Minecraft Dungeons is a 2020 video game developed by Mojang Studios and Double Eleven and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is based on the sandbox game Minecraft and was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in May 2020. The game later became available on Steam on September 22, 2021. An arcade version was created by Raw Thrills and released in May 2021. Development ended in November 2022 with the release of the last update, version 1.17. Mojang officially announced the end of development on September 28, 2023, when the game had reached 25 million players across all platforms. A sequel, Minecraft Dungeons II, is planned for release in fall 2026.

Minecraft Dungeons received mostly positive reviews. Critics said the game was fun and charming, and they praised its visuals and music. However, some reviewers noted that the gameplay was simple and the randomly generated levels lacked depth. The short story and limited content also received mixed feedback.

Gameplay

Minecraft Dungeons is different from Minecraft because it does not have an open world or allow players to mine or build. Instead, it is a game where players use a mouse to click and fight enemies in a dungeon, similar to a hack and slash game. The game is viewed from an isometric angle, which means players see the world from above. Players explore dungeons that are created randomly by the game and also designed by humans. These dungeons have monsters, traps, puzzles, bosses, and treasure. There are no character classes; players can choose any weapon or armor they want. The game supports up to four players playing together locally or online.

After the final DLC was released, Mojang added Seasonal Adventures, a free update system that introduced new game modes and ways to progress. The first season, Cloudy Climb, began on December 14, 2021, and added The Tower, a roguelike single-player mode with 30 randomly created floors. These floors were updated every two weeks at first, but later changed to weekly updates in November 2022. This update also added an Adventure Rank system with rewards available for free and through a paid Adventure Pass. The second season, Luminous Night, launched on April 20, 2022, and included nighttime exploration in The Tower and a new enemy called the Wildfire. The third and final season, Fauna Faire, released on October 19, 2022, and added a merchant named Enchantsmith, a mission called Treetop Tangle, and the ability to play The Tower with other players.

Plot

Minecraft Dungeons takes place in the same fictional world as Minecraft, called the "Overworld." This world is made up of rough 3D shapes—mostly cubes and liquids—known as "blocks." These blocks represent different materials, and the world is home to both friendly and dangerous creatures, called "mobs." Unlike Minecraft, Minecraft Dungeons has a story that follows a set path, with scenes shown between levels.

The game begins with a scene showing an Illager named Archie. He was forced to leave his home by his people and could not find a place to live in any village. One day, Archie found a powerful object called the Orb of Dominance, which gave him magic powers but also made him evil. Now known as the "Arch-Illager," he attacked villages with an army made of creatures like redstone golems and other Illagers. Players take on the role of heroes who must defeat the Arch-Illager, free villages from his control, and complete tasks. In the end, players fight the Arch-Illager in his castle. After defeating him, the Orb of Dominance reveals itself as the Heart of Ender boss. When the Heart of Ender is destroyed, Archie is freed from the Orb’s influence. Instead of punishing him, players show him kindness, and he becomes their friend. As they leave, the Orb begins to rebuild itself. An Enderman picks up the Orb and enters the End. The final scene shows an Endersent emerging from a portal. After defeating Archie, players can unlock new game challenges that are harder but offer better rewards.

There are six expansion packs that continue the story:

• In Jungle Awakens, players go to a jungle infected by a piece of the Orb of Dominance, which turns its people into dangerous creatures. At the end, players fight the "Jungle Abomination" and destroy the Orb shard to save the jungle.
• In Creeping Winter, the setting is an island trapped in endless winter, with the final boss being the "Wretched Wraith." The story follows the same pattern as Jungle Awakens.
• In Howling Peaks, players explore a mountain range shaped by wind, facing the final boss, the "Tempest Golem."
• Flames of the Nether takes place in the Nether and is the only expansion without a story.
• Hidden Depths returns to the style of the first three expansions, sending players to the bottom of a deep, dark ocean infected by an Orb shard. The final boss is the "Ancient Guardian."
• Echoing Void concludes the Orb of Dominance story, taking players to the End to destroy the last Orb shard. Along the way, they face monsters like watchlings, and the final boss is the "Vengeful Heart of Ender."

