Minecraft is a blocky sandbox where players generate a new world, survive, and build their way forward. They craft weapons, raid structures, fight magical enemies, and finish the core storyline. Hytale is a very similar sandbox game currently in development by Hypixel founder Simon.
Given how alike these two games are, lots of Minecraft fans should follow Hytale's development.
Hytale is a lot more than just a copy or a modpack for Minecraft
Minecraft has tons of modpacks that overhaul mechanics, textures, combat, mobs, and more. For anyone checking out Hytale for the first time, it could seem like a fancy modpack for Mojang's title.
But Hytale is built from scratch, using only Minecraft's code as a foundation. The terrain generation, combat mechanics, mob 3D models, and animations are all original.
Think of this game as Minecraft 2, created by fans—which makes it way better than any modpack.
Hytale is made by developers from the Minecraft community
Another reason to get excited is that it's developed by Minecraft fans. Simon, who runs the team, founded Hypixel, the biggest public server for the game. He's been playing and creating custom Minecraft content since 2011. The fact that community developers are driving it makes Hytale stand out.
On top of that, work on Hytale started back in 2015 but faced delays and ownership changes. Most recently, Riot Games took over and halted development. Simon then bought it back to see it through to release. That backstory adds a lot of intrigue.
Hytale's Gameplay Blends Sandbox Freedom with RPG Action
Hytale mixes open-world sandbox play with RPG drive, letting you explore massive procedurally generated landscapes packed with biomes, ancient ruins, caverns, and surprises like random events or hidden lairs. Combat hits responsive and engaging, with sword swings, bow shots, dodging, and shield blocks against all sorts of creatures from small critters to big bosses.