Minecraft Dungeonshas been hailed as a greatintroductory point for the Dungeon Crawlergenre. Obviously, playingDiablowith kids isn’t a great idea, but this game offers a kid-friendly alternative. Despite this trait, there are actually some kind of scary moments in the game which may cause problems for more sensitive kids. Adults will likely have no issue with these scares, and there is nothing intentionally over the top, but it is still a good idea to watch out for these moments when playing through the newestMinecraftgame with younger kids. Be warned: this article containsMAJOR SPOILERSforMinecraft Dungeons.
Minecraft Dungeonsfeatures 11 main levels and a bunch of secret levels as well. All of these feature “ugly-cute"Minecraftaesthetics and are relatively lighthearted. When accompanied by a simple and straightforward story, there isn’t much to worry about in terms of whether or not the game is family friendly.Minecraft Dungeonsdoes a fantastic job crafting its levels and creating certain atmospheres despite the limitations set on it by its building blocks, and sometimes these atmospheres can be a little tense or spooky.
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Minecraft Dungeons Atmosphere
Traversing certain areas can be somewhat intimidating as players journey through the world ofMinecraft Dungeons. Levels such as the Creeper Woods, theSoggy Swamp, and especially the later levels like the Highblock Halls are designed to be off putting, but sometimes they do this a little too well. Between the dark colors, hordes of zombies and skeletons, and frequent, creepy ambient noises, it would be easy for a kid to get a little overwhelmed. More likely than not, they’ll be too focused on mowing down enemies, but more sensitive kids might not handle these levels well.
Interior locations double down on this. One of the firstsecret areasMinecraft Dungeonsplayers will encounteris the Creepy Crypt, and it lives up to its name. Players traverse dark catacombs full of undead, spiders, and more, all while the sound design adds to the effect. The winding corridors are easy to get lost in, and getting overwhelmed by monsters in them can get some adults worked up. Ultimately, parents know their kids best and should be the ones to make the call, but knowing this information ahead of time can be helpful. It may also be wise to watch some gameplay videos of these portions before committing to the game.
Minecraft Dungeons Bosses
For the most part,Minecraft Dungeons' bosses aren’t scary, nor are they presented in a scary way. They tend to be big giant monsters which kids will be more than happy to face head on. The Enderman mini boss, for example,takes a page out of Slenderman’s bookand cranks the fear factor up to 11. As soon as the player encounters one, the screen becomes grainy and the Enderman begins stalking the player, often appearing suddenly to make an attack and then vanishing just as quickly. Not only is this difficult to deal with, it can also be somewhat nerve-racking.
The scariest moment of the entire game comes at the very end. Spoilers ahead for the final boss ofMinecraft Dungeons. Players wanting to experience this surprise for themselves should stop reading now. Afterdefeating the Arch Illagerin the last level, he turns into the Heart of Ender. This is the true final boss ofMinecraft Dungeons, and the reveal is completely unexpected. Not only is this rather surprising, but it is kind of a terrifying creatures as well, resembling a six legged Enderman that crawls around on the floor, frequently disappearing into the ground to summon up Enderman heads to attack the player. By this point, players will be pretty invested in the game and can likely overcome this last challenge, though.
Minecraft Dungeonsis available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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