Minecraft's Giving Away a Game...But Good Luck Actually Getting It

Minecraft's Giving Away a Game...But Good Luck Act...

## Minecraft Goes Candy Crush? New Puzzle Game Coming, But Patience Required Okay, Minecraft fans, brace yourselves. It looks like our favorite blocky world is about to get a whole lot more… puzzle-y. Mojang, the wizards behind Minecraft, are teaming up with King, the overlords of Candy Crush Saga, to bring us a brand new free-to-play mobile game called *Minecraft Blast*. Now, before you rush to the app store, here’s the catch: you probably can’t play it. Not yet, anyway. *Minecraft Blast* is being described as a “delightfully blocky puzzle adventure,” which, let's be honest, is a pretty catchy tagline. The premise? It's a match-three puzzle game… with a Minecraft twist. Clear blocks (TNT included, thankfully!), earn resources, and then use those resources to build and upgrade your own little Minecraft world. Think *Candy Crush* meets *Minecraft* meets… well, the burning desire to avoid microtransactions. We'll see how that last one goes. From the screenshots and early footage I've seen (thanks, internet!), it definitely has that recognizable Minecraft aesthetic. We're talking chickens, zombies, creepers – the whole blocky gang. The core gameplay seems to revolve around matching blocks to earn energy or currency. You then use that currency to purchase structures and items to populate your world. It looks surprisingly… engaging. So, where’s the bad news? Well, right now, *Minecraft Blast* is only available in a limited-time playtest for users in Canada and Malaysia. Mojang assures us that they plan to expand these tests to more regions in the future, but for the rest of us, it's a waiting game. According to Mojang, the playtest regions were chosen based on “specific testing requirements” and are designed to “gather early feedback and refine the experience” before a wider launch. Smart move, honestly. Nobody wants another buggy, unfinished mobile release. If you happen to be reading this from Canada or Malaysia (and have an iPhone, apparently, since the playtest is currently iOS only), then you might be in luck. The playtest is available in English in Malaysia, and in both English and French in Canada. Go forth and test! Tell us what you think. For the rest of us? Keep an eye out for future announcements. I’m cautiously optimistic about this one. A new, free Minecraft game is always welcome, and the puzzle mechanics could be a fun way to kill some time on the go. Just hoping those King folks don't get *too* King-y with the monetization. Fingers crossed!