Minecraft is a sandbox building video game which allows players to build constructions out of textured cubes in a 3D world. It is currently in development, originally by creator Markus “Notch” Persson and now by his company formed from the proceeds of the game, Mojang Specifications. Minecraft has been developed on the Java platform. The gameplay is inspired by Dwarf Fortress, Dungeon Keeper, and Infiniminer. The game is divided into two main modes, Beta and Classic, where Classic is focused entirely on construction while Beta additionally contains enemies, a health meter, and additional features and items. Beta is the currently updated version of the game.

Minecraft was developed for about a week before its public release on May 17, 2009 on the TIGSource forums, where it gained a considerable level of popularity. It has been continually updated and patched since then, and while still in alpha release, it garnered hundreds of thousands of sales and critical notice and acclaim from many reviewers.