Minecraft is an extremely popular sandbox-style video game in which players can explore, gather resources, survive, and build structures. The world is made up of cubes and is infinitely generated. Players can obtain resources such as wood, stone, and ores to craft tools, defensive items, and other decorative blocks. There are three main modes that you can play, including survival mode, creative mode, and multiplayer mode. Survival mode is pretty self-explanatory; you can hunt, grow food, build homes, and fend off hostile mobs such as zombies and skeletons. Creative mode allows the player to have infinite access to every in-game block; you’re granted the ability to fly and even use cheat codes. The other main way to play the game is in multiplayer mode, which is played online with friends in either a public or private server to collaborate on projects or compete to see who is better at the game. The game’s main end goal is to defeat the Ender Dragon and get as many achievements as possible. Currently, since I have been enjoying the game, my friend and I have entered what is called the “2-week Minecraft phase”.
What is the “2-week Minecraft phase”? It is a recurring cycle where players have intense motivation to play the game for what is usually around two weeks. After that time, there is a loss of interest, the world is abandoned, and it may take months or even years to come back to the game. It is a fresh start and a desire to build and explore a newly generated world. The psychological factors, like chasing a sense of dopamine, are an extreme drive in playing the game. However, it is short-lived due to a lack of long-term goals and not being able to perfectly recreate the initial, unique feeling of playing the game for the first time.
What causes this phase, one might ask? One major factor in the attraction of returning to the game is the appeal of a new world, but that excitement quickly fades away. Many players try to accomplish unrealistic goals within a short amount of time. Things like completing the “endgame” as fast as possible, known as a “speedrun”, or attempting to recreate complex builds seen on popular platforms such as YouTube, lead to frustration and burnout. Another reason is that when players don’t set a long-term goal, without specific plans for the future of the game, players become aimless once they achieve basic survival needs. Nostalgia and memory, which are usually tied to positive childhood experiences, lead to players trying to recapture that feeling.
Interested in the thoughts of DHS, I went around to ask students how they feel about the phase and if it has affected their lives. This is what Bryce Beckley, a junior at Dover High School, had to say, “It’s always a fun time to focus on it, rather than a game you are usually playing. My friends and I usually spend 1 week building a house and 1 week exploring vast biomes, and it is just an amazing experience.” I also asked senior Shelby Walton about the phase. “Yes, the last one I had was maybe 3 years ago, and it was the best time of my life. It’s exciting, but then it becomes boring, and there is no motivation to get on the game. I am currently craving a Minecraft 2-week phase and would be excited to play the game again”.
After asking a couple of students for their opinions, I can conclude that the phase is generally enjoyed and leaves a positive impact on those who are affected by it. It is something that will always creep up on you, and one day you might find yourself in your own 2-week Minecraft phase. Hopefully, it is something you enjoy just as much as the people who have experienced it before.
