The Construction of the Century: A Philosophical Reflection on Minecraft, the Main Game of Our Time

Minecraft divides the history of video games into before and after. At least one generation has grown up under the rays of a square sun, battling creepers and endermen, riding pigs, and traveling to the Nether. In the cubic-pixel universe – an open world without set rules and with limitless possibilities – streamers gather millions of viewers, musicians shoot music videos, designers hold fashion shows; on a separate server, there exists a library of literature banned by authoritarian regimes, while on others, thousands of volunteers create an accurate copy of planet Earth. However, there have been no books on the structure, history, and cultural significance of this vast and constantly evolving Swedish invention until now. You are holding the first one. Philosopher and video game researcher Alexander Vetushinsky uses the story of the creation of Minecraft in the context of the evolution of video games to find a reason for a deep conversation about gaming practices as a form of human aspiration toward creativity and freedom.