Minecraft appeals to the thinker and the fighter with multiple modes. This all-time classic video game gives you tools to build anything from a simple home to an entire world.

Most video games a decade old are gathering dust on shelves, but Minecraft is as popular as ever. With your chosen version of Minecraft downloaded, you can press 'Play' and either begin your new world offline or join a server in multiplayer.In gaming terms, Minecraft is as old as the hills. Supports using a game controller to play in addition to keyboard and mouse.( For parents: The Marketplace costs money, but is curated by Microsoft unlike free-to-download mods for Java Edition). Access to the Minecraft Marketplace with microtransactions for skins, textures, and custom maps.Cross-platform multiplayer with players on consoles and mobile.Only allows multiplayer with other Java Edition players, but is the standard for many of our top Minecraft servers.Allows you to install visual changes for free, like Minecraft texture packs and Minecraft skins created by other players.Allows you to install former versions of Minecraft and have multiple installations, which is required by most of our favorite Minecraft mods.Also works with Windows, despite the other version's name.It's the version that allows cross-platform multiplayer and is likely what they're looking for if they intend to play with their friends. Prefacing these other distinctions: If you're downloading Minecraft for your child, you most likely want to install Minecraft for Windows. We have a more in-depth guide to Minecraft Java vs Bedrock, but I'll give you the short version here. In both cases, the launcher should default to installing the latest version of the game, no matter which Minecraft update has been released recently. To install either version, just click it in the sidebar and hit the big green 'Install' button. When you open the Minecraft Launcher, you should see both 'Minecraft: Java Edition' and 'Minecraft for Windows' in the left sidebar. It allows cross-platform multiplayer and is likely what they're looking for to play with friends. If you're downloading Minecraft for your child, install Minecraft for Windows. You can even keep both installed, if you want. As long as you buy Minecraft, you can change your mind about which version to play whenever you need to.

The good news is that both are included with your purchase now, meaning you don't need to sweat the purchase. If you're new to Minecraft, the differences between the original Minecraft Java Edition and Minecraft for Windows (also called Bedrock) aren't obvious.

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