Our live lessons are currently taught in Turkish. Our education advisors can talk with you in English.
Game Design with Minecraft
- No prior knowledge needed; they make their own work from the first lesson
- A group of 8–10, online lessons in Turkish with a teacher
Children ages 8–12 who love Minecraft and want to make something with it. Those curious about the rules of game design. Those who want to start with blocks and move on to text-based code later (a short look at Python in lesson 10).
Every lesson is online with a teacher: a short explanation, then the child creates their own work. In a group of 8–10, the teacher looks at every screen; each lesson is 90 minutes.
Your child can think about a game in terms of its rules, the situations those rules create, and how it makes the player feel (mechanics, dynamics, aesthetics); program the in-game robot (the Agent) with loop, conditional, and sensor blocks; build story, scoring, and simulation systems; and present a portfolio of five playable worlds.
From playing to designing: why Minecraft?
Game Design with Minecraft is a one-year live online game design and coding course for children ages 8–12: 32 lessons, one 90-minute lesson a week, and groups of 8–10. Your child builds five playable game worlds in Minecraft Education and, along the way, learns block-based coding, the core ideas of game design, and 3D modeling.
Most children already know Minecraft; in this course, that world becomes a tool for making things. Minecraft Education is the version of Minecraft designed for learning; it comes with a block-based coding tool called MakeCode and a programmable robot called the Agent. In the course, your child is on the building side, not the playing side: in their own world, they try things out and see why a puzzle feels hard, how players know where to go, and why a level feels boring.
The course looks at games from three angles, which game designers call mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics: the rules of the game, the situations those rules create during play, and what the player feels. Your child also takes on four roles on a game team, one after another: developer, level designer, environment artist, and systems designer.
From the second module on, each module ends with a playtest lesson: your child tries out their world on their own and with classmates, finds the spots where players get stuck, fixes the bugs, and adjusts the balance. The year ends with a presentation of the simulation world your child builds around their own creature, designed in Blockbench; by then, they have a portfolio of five worlds.
How does the course work?
Lessons are live: the child asks the teacher questions out loud, shares their screen and talks through their work with the group.
The teacher can see every child’s screen, so a child who gets stuck is noticed.
The teacher checks in during the lesson. Instead of giving the solution, the teacher shows where to look.
Every module ends with a finished piece of work; the child presents it to the group, and the work is kept in their portfolio.
We talk about age and experience and suggest the right group. If you’d rather not get a call, you can message us on WhatsApp.
Request a callProgram
Basics and designing spaces
Your child gets to know Minecraft Education as a development tool: they create a world, adjust its settings, and switch between game modes. They add characters (NPCs) to their world, each with a name, a look, and a greeting. They place blocks using X, Y, and Z coordinates and commands, build a watchtower, and set the mood of an area by choosing colors, lighting, and materials. The module ends with their first playable world, which brings these pieces together.
Agent: Puzzle lab
The Agent is a small robot in Minecraft Education that is controlled with code. Your child programs it with MakeCode blocks. First, they guide it out of a maze with a sequence of commands. Then they have it build structures with loops, and they use sensors and “if… then” blocks so it can notice obstacles and make decisions. They also build an automated farm. In lesson 10, they get a short introduction to Python and write their first lines of code. At the end of the module, they use redstone blocks, which work like electrical circuits in Minecraft, to design puzzles that open a path when solved; as classmates solve the puzzles, your child sees where players get stuck and fixes those spots.
RPG adventure and narrative
Your child builds a story-driven adventure game (RPG): a hero, a world, a conflict, and a reward. They write conditionals that lead to different outcomes depending on the player’s choices and track quest progress with variables, so new areas open up as the player advances. They organize the characters’ lines in a data format called JSON, check for syntax errors in VS Code, and build dialogue that branches based on the player’s answers. At the end of the module, they test their game by trying out different story paths.
Arcade: progression systems
Your child builds an arcade game with parkour levels. They write a scoring system that shows points, time, or the number of falls on a scoreboard at the side of the screen, and add triggers that respond with sounds and effects when the player reaches a certain spot or score. Thanks to checkpoints, a player who falls doesn’t have to start over; timed power-ups such as speed and jump boosts are also added to the game. The module ends with an in-class tournament: classmates play, and your child fixes the bugs that come up and rebalances the level’s difficulty.
Simulation: full customization
Your child designs their own creature: first they sketch the idea and its silhouette, then build its 3D model out of cubes in Blockbench, paint its texture with pixel art, animate its walking and idle movements, and bring the creature into Minecraft. Next, they write a simulation that tracks the creature’s needs, such as hunger, energy, and happiness, with points that change over time. The year ends with a presentation of this world: your child explains their design decisions, and classmates try out the world.
By the end of the course, your child can: think about a game in terms of its rules, the situations those rules create, and how it makes the player feel (mechanics, dynamics, aesthetics) · program the in-game robot (the Agent) with loop, conditional, and sensor blocks · build story, scoring, and simulation systems · present a portfolio of five playable worlds.
Is this course right for your child?
A good fit if
- Your child is 8–12 and would rather build things in Minecraft than just play; they don’t need to have coded before.
- They are curious about designing their own game, puzzle, or quest.
- They enjoy creating stories and designing characters and creatures.
Another course may suit them better
- If Minecraft doesn’t interest them and they are 8–11, they can make their own games and animations with Scratch in Coding Workshop.
