"Minecraft" is this generation's Super Mario. It's an international phenomenon. Unless you've been living on the moon, you probably already know these things.
It's on computers, phones, tablets, and game consoles — including the Switch as of pretty recently. It's at your local mall, occupying kiosks with plushies and T-shirts. There's a semiannual convention ("MineCon") and an education initiative that's got it in schools (MinecraftEDU).
But why is it so popular? Think of "Minecraft" as virtual LEGO.
It's a system for fitting pieces together to create something — sometimes amazing somethings — from nothing. "Minecraft" provides endless building blocks and a blank canvas. It's up to you to create something incredible, or silly, or referential, or whatever, using the tools it provides. The tools are blessedly user-friendly, as are the systems for employing those tools.
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