Minecraft is hard to talk about, not because of anything inherent to the game itself. On it's surface, it's a relatively straightforward survival sandbox game. with it's most unique aspect being the stylistic choice to have the game be entirely constructed with blocks. It's simplicity is ultimately a huge strength, as it fosters creativity and experimentation. It's controls and mechanics are also, on the whole, very well integrated and very satisfying. It's endlessly repayable in a way few games are. It's a great game, and after almost 15 years after its initial release, it still holds up just as well as it did when it initially released. Despite this, it has its flaws. The villagers are pretty explicitly made up of antisemitic stereotypes, and the mechanics surrounding them have really bad connotations even BEFORE you factor in the harmful Jewish stereotypes involved. A lot of the newer content isn't really connected to old mechanics, so they end up feeling very disconnected from the rest of the game's progression. The progression itself is kinda lackluster. And dare I even mention the Mob Vote and it's unfortunate casualties?

What makes Minecraft really, truly special, however, is it's ability for foster community and connection with other people. It sometimes feels like the sum total of my experience with Minecraft has been a patchwork quilt of memories of the people who I've shared it with. I've played Minecraft with many people at different stages in my life, all of whom played different roles in my life, and all of whom contributed to both who I am today and the fondness I have for this game. Minecraft is a wonderful excuse spend time with the people you love, to make inside jokes, to build stories and worlds, and to hang out when you have nothing better to do. It's brought millions of people together in it's almost 15 years, and it will continue to bring people together for years into the future. This game defined a generation, and that sort of experience is worth having. And even if the people whom I've shared this game with aren't in my life any more, I'm glad I got to share this with them with the brief time we had together. I've loved a lot of people through this game, and I can't wait to discover who I'll love next.

And the universe said I love you.
And the universe said you are not alone.
And the universe said you are not separate from every other thing.
And the universe said I love you because you are love.