What is Minecraft?
It is a pixelated computer game that has a world that is made from blocks. It is a popular game amongst younger players and those who like to be creative or basic survivalist games. This game also gives you the ability to interact and play with others online or with family members on the same Wi-Fi router as you. Minecraft is a game that has a creative and survival mode which the player is able to create a world for either. When you create the worlds, you can switch from creative to survival mode when you want to do so throughout your time playing the game.
It has more basic graphics in its style, but you get to also create a custom character and name with the Minecraft skins provided. You have the ability to purchase more skins in the Minecraft store on the main menu but there are plenty of skins to start with that are free.
It is a game that has no levels to beat but rather free game play to be creative and build your own pixelated world. You are able to explore throughout the entire game map without any restrictions. Though the world is preloaded, you are able to completely reconstruct it and make it new through building and crafting whilst adding and removing blocks where you see fit. The creative mode lets the player use their imagination and build whatever they can think up to a point. It gives you all of the inventory that is one the basic Minecraft server to use and choose from in creative mode.
The player is able to build within the game many different structures such as entire cities, pyramids, as well as just a simple house structure. If you are in survival mode that is not the case, however. In Survival, you must mine, smelt, craft, and find all the items that you would need in the game to play and build as you would like. It is important that the player, you, sets your respawn point where you are building or playing most in the world. You do this by setting down a bed in the area that you would like to respawn in at that certain time. You can always change the respawn point whenever you’d like. It is also important to note that in survival you are also having to fight through the hostile mobs that are in your vicinity. If you die with inventory, that inventory is lost, and you respawn at your original spawn point rather than where you were killed.
What is Roblox?
Roblox is also a game without levels to beat and no real set objectives. Roblox is free on the online platform to play. As players, you are able to code and create your own games and play them. The Roblox Studio is used to help create the games for the coding. This is one of the ways that it is a bit different from Minecraft. Though there are elements of pixelization, Roblox has a more unique style of graphics that incorporates modern touches. They look similar to a Lego type character with more rounded edges and elongated shapes. This game also differs because the players, that’s you, create the main character to play and then pick games that you would like to play with that character rather than playing with the character in one singular game. There are always games being added to the interface of the game which means there will be plenty of new games to play. There are character customizations that are readily available within the game at the start and throughout the game play. Also, the players are the ones that are the ones that create every new mod in Roblox. It gives players the freedom of creation and creativity expression during one’s game play. Roblox can be a little bit more unpredictable being that you have control of the path you take and the game that is played first. During the game you are able to collect and use virtual currency that is called Robux throughout the game play. You can use these throughout the game to get character customizations and other in-game item purchases.
Which is better for coding, learning, and overall, for young kids?
Minecraft coding is a simpler system than that of Roblox and would be a better game to start out with for younger kids. More detailed coding would be needed if one were to run into problems in the Roblox game. Minecraft runs off of Java adapted for the game itself and Roblox uses a Lua programming language.
Minecraft is suited for those that are 8+ years old but could be used for children younger than that in creative mode. There are opportunities in the creative mode of Minecraft for children to use their imagination and create something that is all their own in the confines of the game. In creative, it is easier for the younger child to not get scared by the hostile mobs and also not lose anything from exploding creepers such as one might in survival. Also, it can be suited to more age-appropriate limits with less worry of inappropriate content especially in creative mode where nothing is attacking, and you do not have to attack either. This also includes not having to worry about inappropriate interaction between people on the internet and your child. Minecraft can be confined to their own word without losing any valuable aspects of play.
Minecraft gives the children playing the ability to explore the world of coding and engineering concepts that they may not be able to in other games. They can do this through the concepts of world-building and construction. While Roblox is geared toward around 13 + years old and more complex coding measures that are needed. Both of the games promote learning and Minecraft has become a part of some school systems in learning coding. They both promote thinking and reasoning skills, problem solving, collaboration and even math skills. Both games allow for self-directed learning.