Although many of today’s popular video games are free-to-play titles, it might surprise you to find out that Minecraft — the best-selling game of all time — isn’t one of them. Its price varies depending on your platform of choice, but it’ll always cost you something to pick up and play the hit title. However, it is possible to gain access to a free trial of the game. It’s not available on every system — and there are a few limitations — but it’s a good idea to take advantage of the demo before buying Minecraft. There’s also a way to access an old version of Minecraft from 2009 for free, so long as you don’t mind being more than a decade behind the times.
Further Reading
- What is Minecraft?
- What is Minecraft Earth?
- How to install Minecraft mods
Play the Minecraft demo on PC & Mac
Anyone looking to test out Minecraft on their home computer just need to follow these two easy steps:
- Create a new account.
- Download Minecraft from the official website.
That’s really all there is to it. You’ll have access to the full version of Minecraft, but it only lasts for “five in-game days.” A day in Minecraft runs for about 20 minutes, so you’ll have just over an hour and a half to decide if the game is for you. It’s also a good way to check if your older laptop can handle the procedurally generated worlds and sprawling landscapes.
Play the Minecraft demo on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
The demo available on consoles is more restrictive than PC/Mac, but it’ll at least let you dip your toes into the blocky waters. Checking out the free trial is even easier on consoles:
- Xbox One owners can locate the demo on the Xbox Store after searching for ‘Minecraft‘.
- PlayStation 4 owners can find it on the PlayStation Store after searching for ‘Minecraft.‘
This version of Minecraft is limited to just the tutorial levels and you can’t even save your progress. You’ll probably want to check out some gameplay footage on YouTube before making a purchase, but this short demo will at least let you go hands-on and try it out for yourself.
Play the Minecraft demo on iOS and Android
Oleg Doroshin /123rf.com
Unfortunately, there’s currently no demo available for Minecraft: Pocket Edition. Instead, we’d recommend checking out one of the above demos. The controls will certainly be different on mobile, but the heart of the experience remains intact.
Play Minecraft Classic for free
Jon Bitner / Digital Trends
If you don’t mind having access to the Creative mode from 2009 — and nothing else — then you can always play Minecraft Classic on your computer. It runs straight from your browser, but you’ll only be able to use 32 blocks, you’ll have to deal with an archaic interface, and you’ll need to overcome all the old bugs from the aging title. If none of that scares you away, you can head on over to Mojang’s official website and give it a try.