The Ultimate (Unofficial) Player’s Guide to Minecraft

Gr 4-6–With the continuing popularity of Minecraft comes a new guide aimed at younger players. In a conversational tone, Quinn describes the basic tenets of Minecraft, its “Survival” and “Creative” modes, and foundational gameplay elements like resource gathering. Each aspect garners a few paragraphs, plus a handful of photos, and focuses on what can be achieved in the first few days of in-game time. The scope for crafting instruction is limited to basics like the axe or a door and barely mentions the scale or imaginative constructions players have conceived. Rather than being an ultimate guide that teaches players to master the world of Minecraft, this is better described as a beginner’s guide. For readers with limited game experience, it could serve as a text-based tutorial, though it lacks the controller inputs which in-game tutorials provide, instead referring to various in-game elements like the jump action. Some readers may find this book useful as preparation for their first play, but much of its information can be learned through Minecraft’s tutorial hints, or emergently through gameplay. For readers seeking to dig deeper into the game’s various aspects and learn beginner tips, the book’s back matter lists resources for further learning.