How to play Minecraft for free without downloading

'The Perfect Marionette' has been created on Minecraft by Uchio Tokura
'The Perfect Marionette' has been created on Minecraft by Uchio Tokura imgur

The internationally acclaimed videogame, Minecraft, is going to turn 10-years-old on May 17, and players and developers alike are looking back at the progress the game has made.

To celebrate the 10-year anniversary, the game which blew up the internet has been made available on web browsers for free. Classic Minecraft is now available to play through the official Minecraft website. This version goes back 10 years to the historic time when the game took its first baby steps.

Featuring a wholesome 32 blocks (most of which are dyed wool) to unleash that creative force inside players, the devs urge fans to "play the original and wonder how it ever got so popular". This web version is set by default to Creative mode because that is the only mode available. This means no Zombies or Creepers or those weird Ender-things.

This sure brings back a wave of nostalgia for someone who played and left the game before the bountiful updates came in. It takes players back to a simpler time when there was no complex crafting system, no villagers to trade/trap and no little piggies to poke. Just a tiny, randomly generated map with a single biome and a whole lot of ocean to surround it.

A screenshot from Minecraft shows a typical forest village
A screenshot from Minecraft shows a typical forest village Minecraft Wiki

There is a "bonus gift" for players who will return to the site tomorrow. A message at the bottom of the landing page contains a message for visitors: "Want to enjoy three spectacular anniversary sales and a free bonus gift? Return on May 10, 2019, to enjoy savings on Minecraft Marketplace content, Minecraft merch and Minecraft itself!"

Minecraft thrives on its (very passionate) community. Several YouTube channels are dedicated solely to videos featuring various mods and fan-made adventures in its multiplayer mode. Microsoft recently teased a Minecraft mobile app featuring AR technology, more of which will be revealed on the day of the anniversary - May 17.

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