Minecrafthas been a staple of the video game industry for over a decade, captivating players young and old with its limitless creativity. It’s come a long way from its early access days, and now boasts dozens upon dozens of features that allow players to easily lose themselves in the game’s procedurally-generated worlds. In the face of its tremendous success,Minecrafthasn’t been afraid to experiment either. Since its acquisition by Microsoft,Minecrafthas expanded to genres beyond its sandbox-survival roots. While these efforts may not be as popular as the original, they’ve turnedMinecraftinto a fully fledged franchise.
Minecraft’s first spin-off was also its first attempt at ascribing a clear story to the series, with the appropriately titledMinecraft: Story Mode. This episodic, point-and-click adventure would be the first step towardMinecraft’s expansion into other video game genres, even if it did take a few years for the franchise to take a second step.Minecraft DungeonsandMinecraft Legendshave taken the franchise into the dungeon crawler and RTS genres respectively, and it begs the question of what genres are next. Luckily for eager fans,Mojang Studioshas a wide array of gaming genres to choose from.
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Minecraft 2D Platformer
Minecraft’s simple platforming elements allow for a range of movement opportunities. Whether it’s hopping around on thin fence posts or using buckets of water to break a large fall, the original game has thoroughly demonstrated its platforming competencies. If Mojang wanted to expandMinecraft’s platforming capabilities, it could bring the franchise into the world of 2D platformers.Ubisoft’sRayman Legendscould serve as a charming source of inspiration, with players taking an original character, or one of their own creation, through levels based on the manyMinecraftbiomes.
Minecraft Fighting Game
As theMinecraftfranchise has expanded, new characters and enemy types have been introduced to keep things fresh. If Mojang felt so bold, it could collect some of these characters and turn them into a roster for aMinecraftfighting game. While it likely wouldn’t be anything likeMortal Kombat, aMinecraftfighting game could serve as an accessible entry point for young gamers or those unfamiliar with the genre.Minecraft Legendshas proven to be a great entry-level RTS game, and pursuing a game withing the fighting genre would demonstrate Mojang’s seemingly limitless flexibility.
Minecraft City-Builder
Building is at the center ofMinecraft’s gameplay philosophy. From small huts to grand palaces, players are encouraged to let their creativity run wild and create whatever their heart desires. That same dedication to creativity is at the core of the city-builder genre, and it’s a genre that could lend itself to an excellentMinecraftspin-off. Players could be tasked with building a new village, and create houses and businesses for villagers and other characters to inhabit. This too could serve as an entry-level game for the genre, allowing gamers to pursuefranchises likeCities: Skylinesas they build experience.
Minecraft,at its core, has always been about giving players a blank slate with which they can do whatever piques their interest. This has given developers a similar amount of freedom when pursuing spin-offs, asMinecraft’s lack of form allows for the game’s art and gameplay systems to be seamlessly translated into just about any genre. While its spin-offs may not be as timeless as the original, their success has provenhow powerful theMinecraftname is. Whatever’s next for the franchise, it will likely show gamers once again how Mojang is one of the most versatile developers of the last decade.
Minecraftis currently available on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
