What makes Minecraft so special in my eyes is its unwavering commitment to true sandbox gameplay. There's always something to do. Always something to try. Always something new to learn.

That freedom to do whatever my heart desired led me to digging my base into the side of a mountain, living off the meat of slaughtered wildlife and rushing the Ender Dragon. Not a very adventurous bout, but the newer content like Nether biomes and Piglins (I haven't played in quite some time...) were enough to breathe some fresh air into my playthrough.

I can't see myself devoting hours upon hours of my life to this game anymore, but I can absolutely see why people continue to.