Introduction to Minetest

Many features in Minetest are missed or mis-understood by new players. This chapter will go over the basic things you need to know about Minetest.

Minetest is written in C++, so executes faster than Java code. It is a Free and Open Source Game, released under the LGPL license, and is available for Windows and Linux. iOS (Mac) and other ports can be compiled from the source.

The aims of Minetest

1. Free-ness

Minetest is a Free and Open Source Game, released under the LGPL license.

2. Device Compatibility

Minetest runs on old devices, and works on all devices more natively and efficiently than Java games.

3. Extendablity

All of the content in Minetest is supplied by Lua mods, even the default content in the game is a mod. Mods are made with Lua, which makes mod making easy. Because of this, you can extend Minetest to your taste, and playing style.

There are many mods available, such as: Animals, Farming and Food for you hunger cravings, and Mesecons, Moreblocks and 3d Furniture for your building needs.

To learn more about lua modding, see the modding chapter of this manual.