Summary
The base experience ofMinecraftis always evolving, with massively anticipated post-launch updates often introducing huge amounts of content in the way of new mobs, experiences, and core game mechanics. Despite the gameplay of the original title always having something new to offer to even the most veteran fans, the franchise has started focusing more on spin-off releases that explore things that would simply be impossible within the base game.
Recent spin-offs toMinecraftincludeMinecraft DungeonsandMinecraft Legends, which featured different genres like dungeon crawlers and real-time strategy. These releases did well in terms of increasing the variety ofMinecraftas a brand, with there now being a world of fresh experiences that the IP can focus on in any upcoming spin-off titles. With this in mind, there is an obvious approach that the nextMinecraftspin-off should take, leaning more into the relaxing and cozy elements of the IP as opposed to its combat.
Nothing is currently confirmed in terms of futureMinecraftprojects, but Mojang will likely make more spin-offs in the future.
The Next Minecraft Spin-off Should Take Inspiration From Animal Crossing
WhileMinecraftcan easily provide some tense gameplay via its combatand exploration of the unknown, it can just as easily foster some of the most relaxing and cozy experiences in the gaming industry.LegendsandDungeonsappealed to the combat side of the title, and it’s time for the next spin-off to instead focus on the more chill elements of the franchise.
The best way to go about doing this would be to create a title with a similar gameplay focus as theAnimal Crossingfranchise.Animal Crossingis a defining force in the social simulation genreof games, allowing the player to interact with and befriend a wide range of cute characters in gameplay that is essentially limitless and purposefully open-ended. Aside from the important social elements of the franchise,Animal Crossingalso has a key focus on home-building and mini-games, which often take the form of relaxing outdoor activities like fishing, bug collecting, and fossil hunting.
Minecraft Already Has the Perfect Blueprint For a Cozy Spin-off
This is a premise that could easily translate over to aMinecraftspin-off, with the vast selection of biomes in the base game being the perfect setting for potentialAnimal Crossing-style communities of characters. Of course,Minecraftis already quite a simplistic game in terms of its art-style, and a spin-off such as this could adopt a more thematicpixelated aesthetic akin toStardew Valleyto up its coziness even more.
Minecraftalso already features fishing and archeology, meaning these activities could easily feature as dedicated mini-games in a relaxed spin-off without feeling like too much of a departure from the base game. The wide range of pre-existing mobs withinMinecraftwould also be a perfect fit for the social aspect of this kind of spin-off.Animal Crossingfamously uses anthropomorphic animal characters at the center of its social mechanics.
This approach could be taken withall the mobs ofMinecraftto give a wide range of social interactions for the player, with the spin-off potentially even using a real-time day/night cycle likeAnimal Crossingto interact with “hostile” mobs after dark. The nextMinecraftspin-off needs to have a unique premise compared to past franchise installments to truly stand out, and the relaxing reputation around the base game would be perfect for a social simulation game of its own.
