Minecraft Parents’ Guide

There’s no experience like a shared adventure with your child(ren) – and with their creativity and imagination set loose, they’ll be having many an adventure in Minecraft. If you’re a parent considering introducing your young ones to this blocky sandbox, if your child wants to play, or is already playing Minecraft, you might have questions you want answered to ensure that the game offers a safe experience.  

In this article, we will run through how Minecraft (Java Edition and Bedrock Edition) works, how players are kept safe, parental controls available, and how to buy Minecraft. You will also find links to guides and FAQs that will strengthen your knowledge of the game. 

BASICS OF MINECRAFT

Minecraft is a game made up of blocks in an ever-expanding 3D world. These blocks can be broken and used to construct whatever you can imagine. A statue of your pet? Check! A grand castle? Definitely doable! A small hut made of dirt blocks? Perfection! 

Adventure awaits around every chunk, with all sorts of different biomes (Minecraft landscapes) and creatures spread throughout the world. You can survive the night or build a work of art – there are no goals, so how you want to spend your time is up to you.

There are two different versions of Minecraft: Java Edition and Bedrock Edition. These two editions differ somewhat from each other in the sense that they are available on different platforms and offer different services. For example, in Bedrock Edition, you can access Minecraft Marketplace – a hub of purchasable maps, skins, and mini-games bought with the currency Minecoins, all of which are curated to ensure quality and safety.

To learn more about these two versions and which one is best suited for you, check out the guide "The difference between Java and Bedrock Edition".

Game modes

Minecraft can be played in both single-player (offline and alone) and multiplayer (online, with the ability to play with other players). Both Java Edition and Bedrock Edition have multiplayer turned off by default on child accounts. To enable multiplayer, read more in our Java guide and Bedrock guide. Both modes are equally fun and it all comes down to personal preference: single-player allows you to experience the world at your own pace, and multiplayer is a great way to connect with both family and friends through couch co-op and distant play.

There are also two different play modes: Creative mode, which focuses on the building aspects of Minecraft, and Survival mode, which puts emphasis on survival with mechanics such as hunger and health. 

Age rating

The game has a recommended PEGI rating of 7 and an ESRB rating of Everyone 10+. However, Minecraft has players of all ages, and if you play with your child, you might find yourself enthralled by Minecraft's blocky charm.

IS MINECRAFT SAFE?

We believe that Minecraft should be a safe space for everyone, regardless of whether you’re playing alone in single-player, or together with others in multiplayer. We work actively to improve online safety for all our players no matter their age. 

One of the best things about Minecraft is the amazing community and the people you’ll meet in multiplayer modes. There’s nothing better than getting together with like-minded players to collaborate on amazing builds, play together on Realms, or compete on multiplayer servers.  

Resources

We understand it can be scary having your child interact with unknown people, so to make sure they have the best and safest experience possible, we have several resources and tools that you can utilize to tailor your child’s multiplayer experience. 

• Parental controls 
  A guide to control tools available to parents within Minecraft.
• How to stay safe online 
  A collection of online safety tips when playing Minecraft on multiplayer
• Our commitment to player safety 
  Explains in detail Mojang Studios' mission and dedication to creating the safest player experience possible
• How to manage parental consent, family settings, and multiplayer access for child accounts 
  A walkthrough of the many features and settings available for child security in Minecraft
• Understanding Minecraft Social Features for Child Safety Online 
  An outline of the different ways players can message each other through the game, or through other messaging systems

Violence

There’s an aspect of combat in Minecraft’s gameplay. Because combat is part of the game, there are some elements of mild violence. Players can hit and defeat (essentially, kill) both passive and hostile creatures (also known as ‘mobs’), as well as other players (if playing in multiplayer mode). There's also some use of weapons, such as swords, axes, bows, and TNT.

However, the visual representation of the violence is limited by Minecraft’s simple and cartoony style. There’s no blood in any part of the game, neither coming from creatures nor the environment. Players can’t die permanently and will respawn if their health reaches zero (unless they’re playing on Hardcore mode, a sub-genre of Survival mode).  

Griefing

When it comes to unwanted player violence like 'griefing' (a deliberate act that hurts the progress of other players and goes against the rules of the game), we encourage players to report griefing behavior. Please note that the act of griefing only can occur in multiplayer – not single-player.

HOW DO I BUY MINECRAFT?

Getting Minecraft is easy! All you need to do is head over to the page Get Minecraft. There, you can learn more about pricing, as well as which edition you will need for your specific platform of choice.

Accounts for parents and children

To set up Minecraft for your child(ren), you will need a minimum of two accounts, including a "child account". A child account is an account for those under the age of 16 for the US & EU, and 19 for South Korea, and cannot exist without an adult Microsoft account tied to it. The adult must use an existing adult Microsoft account, or they can create a new adult Microsoft account that will then become the organizer and manager for the child account. Only adult accounts can modify family settings for children, like enabling multiplayer settings.

To learn how to set up an account, check out our guide How to create a Minecraft account. 

To set or edit parental controls for your child’s account, visit http://account.xbox.com/settings and then click the account that you want to edit. You should see your child’s gamertag in the top right. 

ADDITIONAL HELP 

Looking for additional information, or can’t find the topic you were looking for? Make sure to check out our information portal Tips for Beginners or our support page Help.minecraft.net. In addition, here are some commonly visited articles. 

Common Scenarios 

What is Minecraft Marketplace? 

What are Minecraft Realms?

How to play on a Minecraft server? 

Help Articles & FAQs

Minecraft Checkout Instructions and FAQ 

Minecoin Buying and Spending FAQ 

I'm Getting an Error When Trying to Play Multiplayer with a Child Account