Welcome to Minetest!
Final Minetest is now released
Many bugs are now deceased
All good folk are surely pleased
We have rocked it
The trolls are drolls we are sure
But quality will endure
We've no plans to be demure
We have rocked it
What is Minetest?
Minetest [or MT] is a free blocky edutech toy. It can be used stand-alone, in family games using a home network, in classrooms that have networks, and to run online worlds on the Internet.
The MT package usually includes a server, which creates MT worlds, and a client, which connects to MT worlds. Some packages are only clients.
One of Minetest's claims to fame is that it's easy to mod. The project was for adults originally but numerous teenagers and adults learned to code in the 2010s by doing MT mods.
The Minetest project started in 2010, became well-known in 2012, and peaked in 2015. It split into several groups after that. Due to conflicting goals it's fading away today. However, there are still interesting MT worlds online and the program is genuinely fun to mod.
Which Minetest do I need?
There are different Minetest projects and programs. Which programs you need depends on your situation. For example:
* Are you a tech type or do you just want a game?
* Is this just for use at home?
* Do you want to visit worlds on the Internet?
* Do you have a PC or Pi or just a phone?
* Do you want to run a world or just visit worlds?
For a discussion of the different Minetests and these issues, click here.
If you're a Linux or BSD CLI type, ages 15 to 85, if you're the type who likes to mod games, and/or if you're a teacher who'd like an unusually flexible edutech platform, Final Minetest might be the one for you.
The full source code for Final Minetest is waiting right here for you:
Who runs Final Minetest?
Final Minetest is run by Poikilos and OldCoder. Poikilos's story is at this link. OldCoder is the most senior non-anonymous developer who's still active in any Minetest.
OldCoder has been working on Minetest continuously since Spring 2012. This site dates back to the same year. OldCoder may leave Minetest in the mid-term. However, he'll pass the website and all resources on to others.
OldCoder has backed up as many worlds over the years as possible. If you'd like to get a copy of a favorite world after OldCoder is gone, his associates might have it.
For more background information, click here.
What does Final Minetest offer?
Final Minetest is fast and stable compared to other releases. It fixes major bugs that are years old. And it comes with games and worlds built in.
There are other features such as:
* 64x64 skins like Minecraft ® has. They're far more detailed than dull Old Minetest skins. Plus 3D Armor, previously a hacky feature, is integrated into the skins system. Click here.
* CoderEdit, an MT WorldEdit packed with bug fixes and enhancments.
* CoderFood, an advanced food and/or hunger system.
* Enhanced APIs for mobs (animals) and ocean life and objects in general.
* IRC button at the top of this page. It goes to live support 20 hours a week. Schedule varies. Click here.
Bucket City and Angkor Wat are included. To read about these cities, click here.
How do I get started?
The downloads page is at this link:
https://downloads.minetest.org/
Both direct downloads and BitTorrent are offered. After you have the files, you'll find more documentation at:
Just for fun:
This site provides zoomable maps for a number of worlds. They start at a few 100 nodes up. You can use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out. Here are a couple of screenshots to illustrate. Note: The screenshots themselves aren't zoomable.
The girl is a painting on the flat roof-rop of a large building.
You can fly over the following worlds right here in zoomable maps:
Allow a few seconds for a map to load. You can use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out. Or you can click on the + and - buttons in the upper left corner. To scroll a map, left click and drag.
Blank white areas aren't clouds. They're areas which
haven't been generated yet.
For maps of specific tourist attractions, click on the following links. For instructions, see the preceding section.
In the Flying Base area, the Flying Base, created by Sparky, is the plane-like object in the middle.
CoffeeCrafter's continent in Redcrab, which includes the city of Makalu linked above, is amazing.
CoRNeRNoTe, who contributed to this site, asks that you watch Earthlings, a free multi-award winning film that aims to make the world a better place.