- If they are 12 and ready to move on to text-based code, Python for Beginners (ages 12–14) may suit them better.
- If they are 12 and most interested in making 3D games in a game engine, Game Development with Unity (ages 12–16) is another option; there, they write C#.
Prices
1 live lesson a week · 90 min; groups of 8–10. There is no automatic renewal. If you buy two or more 32-week packages together (two courses for one child, or the same or different courses for siblings), you get 25% off each of those packages.
About four months; the first half of the course.
Let’s talk about this packageA school year; the whole course.
Let’s talk about this packagePrices are for Game Design with Minecraft, VAT included. Choose a package and request a call. If you decide to enroll, our education advisor sends you a personal payment link; on that page, you’ll see the package, the amount you’ll pay, and how long the link is valid. Withdrawal and refund terms are set out on the “Delivery and refunds” page.
There is no free trial lesson; you choose the course and the package together with our education advisor. There is no automatic renewal; whether to continue is your decision.
Our education advisor will call you, answer your questions and suggest the right group.
Practical information
- Work outside class
- There is no homework; children work on projects throughout the course.
- Required tools
- A Windows or Mac computer, a camera, and a microphone. We use Minecraft Education, the 3D modeling program Blockbench, and the code editor VS Code. The Minecraft Education license is included in the course fee and is valid for the length of the course; Blockbench and VS Code are free. After the course ends, a separate license is needed to open their worlds in Minecraft Education. We’ll share setup details during the call.
- Prerequisites
- No prior knowledge is needed; the course starts from the very beginning. We review age and prior experience together during the call.
- What they’ll have at the end
- A portfolio of five playable worlds, their own creature that they designed and animated in Blockbench, and the simulation world they presented to the class.
- Certificate
- Children receive a certificate at the end of the course.
Frequently asked questions
Do children in the Minecraft course just play games?
No. In Game Design with Minecraft, the goal is to make games, not to play them; the course teaches coding and game design with Minecraft. Your child programs the small robot (the Agent) in Minecraft Education with MakeCode blocks, builds puzzles and quests for players, writes scoring and checkpoint systems, and designs their own creature in the 3D modeling program Blockbench. Playing happens only while children test the worlds they have made; every module ends with a world that others can play too.
Can a child who has never played Minecraft join?
Yes. Game Design with Minecraft starts from the very beginning: the first lessons teach how to build a world in Minecraft Education and place blocks with commands, and coding with blocks begins in lesson 6. Knowing Minecraft makes things easier, but it isn’t required; your child doesn’t need to have coded before, either.
What is the Agent?
The Agent is a small robot in Minecraft Education that is controlled with code. Your child gives it commands with MakeCode blocks: move forward, turn, place a block, detect what’s ahead. In lessons 6–12 of Game Design with Minecraft, children use the Agent to solve mazes, build structures, and make an automated farm; this is how programming ideas like loops and conditionals become concrete.
What do mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics mean?
Mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics are three layers that game designers use when analyzing a game. Mechanics are the rules of the game: what the player can do and how they score points. Dynamics are the situations those rules create during play: players race, hurry, and plan strategies. Aesthetics are what the player feels: curiosity, excitement, a sense of achievement. In Game Design with Minecraft, your child sees in their own world how changing a rule changes the player’s experience.
Do I need to buy a Minecraft license?
No. In Game Design with Minecraft, the Minecraft Education license is included in the course fee and is valid for the length of the course; you don’t need any other version of Minecraft at home. After the course ends, a separate license is needed to open their worlds in Minecraft Education. The 3D modeling program Blockbench and the code editor VS Code, which are used in the course, are free.
Game Design with Minecraft or Coding Workshop?
Both courses start with block-based coding, and their age ranges overlap (8–12 and 8–11). Game Design with Minecraft focuses on game design: your child builds five game worlds in Minecraft Education and programs the small in-game robot (the Agent) with blocks. Coding Workshop focuses on the basics of programming: your child makes their own animations, stories, and games in Scratch from the ground up. The two courses can be taken one after the other or in the same term. If you buy two or more 32-week packages together (two courses for one child, or the same or different courses for siblings), you get 25% off each of those packages. We’ll choose together during the call, based on your child’s interests.
What days and times are the lessons?
The lesson day and time are set after enrollment: our education advisor calls you and, taking into account the days and times your child is available, places your child in a suitable group.
What if they miss a lesson?
We send you the recording of the missed lesson, so your child can watch it.
How much does Game Design with Minecraft cost?
16 weeks cost 30,000 TL and 32 weeks cost 55,000 TL; prices include VAT. There is no automatic renewal. If you buy two or more 32-week packages together (two courses for one child, or the same or different courses for siblings), you get 25% off each of those packages: 82,500 TL instead of 110,000 TL for two packages.
What computer is needed?
A Windows or Mac computer, a camera, and a microphone. We’ll explain the setup steps during the call.
Does my child need to know English?
No. Lessons are taught in Turkish, and your child doesn’t need to know English. The meaning of the English words in the commands (such as /fill and /summon) is explained in class.
Is there homework? Do children get a certificate?
There is no homework; children work on projects throughout the course. Each module ends with a finished project, and you can follow your child’s progress through these projects. Children receive a certificate at the end of the course.
Can we take another area at the same time?
Yes. Coding, AI, and financial literacy lessons are independent of each other and can be taken in the same term. We plan the weekly schedule together in the call; each course is priced separately.