The Minecraft Earth closed beta is currently rolling out in multiple cities in the UK and US, with access granted to many of those who signed up early.
Some Apple iPhone owners in London and Seattle have reportedly already been able to play it, and other beta owners are expected to be invited soon.
We at Pocket-lint have also been testing the new augmented reality game for a few weeks now, and here are our thoughts and tips on what you can do in the closed beta and how to get started.
It is important to note that any progress made during the Minecraft Earth closed beta will not continue after the release of the full game. And many features of the final version are not yet available.
However, read on if you want to know more.
What is the Minecraft Earth Closed Beta?
Minecraft Earth is Microsoft's answer to Pokemon Go and Harry Potter: Wizard's Unite.
It's an augmented reality game for iOS and Android that allows us to create Minecraft creations together or with friends that overlay the real world for others to find, see and interact with.
Part of the gameplay revolves around collecting materials and mobs to build, while the rest is dedicated to creating Minecraft mini-worlds.
The final version of the game, which will be released at a later date, will add an adventure mode that will allow players to experience builds in a different way, but this is not part of the closed beta.
And an online store too. Therefore, you cannot currently purchase skins or mobs with cash - only collect them in the game.
How do you play Minecraft Earth?
You can see similarities between the main screen in Minecraft Earth and Pokemon Go (and other augmented reality games). It shows your character - male Steve or female Alex - on a map of your actual location. There will be collectable building resources around you and random mobs - a pig, a duck, etc.
They spawn within a catchment radius, represented by a circle around your location. Everyone in this circle is within reach.
You click on them to collect them, which break them down into individual items (blocks) to be added to your inventory for use in building.
Mobs will remain intact and can also be added to builds after being collected.
Minecraft Earth OSD
At the bottom of the screen are various menu items.
On the far left, you can open your inventory of collected items and equip them for use. The next menu icon is for searching friend invite codes. We have yet to play with someone who also has private access to the beta, so it hasn't proven to be very useful to us yet.
The next menu is perhaps the most important for now, as it allows you to start building or continue with an existing project.
There are currently several templates available for you to customize. They are ranked by your player's level (which increases as you build and gather materials) and are only unlocked once you've reached each specific level.
Assembly plates
There are two build options. Either place it on the ground to see what it looks like in the real world, or as a building plate to zoom in on it to change its appearance. Each time you exit this mode, it saves the template to reflect your changes.
There's a settings menu for turning off traditional Minecraft music and the like, as well as the ability to turn on/off precise mode.
Precise mode, when turned on, allows you to rotate the avatar with your finger. If disabled, you need to physically turn around to see all objects within the catchment area.
Basically so far. There's nothing special about the closed beta, as it's designed as a stress test for Microsoft rather than a full travel experience. That said, there's still enough to get a feel for how it will work at release, and while your builds won't survive the transition, it's worth seeing what you're capable of so you can eventually hit the ground running.
Our first impressions
The closed beta version of Minecraft Earth is surprisingly simple. To be honest, there isn't much to do right now, and until more people are accepted and few friends to share it with.
The adventure mode is sure to spice up the game. As well as an expansion of players who will post their builds around the world for you to check them out.
It's more advanced potential in its current form, though we like the idea that it's actually a lot easier to jump into than PG and Wizard's Unite. This means that it is more suitable for younger players as well.
Unfortunately, this means parents will have to hand their phones back to their kids, flushing the battery in the process. But Minecraft Earth is more of a collaborative game anyway, so in the future we may find it becomes an outdoor family craze.