Minecraft players have been collaborating for over a decade to create an astonishing in-game reconstruction of Middle Earth from The Lord of the Rings.
Some people take the ‘craft’ part of Minecraft very, very seriously. And, when a game that celebrates creativity sells hundreds of millions of copies, you’re going to see the emergence of some truly extraordinary creations.
But few Minecraft servers approach the size or scope – and certainly not the craftsmanship – of Minecraft Middle Earth. Recreations of King’s Landing from Game of Thrones? Adorable. A block-based version of Splendour in the Grass? Sure, I guess – if you’re into that sort of thing.
Minecraft Middle Earth is an absolutely massive, sprawling project that seeks to recreate “major landmarks, terrain, caves, castles, towns, farms and more”. Its senior members emphasise that it is not a role-playing server, nor does it seek to be its own game. It is merely built for building’s sake.
Constructed locations take much of their design from their depictions in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies, including the soaring city of Minas Tirith, the unbreakable bastion of Helm’s Deep, and the Baggins’ cosy home at Bag End.
One particularly nice feature is a set of footprints that can be followed to retrace the entire journey made by the Fellowship of the Ring, all the way from Bag End to Mount Doom. Certainly not a bad way to experience some of the highlights this blocky world has to offer.
And Minecraft Middle Earth is still continuing to grow. Its operators invite newcomers to read up on their guidelines and pass a quiz in order to access its content, in order to maintain the server’s quality and to help it grow ever-larger.
Those interested can check out their new player guide right here.
