Minecraft is an alluringly moving target to try to pin down, and so in order to assess how it is "well-played"-well-designed and iteratively well-redesigned, in this particular case-we need to think more broadly about the approach the developers have taken toward the creation of the game in addition to its formal game mechanics. This means that we cannot examine only the game's design the game however, we must be aware of the changing goals of the game's designers as well as the actions of players in the game, and what the interactions between designer and players can mean for the game's development. This paper will outline the game and follow its development through the Alpha and Beta stages. Then, Addict Gaming 'll isolate the two key player activities within the game-construction and survival. I'll then explain how the game's success is due to the interrelations and tensions between the two activities. Then, I'll talk about how Minecraft's tensions between construction and survival have caused it to be seen more as a gaming platform, one that is explicitly facilitated by the game's design, and that has led to fascinating experiments in games for learning, game play as a learning space, and games as playgrounds for the exploration of artistic goals.