Java Edition Alpha

Alpha was the previous version in the Development Cycle of Minecraft, and replaces older developments versions such as Indev and Infdev. It was playable both with a downloadable client and at http://www.minecraft.net/game/ after pre-purchasing the game for €9.95 (normal price €20.00). There is only one type of Game Mode playable in this version, which is Survival.

Development
Minecraft Alpha is a renamed and merged version of the Infdev and Indev development branches, signalling a progression towards the upcoming beta. The renamed versions were announced by Notch on 28th June 2010, renaming Creative mode to Classic, and replacing the existing 'in development' modes with a single version.

Alpha was updated very frequently, due to Notch working full-time on the Minecraft project since 29th May 2010. Bug fixes and tweaks can happen throughout the week, appearing on the game's development blog, with major additions and changes appearing in 'Seecret' Friday updates, leaving the game's players to discover the included new features. And while the game is playable and relatively stable, there are a few known bugs.

On 11th December 2010, Notch announced that the game will enter the Beta stage of development on 20th December, at which point the price will increase to €14.95.

Current
Since the release of Alpha, the following features were added on top of Infdev's base:
 * Survival Multiplayer.
 * The Nether - A realm accessible with Portals that contains blocks and mobs (i.e. Ghast and Zombiepigmen as of yet) not found in the normal world, and allows for fast travel.
 * Biomes - Different environments that differ as location/chunk/temperature changes.
 * The addition of Redstone circuits, a logical I/O system including switches.
 * The following items from the Halloween Update: Netherrack, Glowstone, Soul Sand, Pumpkins, and the Jack-O-Lantern.
 * Improved AI pathfinding and spawning.
 * New sounds for caves and mobs.
 * Survival Multiplayer Mode (SMP). Currently, the only way to connect to a server is to find out the IP of it to connect. Here is an SMP List.
 * The addition of Snowy and Icy terrain, plus craftable snow blocks.
 * The addition of Boats.
 * Cow, slime, and chicken mobs.
 * New music.
 * More paintings.
 * Current Height: 128 from bottom to top.
 * Press F1 to remove the inventory display and the player's arm (the HUD, or Heads Up Display).
 * While holding down F1, press F2 to take a screenshot. The images are saved in %appdata%\.minecraft\screenshots.
 * Difficulty toggle.

Version History

 * See Version History.

Beta replacing Alpha
Alpha was replaced by Beta, Alpha no longer gets updated and its link has been removed from the Minecraft website.

Alpha