You can now sign up for a chance to participate in the Minecraft Earth beta.
As part of Minecraft’s 10-year anniversary celebration earlier this year, a new game was announced that will bring the block-based world of Minecraft into our own real world: Minecraft Earth.
While we knew Minecraft Earth would use augmented reality technology (AR) to allow players young and old to see their creations as though they were in the real world in front of them, we didn’t know much about how the game would actually play… until now.
A new video showed off some of the game’s basic mechanics. Similar to games like Pokemon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, Minecraft Earth will use your real-world location to create an in-game map for you to explore as you move around in your environment. You’ll also be able to customize the look of your in-game avatar.
As you move around, various items, called “Tappables,” will pop up on the map for you to tap on and interact with. These Tappables can be stationary blocks, or even moving Mobs and treasure chests. As you tap on these Tappables, you’ll collect blocks and Mobs that go into your in-game inventory and can be used in builds later on. Some Mobs will be rarer than others. There will even be new Mobs to collect in Minecraft Earth, such as the Muddy Pig.
In addition, as you tap on tappables, you’ll earn experience points and level up over time.
To actually build a new creation in Minecraft Earth, you’ll need a flat surface in the real-world to place a “build plate” on top of in AR. Build plates are small segments of the Minecraft world, which behave just like areas in the original Minecraft. That means you can mine blocks from the build plate and/or place blocks from your inventory onto the plate to build something (like a house, for instance).
Build plates will feature different geographical features, like snow, sand, and water, and they’ll all behave as you would expect (fire will spread, crops will grow, etc.). You’ll unlock new build plates as you level up.
You can either build things on their own, or invite your friends to play with you. Friends will have the ability to take things from your build plates, so you’re encouraged to only play with people you trust.
Once a creation is finished, you can drop it into the “real-world” in full size in AR and then walk around your creation as though it were really in front of you.
The Minecraft Earth closed beta will kick off in “a select few cities in the next two weeks.” If you’re interested in trying the game before it launches, head to Minecraft’s website to sign up for a chance to be selected to play. Signing up will also give you a free Minecraft Earth skin to use in Minecraft.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
