DIY worlds

Minecraft: King's Landing, Time.com

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Pixel block by pixel block you can build your own world in Minecraft.  Creativity is the keyword here, only possibly rivaled by building in Second Life.

Up close Minecraft looks like a "World of 8-bit LEGOs."  However, there are mods to change the appearance; the article "Adding Texture Mods" explains how they work and gives links to some sites that offer the mods and textures.  You can download the game and many addons and variations at Softpedia by searching on 'minecraft' in games. The game itself costs 26.24 USD and you buy directly from the creator.

But appearance isn't the appeal of Minecraft -- it's the creative potential.  As an article in Time (for subscribers only) -- "The Mystery of Minecraft" -- puts it:

Now, insanely addictive video games, it's fair to say, usually don't have fabulous reputations among the unaddicted. At best they may be regarded as irritating time sinks (Farmville), at worst as potential threats to society (any violent game allegedly played by someone who turns out to be a mass murderer). Minecraft is different. The deeper you get into it, the more it looks like a form of self-education masquerading as entertainment, which is why parents tend not to see it as a scourge and teachers are bringing it into the classroom. "It follows rules, just like the real world," says Mark Frauenfelder, the editor of Make magazine, the bible of the do-it-yourself hobbyists of all ages who make up the thriving maker movement. "You put together materials with varying properties. You have to be aware of physics. You have to understand levers and ramps and can even build electric circuits."

Time also has a section on Minecraft that is open to the public.  Be sure to take a look at the "15 Best Minecraft Creations." There I found this video of a Minecraft creation called "Razul Adventure Map," also available on YouTube and by Block Fortress.
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Time to start building a world...

-- Marge