Formally released in 2011, Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time, with kids making up the majority of its fans – our 2025 report showed that Minecraft was kids 2nd second favorite desktop game (behind Roblox), where they spend just under an hour on the game, on average, per day.
Minecraft is a far cry from the side-scrollers of the 80s and 90s – it’s an open-ended, digital playground where players can use their imagination to build and explore virtual worlds made of blocks. Minecraft also serves as a social hub where players cooperate, communicate, and form relationships with one another.
Although Minecraft can be a wonderful outlet for a child’s creativity and competitiveness, as well as a place to hang out with friends, some of the game’s features can pose potential risks that parents need to be aware of.
What can kids do on Minecraft?
Minecraft is a sandbox game, like Roblox – players are not limited to specific missions or paths, they have a high level of freedom to explore, create, and interact with the game world.
Kids can use their imaginations to build and explore block-filled worlds, gather resources, craft items, build structures, explore diverse environments, and even encounter creatures like friendly animals and hostile monsters (though these are presented in a blocky, not-so-scary way!)
Minecraft has three different game modes:
- Creative Mode: Players have unlimited resources and can build anything they imagine.
- Survival Mode: Players must gather resources, craft tools, build shelter, and fight off monsters to survive.
- Multiplayer: Players can join online servers and chat, collaborate, or compete with others.
One of the reasons kids love Minecraft is the social aspect of multiplayer mode and the online community behind the game. In multiplayer, players can exchange text messages in chat to cooperate on builds and projects, as well as to trade items, compete, or simply hang out with others.
Minecraft has massive online communities too on platforms like Discord, Reddit, and on social media – where players bond over the game, share builds, memes, and tips. On Discord, it’s common for players to interact in server-specific communities and voice chat while playing the game.
Minecraft is even used in schools – Minecraft Education Edition is a special version of the game developed for the classroom. It uses Minecraft’s familiar block-building environment to teach subjects such as science, math, computer science and coding, history and geography, and more.
Minecraft: the risks
Chatting with strangers
When playing in multiplayer mode, Minecraft’s chat and messaging features could expose your child to bad language, bullying, harassment, and even potential grooming situations. Public multiplayer servers offer a degree of anonymity to bullies and other nefarious users as you only see their Minecraft username. The anonymity of online interactions can embolden bullies, and the game’s focus on building and competition can sometimes create a hostile environment. Players have also been known to engage in anti-social behaviour, such as destroying the creations and worlds of other players.
Predators may attempt to groom children through seemingly harmless conversations or by offering in-game gifts or advantages. After making contact in a game like Minecraft, a predator may attempt to move the conversation to Discord or a messaging app like WhatsApp – where there’s less moderation and risk of being caught.
Violence and adult concepts
Minecraft’s Community Standards prohibit excessively violent content or content that promotes violence towards others, as well as content that is sexually explicit or harmful to children. However, players may still encounter stylised, cartoonish violence throughout the game, and worlds that contain structures, skins, and items that depict or symbolise sex and nudity.
Online interactions – especially in less-moderated, private servers or through voice chats on Discord – can expose players to mature themes, inappropriate language, or discussions of sensitive topics.
Privacy and security
Both Minecraft and Mojang (the game’s original developer) are owned by Microsoft. Mojang and Microsoft collect user data and pass on some of this information to third parties. Also, online interactions through chat and messaging can lead to players inadvertently sharing personal information.
Scams
Players may encounter deceptive behavior in Minecraft, such as scams related to in-game items or currency. As player information is not verified, it can be easy for players to create fake identities or misrepresent themselves, increasing the risk of these scams or other deceptive practices. This can be particularly harmful in multiplayer settings where trust and cooperation are often essential for gameplay.
In-game spending
Minecraft sells various tempting DLC (downloadable content), including cosmetic items like skins and texture packs as well as other official merchandise, which can lead to unintended spending if not managed carefully. The platform also offers paid subscription-based Realms: private servers that can only be joined by invitation, creating a safer environment for friends to play together.
Excessive screen time
Minecraft’s open-ended gameplay and fun, appealing features can make it difficult for players to disengage, easily leading to a breaking of screen time limits – which can negatively impact sleep, mental health, and overall wellbeing.
5 ways to make Minecraft safer for kids
Kids adore Minecraft – as well as being a lot of fun, the game allows them to be creative, to problem-solve, and collaborate and chat with friends. We think children aged 9 and over should be able to enjoy the game, albeit with a few safety measures.
1. Use Minecraft’s safety settings
Familiarise yourself with the game’s safety settings, including chat options, multiplayer settings, and parental controls offered by the platform. To reduce risks such as bullying, unwanted contact and exposure to inappropriate content, you can limit communication with strangers, restrict multiplayer features, use private worlds (Realms), report inappropriate behavior, and manage screen time and online activity.
To better ensure your child games safely online, consider an all-in-one parental control tool like Qustodio.
Qustodio allows you to:
- Keep tabs on the time your child spends playing Minecraft
- Set time limits to help prevent gaming addiction
- Block the Minecraft app from being opened
- Receive an alert when they first use Minecraft
- Pause the internet at the push of a button.
2. Consider a “Realms” subscription
A Realm is an invite-only server, meaning only people approved by the owner can join. When compared with public servers where anyone can join, Realms provide a much safer environment for your child to play with their friends. The “world” stays online even when the owner is offline, so friends can play at different times.
A Realms subscription does cost a small amount each month ($4-$8), but may be well worth it if your child likes to play often with friends.
3. Sit in on a gaming session
Talk to your child about their player skins, ask them what they are building, or who they are playing with. Having your child show you how they play – or even joining them for a game – can help you better understand Minecraft and open the door for conversation.
As well as discovering areas where you might need to tighten safety settings, taking an interest may make your child feel more comfortable talking to you about troubling things they encounter on the platform.
4. Encourage play in common areas
When left to play games behind closed doors, your child may be more likely to talk to strangers or attempt to bypass your restrictions.
A good practice is to only allow play in your home’s living room, kitchen, or family room. This will make it easy for you to keep an eye on their playing, their behavior, and be able to step in immediately if something worrying happens.
5. Set screen time boundaries
It’s easy for kids to get carried away and lose track of time when they’re playing Minecraft and other engrossing games. Agree on rules, such as daily limits, and times when they must log off – such as bedtime or for studying. Remember to encourage a balance between online and offline activities, including outdoor play, hobbies, and social interactions.
Many families find that a digital agreement – printed out and displayed somewhere everyone sees it – makes it easier to stick to device boundaries.
Minecraft is an incredibly popular game among kids. As well as being a whole lot of fun, the game allows them to exercise their creative, problem-solving, and even social skills. However, there are risks that parents need to be aware of – especially when your child is playing with others in multiplayer mode. These can include being contacted by strangers, bullying and harassment, and being exposed to mature themes.
