Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately, you’ve probably at least heard of the quirky little Java-based adventure game known as Minecraft. Created by Markus Persson, aka Notch, Minecraft has to be one of the most addictive and fun games I’ve ever played.

There are two game modes as of right now, with another one planned to go into public alpha in the coming weeks. Creative Mode, which is free, simply spawns you in a randomly generated world with infinite blocks so you can do things like, say, make Pacman pixel art. Along with Creative comes a multiplayer variant, seen in the above picture, where you can collaborate with your buddies to build even bigger stuff. But the real meat and potatoes of Minecraft is Survival Mode. In Survival Mode, formerly known as “Infdev”, you spawn in an absolutely massive, almost infinite world with nothing on your person at all. (Seriously, the worlds are MASSIVE. Notch claims the generator can manage about 8 times the surface of the planet Earth, all with no lag thanks to his rendering system.) From this point, it’s your choice as to what you do. Basically, you mine simple resources (like wood) to craft items that make mining stronger items possible, which lets you craft stronger items and on and on. It seems extremely simple and maybe even boring, but the sheer size of the worlds, along with the randomly generated cave systems, makes adventuring in Minecraft extremely enjoyable.

As if that wasn’t enough, come nightfall, players need protection from the myriad creatures that come to annihilate you. From bow-wielding Skeletons, to hissing Spiders, to the terrifying-yet-silent explosive Creeper, there are plenty of creatures to keep you on your toes at night. Things get pretty nasty if you aren’t able to fight off the hordes of creatures, as the game tends to throw about 15-20 creatures at you at a time, so if you’re not on your toes, you run the risk of dying. And dying is not fun. For those not wishing to risk life, limb, and valuable ore to the monstrous hordes, the game can be set to Peaceful mode, removing all of the monsters from the world and letting you mine in peace.

Minecraft is one of the most addictive games I have ever played. The first time I played, six hours flew past without me even realizing it. The game is strangely enjoyable, with mining deep into the world being extremely fun. Turning on creatures makes the game a survival horror game, with the constant threat of creepers running up behind you in a cave and zombies moaning everywhere scaring the pants off of you at every turn. It actually adds a bit of fun and unpredictability to the game.

Minecraft, in alpha, is about $14, converted from euros. Buying the game early gives you access to Survival and, in the coming weeks, the Multiplayer Survival alpha. Notch updates the game every Friday and has recently added items like rideable and powered minecarts, snow, cows, cacti, and biomes. It is my personal opinion that $14 is definitely worth a game this extensive.