Minecraft Dungeons

Minecraft Dungeons is a dungeon crawler spin-off of *Minecraft*, released in May 2020 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, with a Steam version following in September 2021. Developed by Mojang Studios and Double Eleven, and published by Xbox Game Studios, the game concluded its development in November 2022 with version 1.17. Mojang officially ended support on September 28, 2023, by which point it had attracted 25 million players across all platforms. An arcade adaptation by Raw Thrills launched in May 2021. No sequel has been officially announced by Mojang or Microsoft.

Unlike the original *Minecraft*, this game lacks open-world exploration, mining, and building. Instead, it is an isometric, direct-control hack-and-slash dungeon crawler. Players navigate procedurally generated and hand-crafted dungeons filled with random monsters, traps, puzzles, and bosses, seeking treasure. There is no class system; any weapon or armor can be used. The game supports four-player local and online multiplayer.

After the final DLC, Mojang introduced Seasonal Adventures, a free update system. The first season, Cloudy Climb (December 14, 2021), added The Tower—a roguelike mode with procedurally generated floors that initially refreshed every two weeks (weekly from November 2022)—and an Adventure Rank progression system with free and premium reward tracks via an Adventure Pass. The number of floors in The Tower varies per season, with some rotations featuring 30 floors. The second season, Luminous Night (April 20, 2022), featured nighttime Tower exploration and the Wildfire mob. The third and final season, Fauna Faire (October 19, 2022), added the Enchantsmith merchant, the Treetop Tangle mission, and multiplayer in The Tower.

The story is set in the *Minecraft* Overworld, but unlike the original, it has a linear, story-driven campaign with cutscenes. An Illager named Archie, driven from his home and rejected by villagers, finds the Orb of Dominance, which corrupts him into the Arch-Illager. He raises an army to subjugate villages. Players control heroes who liberate villages, fight monsters, and ultimately defeat the Arch-Illager in his castle. The Orb then reveals its true form as the Heart of Ender, the final boss. After destroying it, Archie is freed, and the heroes befriend him.