November 2017’s top 10 Minecraft Marketplace creations

Minecraft is more than a game. It’s a cultural force and a living service. Microsoft, which bought the block-building exploration adventure and its studio in 2014, has spent the time since then unifying Minecraft and finding ways to unlock its creative potential. The Minecraft Marketplace is the key to Microsoft’s vision, and it’s the community that powers the Marketplace with their creations that they build for and sell to other fans. Now, GamesBeat is working directly with Microsoft and developer Mojang to uncover how players are using this opportunity to build something they love while also generating cash.

Starting today, GamesBeat will publish a monthly top 10 chart that tracks the most-downloaded paid pieces of content on the Minecraft Marketplace. The in-game store features fan-created skin packs, texture packs, and worlds. They can transform the standard Minecraft into a magical kingdom or a prehistoric dinosaur realm. Back in September, Microsoft revealed that the Minecraft community had already earned $1 million from Marketplace sales after just two months.

Using our monthly sales chart, I can call out trends and put the spotlight on talented creators. I plan to talk to the people responsible for authoring this content. If someone is charting month after month and doing this as their primary source of income, I’ll bring you their story. If someone stumbled onto a surprise hit because something they made for a friend went viral, we’ll talk about that as well. But I expect I will spend most months trying to talk to people about what it’s like to exist at the intersection of fandom, artistry, and commerce.

Let’s get to the top-10 list. As a reminder, Microsoft provided this data, and it represents the most-downloaded paid content from both the community and Mojang.

Minecraft Marketplace top 10

“Whiterock Castle” by Blockception

Rank: 1

Details: World – 4.7/5 user rating. A medieval fantasy castle with complex architecture.

Store description: “Explore the lands of Whiterock Castle and start your own adventure!”

“Wildlife: Savanna” by PixelHeads

Rank: 2

Details: World – 4.7/5 user rating. Meet lions, elephants, and more along with your safari crew.

Store description: “Go on safari in a rugged off-road vehicle to discover brand new landscapes and exotic animals. Find giraffes, zebras and even cheetahs (if you’re quick enough!), and befriend them for a whole new wildlife experience.”

“Dinosaur Island” by PixelHeads

Rank: 3

Details: World – 4.5/5 user rating. Deal with a variety of dinosaurs on a tropical island.

Store description: “Overrun by prehistoric beasts after the scientists lost control of their genetic experiments, explore and discover the hidden mysteries of this intriguing island.”

“Wizard’s Retreat” by Imagiverse

Rank: 4

Details: World – 4.1/5 user rating. Like a “Harry Potter Tower” from PUBG.
Store description: “Enter the Wizard’s Retreat as autumn casts its spell! Free the local wizard and gain a head start brewing your first potions, or begin your magical journey as an apprentice in this mystical land.”

“Jig’s Guide: Redstone Basics” by Jigarbov Productions

Rank: 5

Details: World – 4.4/5 user rating. An in-game teaching tool.

Store description: “Players can take a deeper dive into what each redstone component actually does by completing a voiced tutorial, along with dozens of test chambers and an endless sandstone world to practice in.”

“Sunnyside Academy” by Imagiverse

Rank: 6

Details: World – 4.3/5 user rating. A functioning town with a school at its center.

Store description: “Gear up for school with friends, or tackle solo assignments, build your own home and help maintain the town in this colorful neighborhood!”

“PureBDcraft” by BDcraft

Rank: 7

Details: Texture pack – 5/5 user rating. Revamps every texture to make things look more comic-book-like.

Store description: “Completely transform your Minecraft world into a comic! Blocks, Items, Mobs and UI are revamped with this bright, bold High Def pack in 32x, 64x and 128x resolutions, full of details and geeky references.”

“Adventure Time Mash-up” by Minecraft

Rank: 8

Details: Mash-up pack – 4.8/5 user rating. Brings the Adventure Time cartoon into Minecraft with textures, skins, and the Land of Ooo world.

Store description: “With Jake the Dog and Finn the Human, and a bundle of their friends, it’s Adventure Time!… Mash-up! Featured in this pack: your favorite Adventure Time characters, the Land of Ooo, a bespoke texture set, BMO themed UI and original soundtrack.”

“Summer Mini Games Festival” by Noxcrew

Rank: 9

Details: World – 4.4/5 user rating. A wonderland of obstacle courses and activity centers.

Store description: “Take a daytrip and test your skills at Mini-Golf, Blocksketball and the shooting range. Other summertime shenanigans include playing Splashdown in a luxury boat, Spleef in a volcano and monkeying around in the Aqua Jungle.”

“Land’s End” by Blockworks

Rank: 10

Details: World – 4.6/5 user rating. A fantasy mansion on rocky cliffs.

Store description: “From the great library to the palace throne room, players will have tons of secrets to discover or the best fairy-tale city to call their own.”