I've been interested in this game for quite a while but I never had a clear idea regarding this game's DRM nature. From what I can gather I need to login at least once to download the game files, which is fine for me since it's like logging in my GOG account, but then my confusion starts here:

Q1: Once I download the game files etc etc, can I play the game in full single player mode without ever log in to my mojang account? As in play in my fallout vault till death do us apart, or do I have to log in even for that?

Q2: Can I play Multiplayer (LAN/VPN mode) without ever logging in to my mojang account? Hosting my own server isn't an issue.

I don't mind logging in from time to time to download updates as this would be no different than GOG*

the launcher will attempt to update itself every time you fire it up but, once you download the necessary files, you can 'play offline' to your hearts content.

however, the launcher will try to log you in to your Mojang account whenever it has an internet connection.

there is a server option for 'offline mode' in which the server will not attempt to authenticate users with Mojang.

Slightly different suggestion: try Minetest. Minetest is a free open source Minecraft clone available for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android. It plays and looks almost exactly like Minecraft and has plenty of mods.

Word of warning, the default installer doesn't have mobs, you have to add them in via mods if you want them.

You can grab Minetest (and mods for it) over at its official site: http://www.minetest.net/

built on C++ with an actual, dedicated modding API. Very nice, I'm going to check this out myself.


While it does have mods, it is a dearth of selection when held up in comparison to the fervent fecundity possessing the community of the game it is imitating.

it is an excellent alternative to vanilla SSP, however.

Thank you for your responses so far, it seems like I might actually call Minecraft's online conditions as non-DRM (with a few hosts file 127.0.0.1 blocks).

For now I'll go with NoNewTaleToTell's suggestion of Minetest, it might have enough content to make me happy, all I'm looking for is single/multi player survival and free build modes, anything else will be extra fluff.

Buy Terraria!












(someone had to say that eventually =)

Minetest is nice, it has a fair amount of in-game content for a bit of building and sandboxing, but for some reason I enjoy Terraria more.

Minetest aint got that TerraFirmaCraft tho ;)



every time I say, "I'm going to finally do some serious Terraria'ing"


I end up playing Starbound

I've had Terraria on GOG almost since it came here, I love that one too ;)

Hmm. That Minetest is interesting. Maybe I'll try that.

If you want to play on any public servers, most will require that you are authenticated to an account. I run a private server for my friends, and I use whitelisting to only allow friends on. That feature does require users to have a Mojang account.

For what I can tell (seeing some kids playing it), it is a bit like Steam's offline mode. Ie. if it is already installed, it tries to connect to Mojang servers for updates and stuff, but lets you play offline, if it can't connect.

However, I am unsure if installing/transferring the game to a new PC and play there, without an internet connection, is possible (like you can do with e.g. GOG games). Maybe it is, and even if it wasn't, maybe that is not important to you?

If it lets me download on 1 computer, then transfer the files to another computer and I can play without internet right from the get go then I'd call that DRM Free, even if it searches for Mojang servers but if it still runs I think it qualifies. As for the updates I kinda compare them to GOG, where you still have to log in once to download the patch.

Same here. Now the remaining question is, does it allow that? :) There's a good possibility it does. I'm just thinking that it is connected to an account, so do those account credentials get copied with the files, and work without re-connecting to Mojang servers?

I recall Minecraft saves the savegames and stuff somewhere in %appdata%\.minecraft\, so at least that needs to be copied to the new PC, to exactly the same place I guess. There are files like "launcher_profiles.json" and "usercache.json" under there, are they possibly the user credentials?

Older versions did, if you copied the folder to another computer you were good to go. But that was before the current launcher was introduced (with version 1.5, IIRC). Not sure how it works now. I back up my installation by copying the game folder and the installer to an external disk, but I haven't tried copying it to another computer.
I can confirm however that it tries to connect to Mojang servers everytime you launch the game to update. If it can't for whatever reason, no problem, you can play in offline mode. And there is no other way to update the game AFAIK.

I share your curiosity about Minecraft's DRM policy. Logging in for the initial download aligns with various platforms. My main query is about offline play - does it require periodic re-verification? Would appreciate any insights or experiences on this matter. Also, be cautious of unofficial sources like 'minecraft free download pc' as they may pose risks to your system's security. Stick to official channels for a safe gaming experience. Visit: (minecraftofficial.com/minecraft-for-pc/)