Not everyone can go out and hang with friends everyday, some are busy, others have strict parts, or both. Recently, my friends and I have found a different way to connect after school: Minecraft. I personally haven’t played for a while, and it has become a memory of when I was younger (probably 6-8) so when someone suggested to start a Minecraft server, I was all for it.

A world in “survival mode” limits the player’s ability to do certain things only available in creative mode such as flying and invincibility. It makes you work to gather materials and make tools in order to survive and thrive in your surroundings. Minecraft is a sandbox game, meaning you can build whatever you want with the many blocks that you can gather. You can build different kinds of farms, houses, and fight a ton of different mobs you encounter on your adventure, making this the perfect game to play with friends. https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Minecraft_Wiki

When first playing, only two of my friends could log on at first. We spent the first few nights getting basic tools for defense and running around to find an area that was deemed “base worthy”. We had a few rough patches, a few instances where someone almost dies, and debates over if an area was good enough to settle in. We all did agree on one area eventually, it was near a village and had a vast area to build in. So, we started working on the structure of the house before making it bigger and better. Some were assigned to get materials such as iron and wood to make the game easier since both were essential to making better tools. I was tasked to stay behind and build the house, which I did (and I’m super proud of it).

Minecraft helped me and my friends connect more in a way that took on responsibility and trust. It allowed us to be there for each other while we each took on different roles to work together to build something cool. It is nice to play for a while when I am too stressed from school or other things because the game can be peaceful and therapeutic for me.