is not usually considered a STEM activity, but Minecraft turns that idea on its head. In many ways the game is a graphic version of Legos. Mods, or add-ons, provide additional building resources, alternative gaming scenarios, and bad guys. This game with it’s low-tech looking graphics provides opportunities for world-building and problem solving.
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