Minecraft’s Longest-Running City Builds Explained

Building is one of the core gameplay elements in Minecraft, and considering how long the game has been around it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to learn that some fans have learned how to take Minecraft builds above and beyond what most players would. The Minecraft community is home to several massive building projects, some of which are trying to capture the size and scope of real-world cities.

Minecraft has a large and active fanbase full of content creators who work to improve the game for other players. Everything from texture packs to shaders can be installed, and many fans compile modpacks to completely alter the foundation of the game. Some creators even come out with mods that are bigger than Minecraft‘s official updates. Although the latest Minecraft release, Caves & Cliffs, will add new biomes and world generation into the game, some players argue that it can’t compare to long-running mods that have done the same on a more expansive level much earlier.

Large-scale building projects are another staple of the Minecraft fan community. Players have been making giant structures since Minecraft was first released, many of which take weeks or even months to finish. Some builds, however, are on another level entirely and could take years to complete. City builds, which drop players into the middle of a full-scale town full of unique structures, are some of the most notable of these projects. Here are a few of Minecraft‘s oldest and largest surviving city builds.

Long-Running Minecraft City Builds – Greenfield

Arguably one of the largest and most detailed Minecraft city builds, Greenfield is built on a 1:1 scale, with one block equaling exactly one meter. The scale helps to create the feeling of a real city that includes thousands of unique buildings, almost all of which sport fully decorated interiors. The build began in August 2011 and was last updated in 2020. As massive as Greenfield is, it’s currently only 20% complete, meaning there are plans to eventually add much more to the world.

Long-Running Minecraft City Builds – Mattupolis

A modern city project that was started in late 2011, Mattupolis is currently about halfway to completion. The map is inspired by the Pacific Northwest, and includes around 200 high rises to explore. However, most buildings are currently unfurnished. As the build’s most recent update was in April 2019, it’s currently unclear when Mattupolis will finally be finished, but for the time being players can still visit the many locations across the city that are already fully-built.

Long-Running Minecraft City Builds – Project Zearth

Unlike the other city builds listed here, Project Zearth is 100% complete, and was finished just last year. The build ran from 2010 to 2020, with an entire decade of construction work dedicated to shaping its world. The map is divided into three distinct regions, and each region contains cities full of rich lore and backstory. There are multiple travel options available to help players travel around the world. Until Caves & Cliffs’ new biomes are released later this year, visiting these giant builds could provide Minecraftfans with hours worth of new content and areas to explore.

About The Author

Ky Shinkle
(528 Articles Published)

Ky Shinkle is a Senior Gaming Features Writer for Screen Rant as well as an overall avid gamer and writer. Her prior experience is primarily that of a narrative designer for video games, although her writing has covered all formats from screenplays and novels to stage scripts. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, when she isn’t writing she works on digital media projects and other types of fiction writing. Ky currently works out of Ohio and enjoys spending her free time either playing RPGs or running with her dog.

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