Minecraft Dungeons

Minecraft Dungeons is an action-adventure role-playing video game developed by Mojang Studios, Xbox Game Studios, and Double Eleven. It was released on May 26, 2020, for Windows, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4. The base edition of the game is available for 19.99 (19.99, 16.74, 29.95), and the Hero Edition for 29.99 (29.99, 24.99, 39.95), which includes the Hero Pass, which includes the Hero Cape, the Baby Chicken pet, the Pake and Wargen skins, and the Jungle Awakens and Creeping Winter downloadable content (DLC) packs. The Windows 10 and Xbox One versions are also available as part of Xbox Game Pass, with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers being able to play on Android devices via Xbox Cloud Gaming. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions are playable on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 respectively via backwards compatibility.

Gameplay
The game supports up to four players and features various new weapons, items, and mobs, as well as a variety of environments to explore and an overarching quest that sees players face off against a main antagonist, called the Arch-Illager.

The game has specific quests and locations, along with procedurally generated elements. The player is not restricted to one class, and can pick up more armor or weapons and use them. Players do not build or mine because the game is focused on action/adventure. The game takes place both above ground and below. Players can re-play levels they have previously beaten. There is a camp "hub world" that takes place in part of the tutorial level, Squid Coast. Levels are procedurally generated, and Mojang was considering using world seeds.

Players can choose their avatar from a variety of skins provided, with more to come as paid DLC. Character creator skins and skins purchased in vanilla Minecraft are not available for use in Dungeons.

Character
The Character is the person that the user controls in the game. When creating a character, the user can choose a cosmetic skin that they can use throughout the game (Note that it is also possible to change the skin at any time on the character select screen).

When creating a character, all loot, levels, and progress gained stays only on that character and does not carry over into other characters the user creates.

Locations
When starting up the game for the first time with a new character, the player begins at Squid Coast. They then progress through the other locations, such as the Creeper Woods, until they reach the final level of the game, Obsidian Pinnacle. Sometimes a location can generate a room that allows access to a secret location, such as Creepy Crypt, Soggy Cave or Arch Haven. Other levels can be accessed by proceeding through the levels normally, such as Pumpkin Pastures, Redstone Mines, Cacti Canyon and Highblock Halls. Most of the locations and the main story takes place on the main island. Some locations are available only through DLC packs, notably Jungle Awakens, Creeping Winter and Howling Peaks.

Items
Weapons are tools and items that can be used to damage entities with either melee or ranged attacks. They can be enchanted to increase their effectiveness.

Armor is used to protect the player from damage and provide health boosts. It can be enchanted to increase its effectiveness.

Artifacts are objects that the player can use to gain a significant power-up, damage foes, heal allies etc.

Enchantments
There are many types of enchantments in Minecraft Dungeons. Enchantments come split across three main categories: melee weapons, ranged weapons, and armor. The three classes each feature exclusive Enchantments, changing how each item performs within its group. To enchant armor, ranged weapons or melee weapons you need Enchantment Points that can be earned by leveling up. For more info see Enchantments. Some enchantments can give mobs certain Status Effects which can either be positive or negative.

Enemies
Mobs in Minecraft Dungeons are generally hostile and attempt to destroy the player. The only exceptions are the pig, key golem, sheep, cow, ocelot, panda, rabbit and target dummy, and mobs summoned by players. There are also two neutral mobs that will only attack when the player attacks it first, those are the polar bear and the goat.

There are three types of enemies the protagonist fights in the game: mobs, mini bosses, and bosses.

Killing these enemies gives the player experience and they often drop emeralds, consumables, and items.

Enemies are also used to complete locations.

Synopsis
Minecraft Dungeons is set in the same universe as Minecraft. Unlike Minecraft, which is a sandbox, the game features a linear, story-driven campaign, and cutscenes. The opening cutscene tells the story of a homeless Illager named Archie, who was rejected by all those who met. One day, he stumbled upon a powerful artifact known as the "Orb of Dominance," which granted him great powers but also corrupted him. The power-hungry "Arch-Illager" then sought vengeance on all those who wronged him, and soon subjugated the world with his new army, raiding villages, forcing villagers to work as slave labor, and leaving only chaos behind. It's now up to the player to stand up against the Arch-Illager's tyranny and become a hero in order to defeat him and save the world.

The player explores various locations in their quest to stop the Arch-Illager, fighting his army and completing quests in order to pass on to the next level. Ultimately, they face the Arch-Illager in his castle, defeating him and shattering the Orb of Dominance in the process, which frees Archie from its influence. Afterward, they show kindness to Archie, much to his surprise, and together they celebrate that evil has been defeated and the world saved, though the Orb is later shown to be rebuilding itself.

The Jungle Awakens DLC continues with this story, with one of the orb fragments corrupting a Leapleaf. The player manages to destroy the shard and frees the jungle.

The Creeping Winter DLC also continues with the story with another orb fragment corrupting a Wraith, and covering the island in an eternal winter. The player destroys the shard and rids the island of its winter.

The Howling Peaks DLC continues with the story as well with another orb fragment landing on top of a mountain and corrupting a local Squall Golem. The player must heap up the mountain and defeat the Tempest golem.

There are also three other unnamed DLC's that take place in the Nether, Ocean and the End respectively.

Development
The game was announced at MINECON Earth 2018. It appears as a visually enhanced version of the base Minecraft game, but has a different gameplay style. The game is inspired by classic dungeon crawlers. On September 17, 2019, Double Eleven announced that they are assisting Mojang Studios and Xbox Game Studios with development, particularly with multiplayer and the console versions.

Minecraft Dungeons was given an April 2020 release date in November 2019, though this date was delayed to May 26, 2020, due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The closed beta for the game ran from March 25 to April 24, 2020. Minecraft Dungeons, in either the 19.99 (19.99, 16.74, 29.95) Base Game/Standard Edition or the 29.99 (29.99, 24.99, 39.95) Hero Edition (includes Hero Pass), is available on Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.

System requirements
According to this page:

Guide to Minecraft Dungeons: A Handbook for Heroes
Guide to Minecraft Dungeons: A Handbook for Heroes is a guide book for Minecraft Dungeons that was released on May 26, 2020 as a and.

Minecraft Dungeons: The Rise of the Arch-Illager
Minecraft Dungeons: The Rise of the Arch-Illager is a novel about the background story on the origins of the Arch-Illager by American author. It was published by on July 7, 2020 in  and on July 9, 2020 in the. It was released as a, , and all of which were available to purchase on the same day.

Books
Minecraft Dungeons had its first guide book released on May 26, 2020, called Guide to Minecraft Dungeons: A Handbook for Heroes. On July 7, 2020, a background story on the origins of the Arch-Illager was released, called Minecraft Dungeons: The Rise of the Arch-Illager. It was released as a, , and all of which were available to purchase on the same day.

LEGO
Minecraft Dungeons also has its own LEGO set called "21163 The Redstone Battle", which features the four main heroes Valorie, Hex, Hal and Hedwig along with the Redstone Monstrosity and the Redstone Golem, as well as a Piggy Bank. It was released on June 1st, 2020.