Minecraft

What is Minecraft?

Minecraft is a sandbox game originally developed by Mojang Studios (later acquired by Microsoft) where players build and explore worlds made of blocks. It has two main modes: Creative (unlimited building with no dangers) and Survival (gather resources, build and fight mobs). The game is available on PC, console and mobile. Bedrock Edition (cross-platform, with marketplace) and Java Edition (PC, with mod support) are the two main versions. Players can join multiplayer servers, use Realms (private hosted worlds) or buy skins, maps, texture packs and add-ons through the marketplace.

Age rating: PEGI 7 / ESRB E10+. A Microsoft account is required to play. Accounts for children under 16 (US and EU) are treated as child accounts and must be linked to a parent’s Microsoft account.

Why do kids like it?

• Ultimate creative freedom. Children can build anything they can imagine — from houses to entire cities and complex machines.
• Playing with friends. Multiplayer makes it a social experience where children collaborate on projects together.
• Educational value. Redstone teaches logic and circuits, architecture requires planning, and survival mode teaches resource management.
• Mods and custom maps. Extensions mean the game never gets boring — there is always something new to try.
• Minecraft culture. The YouTube and streaming culture around Minecraft is enormous. Many children watch as much as they play.
• Kid-friendly aesthetic. The blocky style feels safe and approachable for most children.

What are the real risks?

• Public multiplayer servers. Anyone can join — there is no age verification, and strangers can send chat messages to your child.
• Unmoderated server communities. Server admins and moderators are not vetted. Some servers feature mature content or themes.
• Marketplace spending. Minecoins are used to buy skins, maps and texture packs — costs can add up quickly.
• Third-party mods and malware. Mods downloaded from unofficial sources (Java Edition) can contain malware or inappropriate content.
• Destruction of builds (griefing). Other players can destroy what your child has built.
• Realms invitations from strangers. Children can be invited to private worlds by people they do not know.
• Linked Discord servers. Many Minecraft communities have associated Discord servers, which moves interaction to a less supervised platform. See our Discord guide for more.

Settings to check

1. Family Center: Create a child account at account.xbox.com/settings and link it to a parent’s Microsoft account. All Bedrock Edition parental controls are managed here.
2. Multiplayer: Go to account.xbox.com/settings → Online Safety → “You can join multiplayer games” → set to Allow or Block.
3. Chat and communication: Go to account.xbox.com/settings → Privacy → “Others can communicate with voice, text, or invites” → set to Friends Only or Block.
4. Spending limits: Set Minecoin spending controls via the Microsoft account to limit marketplace purchases.
5. Family Safety app: Install the Microsoft Family Safety app to manage multiplayer, communication and screen time from your phone.
6. Java Edition: Review installed mods and check which servers your child plays on — Java Edition has no Xbox Live parental controls.

How to talk about it

“Do you mostly play on your own or on servers with other people? Which servers do you use, and who runs them?”

“Have any strangers talked to you in the chat? Has anyone invited you to a Discord server through Minecraft?”

“Do you download mods? Where do you find them, and how do you know they’re safe?”

“Has anyone been mean to you in the game — like destroying something you built?”

Last reviewed: April 2026