Development cycle

Minecraft undergoes a rather long Development Cycle. It constantly updates and will continue to do so even after the game is completed. The game is currently in Alpha and will be renamed to Beta now that multiplayer is fixed.

Classic
This version was released to the public on 17th of May, 2009 and is currently available in both Creative and Survival variations, played in Survival Test. During this phase, the gameplay is completely different. At this time, many features are not implemented yet. It does, however, features Creative Multiplayer, where players can collaborate and build. Players can still play this version for free and it will remain for historical purposes.

Indev
This version is only playable in Survival Game mode. It introduces crafting and an inventory where players can create more items and tools. It is also the first version that introduces dynamic lighting. Fluid blocks were also improved as it no longer duplicates infinitely. Players will start in an Indev House.

Infdev
Indev stands for Infinite Development, and features maps that can generate infinitely. Players no longer experience permadeath and dying will cause the player to drop all their items and return to their spawn point.

Alpha
Alpha is the most recent version of the game. It introduces several new features such as Biomes, Redstone wiring, and another dimension called The Nether. This version also brings back Multiplayer in Survival form, also known as Survival multiplayer.

Beta
Beta is the upcoming version of the game. It will reach beta status on Monday December 20, 2010. Proper modding support is expected to be added, and a sort of objective in the gameplay, as well as some instruction upon starting a new world. There will be a bigger focus on testing and stability as well, with more time between updates. The price to purchase a premium account will rise to €14.95. Accounts created after the Beta release will still get the full game release, but they might have to pay extra for future updates and expansions. Accounts created before Beta will get all future updates free, including post-release, as Notch has promised.

Table of Features
Below is a short summary of what features each new milestone introduces.