Discover your next great read with our book reviews
Cover of Exploring Minecraft

Exploring Minecraft

by Larissa Hjorth

Book Details

Publisher:Springer Nature
Published:2021-01-04
Pages:194
Format:BOOK
Language:en

Reading Info

About This Book

This book directs critical attention to one of the most ubiquitous and yet under-analyzed games, Minecraft. Drawing on three years of ethnographic fieldwork into mobile games in Australian homes, the authors seek to take Minecraft seriously as a cultural practice. The book examines how Minecraft players engage in a form of gameplay that is uniquely intergenerational, creative, and playful, and which moves ambivalently throughout everyday life. At the intersection of digital media, quotidian lite

Our Review

This critical examination of Minecraft moves beyond the typical gaming guide to analyze how this ubiquitous digital platform functions as a meaningful cultural practice. Drawing on three years of ethnographic research in Australian households, the book explores how Minecraft gameplay uniquely bridges generations while weaving ambivalently through everyday routines and relationships. The authors take seriously what many dismiss as mere entertainment, revealing the complex social dynamics and creative engagements that emerge within block-based worlds.

What distinguishes this analysis is its focus on the domestic sphere, where Minecraft becomes a site for intergenerational connection, creative expression, and playful learning that transcends traditional gaming boundaries. Readers interested in digital culture, game studies, or understanding how technology shapes family interactions will find compelling insights into why this particular game has become such an enduring phenomenon. The ethnographic approach provides a grounded perspective on how virtual play influences real-world relationships and domestic life.

Themes

Social Science

Subjects

Social Science