What you need to know
- Meet a Minecrafter is a YouTube series that looks at the incredible ways players are using Minecraft to help their community.
- The latest episode talks about Autcraft, a dedicated server built to be a safe haven for players with autism.
- Players can talk about their feelings, engage with other players safely, and enjoy a fun, engaging environment without fear of bullying.
- In Meet a Minecraft, you meet Stuart Duncan, A.K.A "AutismFather," who created Autcraft and keeps it alive.
Minecraft sometimes is much, much more than just a game. From Swedish girls improving their communities, college students hosting remote graduation ceremonies, and incredible projects like the Uncensored Library, Minecraft can take on many forms. This is because creativity and openness are encouraged, and players can be who they want. Dedicated servers and the ability to create your own worlds for friends, family, and strangers alike mean players can truly make Minecraft exactly what they want it to be.
The latest episode of Meet a Minecraft goes over one of these instances, and lets you meet Stuart Duncan, otherwise known as "AutismFather," and see the Minecraft server he created years ago: Autcraft. Autcraft is, at its core, a safe haven for players that have autism, who otherwise are at risk of being bullied or subjected to toxic behavior, even in a generally demure game like Minecraft.
A whitelisted server means not just anyone can log on to the server and wreak havoc, and moderators, accessibility settings built into the game and the server, and a reward system that encourages friendly behavior ensure Autcraft is a place players can feel accepted, make new friends, and practice social skills to use in the real world. It's a powerful project that has apparently attracted more than 11,000 players in its lifetime, and is still continuously being updated with the latest Minecraft features, including the Nether Update.
It's already incredible that these kids and other players can always have a safe place to go, but Autcraft is genuinely changing lives, by giving people with autism the practice and tools they need to make friends, find jobs, and live the way they want to in the real world. And while the interview is for Stuart Duncan, it's really about the people who need Autcraft, "...because none of this, ever, was ever about me. It's about them. It's about the players, the children, the adults, the families. Everyone involved with autism. And giving them a safe place they can play a game they love, and not have to worry about it."
You can find out more about Autcraft on their official website, and how you can help the server continue to grow. As always, I love seeing the ways Minecraft can improve the communities it's used in, and how players are using Minecraft as a force for good, rather than just a game.
Available everywhere you play.
Minecraft is an inarguable and complete success. It has sold copies in the hundreds of millions, has a huge following of dedicated players, and lets you unlock your every creative desire. It's also available on every platform imaginable, including Xbox One, Windows 10, Playstation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Play with anyone, and play anywhere.
