A Year with Minecraft: Behind the Scenes at Mojang (Book Review)

A Year with Minecraft: Behind the Scenes at Mojang is a new book announced by ECW Press and Legato Publishers Group. The new book takes a look at one of the most important video game releases in the last decade. Minecraft quickly rose to fame beginning with its release in 2011. The game went on to sell millions of copies across multiple platforms while earning developer Mojang hundreds of millions of dollars in profit. Swedish journalist Thomas Arnroth has worked for numerous publications over the years and was also able to spend time at Mojang's development studio during 2012, when the game reached the height of its popularity. A Year with Minecraft: Behind the Scenes at Mojang gives a recount of his time spent learning about the game and developer as well as how Minecraft is used as more than just a video game around the world.


A Year with Minecraft: Behind the Scenes at Mojang features 276 pages of content that begins in 2012 when Thomas Arnroth began his journey with Mojang. The content includes behind the scenes interviews with Markus "Notch" Persson, Jens "Jeb" Bergensten, Carl Manneh and the rest of the development team behind the game. Fans will learn about the inspirations behind the game, how the team has dealt with the incredible rise in popularity for the game and more. This section of the book is very interesting and is comparable with the content contained in Indie Game: The Movie written on paper. Gamers that have ever enjoyed playing Minecraft or other gamers with a great love and respect for the industry will find plenty of interesting content to read for days at a time.

Additionally, readers will find content about how Minecraft is used as teaching tools in locations around the world. This section is very interesting as well and presents some unique looks at how other cultures view the impact Minecraft has had on the gaming industry and in different areas of life. Minecraft is being used as a learning tool in schools around the nation and across the world. The game is even used by the United Nations to help plan architectural design and other social planning for different cities around the world. Fans will learn there is more uses for their favorite game beyond the obvious entertainment it provides in Casual mode's laid back gameplay or the survival gameplay in other modes.

A lot of work went into the development in Minecraft as it did in A Year with Minecraft: Behind the Scenes at Mojang. The new book is a good read for fans of Minecraft and gamers in general. The content in the book covers a number of topics related to the game and industry including how Minecraft became one of the most popular video games of all-time and how video games can be used as more than entertainment for children. We personally had a great time reading through the pages of the book, so we're sure gamers and fans out there would have the same enjoyment from the title. Check out A Year with Minecraft: Behind the Scenes at Mojang at your local book store today!

A Year with Minecraft: Behind the Scenes at Mojang is now available from most major retailers and can be purchased for $17.95. For more information or to purchase a copy of A Year with Minecraft: Behind the Scenes at Mojang, check out the official Paradox Plaza website.

Book Information:
Publisher: ECW Press
Author: Thomas Arnroth
276 Pages
Hardcover
Release Date: February 4, 2014

Score: 9 out of 10