At the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase, Mojang unveiled the next spin-off game set in the Minecraft universe. Fresh off the heels of Minecraft Dungeons comes a brand-new action strategy game called Minecraft Legends. The game will bring players to the familiar blocky world of Minecraft, but this time it is being invaded by the Piglins, and players must do all they can to defend the lush Overworld from evil. It is another interesting spin on the Minecraft formula, and Mojang will most likely not stop there.
So far, every Minecraft spin-off game has taken the form of a different genre. There was Minecraft: Story Mode, which took the blocky world to the visual novel genre. Minecraft Dungeons introduced a Minecraft themed dungeon crawler to the mix. Now, Minecraft Legends will be putting an action strategy spin on the formula. These games have taken a multitude of different forms, but there are even more genres that a spin-off game could use. If Minecraft Legends proves to be another hit, then Mojang will most likely make another spin-off game set in Minecraft, and the possibilities are endless.
A Minecraft Trading Card Game
Digital trading card games are all the rage right now with games like Hearthstone and Legends of Runeterra dominating the scene. If Minecraft can succeed in the strategy and dungeon crawler genre, then there is no reason that it could not also spawn a successful trading card game.
Players could take control of various Minecraft heroes all themed after classic fantasy classes like wizards and warriors. Then, they could destroy their opponent with powerful cards that represent the different mobs of the world and other wild creations. A trading card game would let Mojang run wild with different weird Minecraft themed ideas, and if it was popular then it could have a long lifespan like Minecraft.
A Minecraft City Builder
At its core, Minecraft is all about building, yet none of the spin-off games have captured that. MinecraftLegends looks like it will include a bit of building, but a city builder set in the world of Minecraft could do it even better. The game could put players in charge of building their own villager village that would slowly expand as more villagers moved in.
Players could zone out areas for important buildings like housing, blacksmiths, farms, and even defenses. They would have to manage the resources to make sure that the village could survive, and then defend it against random Illager raids. It could take inspiration from titles like Kingdoms and Castles and Cities Skylines to deliver a city builder unique to Minecraft.
A Minecraft Party Game
The Mario Party series has been dominating the party game genre for years now, but a Minecraft party game could come in and change that. Minecraft players love to play together, and a party game is all about competitive play. It could take inspiration from the Mario Party franchise and let players run across boards to compete to see who can get the most emeralds, or diamonds.
To earn rewards, players could compete in various mini-games that all have a unique Minecraft spin to then. Maybe players have to see who can build the highest tower in a minute, maybe they have to find a pig hiding behind a tree, and they could even see who can hide from a Warden that is hunting them all. The game could be a great time for party game fans who also love Minecraft.
A Minecraft Science Fiction Game
Minecraft has yet to answer the question about what lies beyond the world and in the stars. The game has a sun, and many stars, which means that there must be space and more planets out there. Mojang could take the Minecraft concept and bring it into the stars for a game that feels very similar to the base game but with a science fiction spin. Players could build their own blocky spaceships to travel to new planets filled with new Minecraft mobs to combat and resources to collect. The game could launch with a couple planets, and then post-launch updates could add even more. This would probably be the biggest spin-off game that the studio created, and the most unlikely. However, if done right, an official Minecraft game in space could rival Minecraft.
There are so many more genres that Mojang could use for future Minecraft spin-offs. Once Minecraft Legends launches, the studio will most likely be looking to what is next for this ever-growing franchise. Fans of Minecraft can only hope that whatever comes, it maintains the same level of quality that Minecraft has.
Minecraft Legends is set to release in 2023 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
