Day #20: Sunday, April 5, 2020

With free time coming in spades as more and more activities outside are halted or hindered, it feels nearly impossible to keep myself entertained for much longer. I’ve gone back and played games I’ve never got to finish like “DOOM,” I’ve picked up new games of series that I love like “Fire Emblem,” and I’ve even shared a crack at reading and watching movies. While they have supplied me with hours of enjoyment, the thing I miss the most is collaborative play with friends.

This is where an unexpected entertainer for me and many others come out. “Minecraft,” more specifically Bed Wars. While the vanilla version of “Minecraft” doesn’t really do anything for me, the idea of Bed Wars is extremely interesting as both a concept and in execution. 

The central idea of Bed Wars is that four teams are put on a map with one bed each. This bed grants the ability for you and your teammates to respawn after you die, but once it’s broken the ability to respawn is gone. This means once your team all dies once with their bed gone, you lose the game. The way you win is if all the enemy team’s beds are destroyed and all the teams are eliminated.

It’s deceivingly simple, there are hundreds of different ways to play. Before it rarely used to catch my interest but recently with self-quarantine, I found myself growing more and more familiar with the mechanics and design of the game. Should I go straight into the action and risk having my bed destroyed, or should I lay low and play defensive? Use high utility tools like pickaxes, axes, and potions, or go for the more tried and true options like swords, and armor? No two games are alike and I’ve played games that have lasted to as little as two minutes to as long as twenty minutes. It’s highly enjoyable with a group of friends and a fun way to pass times in a time where going outside with others isn’t an option anymore.