Development

Dungeons is created by Mojang Studios for Xbox One, Windows 10, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch using Unreal Engine 4. Console versions are being created by Double Eleven.

With the ongoing success of the original Minecraft, Mojang considered other games that could add new ideas to the Minecraft world. They tested different concepts, and the game was first planned as a single-player dungeon crawl game, inspired by The Legend of Zelda series, for the Nintendo 3DS. However, as development continued, some elements were changed or removed. For example, after adding multiplayer features, the team found that these changes made the game more enjoyable. Game director Måns Olsen said the game was inspired by Diablo and Torchlight, as well as co-operative first-person shooter games like Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide and Left 4 Dead.

A major challenge for the team was adapting the gameplay of dungeon crawl games like Diablo to the Minecraft world. Since Minecraft characters do not have special innate abilities, Mojang had to find alternatives to features like character classes typically found in such games. Their solution was to focus on creating weapons and armor that players could make stronger through enchantments, allowing players to express creativity through customization.

Mojang also wanted to simplify the traditional dungeon crawl experience to make it more accessible. Olsen noted that other games in the genre "are approachable to some degree, but they're typically games with very deep, interconnected systems," and the team aimed to make Minecraft Dungeons "super easy" to start but "instantly familiar." The decision to remove building and crafting, which are common in Minecraft, was made to focus on the core dungeon-crawling experience. To challenge experienced players, the team added options to adjust the game's difficulty, which would reward players with better equipment and new secret content for playing on harder settings.

Minecraft Dungeons was announced on September 28, 2018, during the Minecon live streaming event. A gameplay video was shared during E3 2019.

Release

Minecraft Dungeons was released on May 26, 2020. Its original release date was in April, but it was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The closed beta for the game lasted from March 25 to April 24, 2020.

After the game’s initial release, several downloadable content (DLC) expansion packs were added. These packs included new dungeons, weapons, items, and artifacts. The first expansion, called Jungle Awakens, was released on July 1, 2020. It was followed by Creeping Winter on September 8, 2020; Howling Peaks on December 9, 2020; Flames of the Nether on February 24, 2021; Hidden Depths on May 26, 2021; and Echoing Void on July 28, 2021. A patch for the Xbox One version of the game, which included improvements for Xbox Series X/S consoles, was released with the Flames of the Nether update. On July 28, 2021, the same day Echoing Void was released, Minecraft Dungeons: Ultimate Edition was launched. This version included all six DLCs and access to all Hero Pass Cosmetics.

In March 2021, Mojang announced an arcade version of the game tied to collectible cards. It was officially licensed by Mojang and Microsoft. The game was developed by Play Mechanix and created by Raw Thrills. The gameplay was changed to a beat-em-up style, similar to games like Golden Axe. The arcade version debuted at Dave & Buster’s restaurants in May 2021 and at Sony Pictures’ Wonderverse on December 19, 2023.

Reception

Minecraft Dungeons received mixed to positive reviews from critics, as reported by the review website Metacritic. Many critics said the game was fun and had nice visuals and music. Some reviewers had different opinions about the game's simple design and the system that randomly creates loot and dungeon layouts. Most critics were not happy with the short story mode and thought the game lacked depth. Shacknews described the game as "a fun, relaxed dungeon crawler for friends to play together." The Hero Edition of Minecraft Dungeons sold 11,450 physical copies on the Nintendo Switch during its first week of sale in Japan, making it the fourth best-selling retail game of the week in the country. The game was nominated for the Best Family Game category at The Game Awards 2020. As of February 2022, the game had over 15 million players, and by April 2024, it had about 25 million players, making it the most successful Minecraft spinoff.

Three music tracks from the game—Halland, Dalarna, and The Arch-Illager—were added as downloadable content to the 2018 crossover fighting game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Halland and Dalarna were combined into one medley. These songs were included in the game on October 13, 2020, as part of Challenger Pack 7. This pack includes content from the Minecraft franchise, such as the default player characters Steve and Alex as playable fighters and a stage based on Minecraft biomes.