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Playing Minecraft is fun, but playing Minecraft with friends is better. Knowing where to start can confuse people, especially as the options available will vary depending on the platform you are playing on.
If you have ever wondered what you need to know about multiplayer Minecraft, this guide is for you. We’ll take you on those first steps into playing with friends and look into some advanced options open to you.
What Play Styles Are Available In Multiplayer Minecraft?
The most popular server type is open world. The gameplay is like singleplayer but there are other people playing at the same time. Players can interact with each other and co-operate or hinder each other’s progress. This can lead to vibrant communities springing up, creating in-world towns and running regular events for server inhabitants. Some worlds allow Player Vs Player (PvP), the ability for inhabitants to attack and wipe out each other.
PvPers looking for something away from open world will find plenty of choice with one of the many combat focussed mini-games available. Look out for Bed Wars for a novel take on arena-centric combat. Outside the Minecraft community, this may conjure images of players throwing beds at one another, but for the initiated, it’s a fun, fast team combat game that looks easy to play, but is difficult to master. It uses a core mechanic where the player respawn point is a bed. By destroying it, you prevent other players from returning to the game, eliminating them.
Minecraft is a sandbox game that encourages creativity. Over the years, this has led to some interesting multiplayer game concepts not found elsewhere. Mini-games that do not involve combat are plentiful, focussing on crafting and building over anything else. Check out Build Battle, a take on pictionary where players face-off and create a model using Minecraft blocks.
If you are looking for a puzzler with a bit of combat thrown in, Murder Mystery is for you. One player becomes the murderer, another the sherif, and the remaining players are innocent and must survive until the time runs out. The Murderer must eliminate everyone without the players knowing who it is, and avoid the sherif who is protecting the innocents while trying to stop the murderer.
Choosing the right version
There are currently two different versions of Minecraft available, the original Java Edition, available on PC, and the Bedrock Edition, available on PC, consoles, and mobile. Both receive regular updates and maintain feature and content parity.
Minecraft Java Edition is the original and, purportedly, the best version. It requires the Java runtime environment to be installed. Thankfully, this is available for free on most modern computers running Windows and Linux, or MacOS. Java Edition users have the greatest choice for multiplayer and can access vanilla and modded multiplayer servers.
Minecraft Bedrock Edition is a newer implementation that replaced the fragmented non-PC releases found on previous generation consoles. It delivers on its promise of unifying gamers through cross-platform compatibility and multiplayer. There is a marketplace that sells player skins and various items for use in-game. Online multiplayer is through direct connection or using official servers known as Realms.There are also some additional features not found in Java Edition, but more on this later. PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live membership may be required to access some online elements.
Choose Java Edition if you want to:
- Host your own server
- Play Minecraft with mods
- Access the widest selection of mini games and alternative play styles
Choose Bedrock Edition if you want to:
- Play against other gamers on different platforms
- Access official servers and content
- Access official DLC and Minecraft Marketplace
- Want ray-tracing support
Split Screen - Consoles Only
This is a multiplayer play style where two players using the same console play together. The screen is split in half, giving two view points, one for each player, allowing them to build and explore together on the same map.
Local LAN play
In LAN play, one player will host the game, turning their game into the server. They can still play the game as normal but other players on the same network can join and play. The game is not accessible on the internet, only players on the same local network can connect. When the player hosting stops playing, the world is closed, breaking any connections and stopping the server. Players cannot re-join until the originating player plays again and opens their world up to LAN play.
In days gone by, this would require running a network cable from computer to computer, but thanks to modern wireless technology, most devices form a network when they connect to a broadband router.
Realms
Minecraft has its own official multiplayer servers known as Realms. You pay a small monthly fee to have your own personal server that you can share with friends. Bedrock Edition players can also access Realms Plus, an enhanced version that allows cross-platform play and comes with a marketplace where you will find game enhancements not found in the standard game. There are plenty of curated add-ons, maps and skins, and some extensions to gameplay.
Realms are a great way to get you up and running, but it comes with some limitations. You cannot access unofficial third-party mod packs or run any mods that extend the core game. Some won’t mind this limitation, but for those Java Edition players looking for more, you will find a better solution going with third-party server host.
Third-Party Servers
Third-party hosted servers make up the bulk of the Minecraft multiplayer community. Many offer a pure, vanilla-like experience. For those of us looking to break from world exploration and building, modded servers offer a refreshing challenge. At a minimum, we gain the same new features that modded provides, but some server admins go the extra mile and have put together entire RPG worlds with plenty of new monsters, quests, and bosses to make World of Warcraft blush.
And don’t forget Player versus Player; not everyone’s cup of tea, but many of the aforementioned offerings come in both PvP and non-PvP flavorings. Make sure you read the server description. It will often contain a summary of what to expect and point you to rules and code of etiquette. Worst-case scenario, if you can’t find what you are looking for, you can also host their own servers using dedicated Minecraft server hosting.
Thankfully, multiplayer Minecraft isn’t just about exploring and building. There are plenty of talented fans who have thought outside the box and built competitive mini-games using Minecraft. These often use a core mechanic that they build a game around. Bed Wars, one of the more popular games, sees four teams destroying their opponents’ bed before eliminating them for good. While the bed exists, they can respawn and continue playing.
Hosting your own server
The easiest way to get going with a hosted server is to use a dedicated Minecraft hosting provider. There are plenty to choose from and they have packages suitable for servers of any size, and can scale their services as your server grows. Easy-to-use web-based management tools handle the headache of setting up and maintaining your own server. You can choose the version of Minecraft you want to install. This includes alternative servers that can run mods and often feature performance optimisations.
The advantages of hosting a dedicated Minecraft server are:
- They are available 24 hours a day allowing people to play when it is convenient for them
- They can be public, available to anyone, or private, only accessible to players on a whitelist.
- Are a great way to build a community of players with a shared interest
- Play modded versions of Minecraft with friends without local performance issues
- Access third party versions of Minecraft that are optimised for server use
Staying Safe
Always play it safe when gaming with others. Don’t share personal information with people you don’t know and report anyone who breaks the server rules. Speaking of which, make sure you are aware of what you can and can’t do, and don’t be surprised if an admin wields their ban-hammer if you break them. Always be respectful and have fun.