Notes

I'm Trying To Understand Four-dimensional Minecraft I Froze My Brain

Human beings are extremely adept at navigating three-dimensional space. This is how the real world works. But try and add an extra dimension to something that's as easy as like Minecraft and things go from simple into the tangled.



4D Miner is, therefore confusing. Available as a free demo on Steam (opens in new tab) developer Mashpoe's unique approach to Minecraft is quite a bit to grasp even after you've completed an instructional video that explains the concept of dimensionality by way of an adorable frog.



This tutorial will introduce you to the concept of rotating through dimensions. It will show you how to play a 2D platformer and help you visualize how the "slice" is a representation of a larger 3D space. Scroll the mouse wheel and the slice will spin to change your 2D view.



Play the game and the same concept applies. You explore a 3D world, as per regular Minecraft. But as you scroll, your "slice" of the greater 4D space rotates, shearing the world against itself. It's confusing since I'm still trying see how the dimensions relate to one other. One appears to fold the universe inside itself, while a different invisible plane rotates against it or within it.
Extremecraft.Net


To continue exploring the world, you'll have to rotate your perspective through the fourth dimension. Things could fall from trees or from rock blocks that are not in your current view caves could open up into forest valleys, and you may be attacked by terrifying Hyperspiders from outside your current frame of reference.



There are tools that can help you understand 4D space. Making 4D glasses out of a the mysterious mineral will allow you to see things that are not in your limited vision, while the compass does more than inform you of where you are, it gives you a solid visualisation of how the 4D world is actually constructed.



At the moment, 4D Miner is a fairly basic emulation that mimics Minecraft's mechanics. However, the dimension is an added layer of complexity to something as simple as "how do I build a house in four dimensions". The game's creator even suggests four-dimensional multiplayer, which sounds like an ideal method to lose yourself with a companion.



"On the surface, this game may appear to be a bit similar to Minecraft and the inspiration is unquestionable," Mashpoe said in an explainer on YouTube. "But things like building, collecting resources, and even navigating the game's world are entirely different, and this effects pretty much every game mechanic.



"I intend to expand this aspect of the game further in the future, so that most of the new game mechanics and features are focused on how the player interacts with the fourth dimension."



Mashpoe tried to kickstart 4D Miner last month and was unfortunately unsuccessful and has since resorted to Patreon (opens in a new tab) to further develop the game. It's not easy to determine whether 4D Miner can stand on its own as a game, or remain a tech demo that is too confusing for its own good.



But I do absolutely want to see Mashpoe's experiments in 4D space go on. Just let me have an easy nap first, all this dimension-bending's given me a little headache.


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