Two friends recently returned from a trip, telling me they had visited a vast arcade full of exciting, challenging, and silly games. They vied for top spots on the leaderboards. They beat scores and overcame challenges, claiming prizes like cosmetic items, collectable plushies, and arcade-appropriate snacks like popcorn, hotdogs, and slushies. Naturally, the place had a nostalgic checkboard floor.
“Ah!” I exclaimed. “How did you two get early access to the Minecraft summer free add-on??”
My friends seemed confused, but they can’t fool me. Because that’s right – inspired by the Chaos Cubed drop, and its themes of unpredictable play and exploration – we are releasing the free Chaos Cubed: Pixel party add-on by Hogskull Labs. And the name of the game is arcade games!
Coincidence? I don’t think so.
A game within a game within a game?
After installing the Pixel Party add-on, you will have to first find the Arcade Cave. And despite my friends doggedly claiming they visited “Copenhagen”, I know where the Arcade Cave truly lies: in the sulfur caves biome. Once you dig down and locate the Arcade Cave, you’ll discover five unique arcade machines within!
Interacting with a machine transports you into a contained minigame – you are quite literally diving into a game within a game. Or a game within a game within a game, if you count the machine itself.
All of the games utilize the diverse physics properties of sulfur cubes. Bounce speeding cubes in Netherball, dominate tank battles by launching explosive cubes in Metal Mania, launch paint cubes from cannons in Paint Frenzy, and chase high scores by flipping a cube around an End-themed arena in Void Pinball!
The best part? You can collect all five games and bring the fun to your base. That way you can build your arcade to look any way you want and won’t have to travel far to find it.
The winner takes it all
Don’t forget the rewards! There are two kinds: challenge rewards and prizes you can claim from the Reward Kiosk.
Challenge rewards work like this: Each time you play one of the games (except Paint Frenzy), you have a chance to beat three specific challenges. These are per-player, and progress persists across sessions. Challenges might be reaching a certain number of points, winning multiple times in a row, or something totally different! Completing challenges grants a one-time reward: one of 10 collectable pet spawners. These spawners release persistent companions into the world, including a pirate crab(!) and a little frog with a wizard hat(!!). Need I say more.
As for the Rewards Kiosk, that’s where you’ll find cosmetics, plushies, and consumables. You’ll win tickets you can spend on these prizes by playing on the machines – better performance, more tickets! Treat yourself with candyfloss, churros or soda, collect cool cosmetics like the cyberpunk neon jacket, neon samurai mask or pixel dragon wings, or claim a plushie to display as undisputable proof of your skills.
DIY Arcade
Want to build your own Void Pinball? For creative types, this add-on is also an invaluable toolset. In Creative Mode, you’ll find basketball hoops, pinball flippers, hover bumpers, cube spawners and more – enabling the world builders among you to create your own competitive experiences, no scripting necessary.
Find the free Chaos Cubed: Pixel Party add-on at Minecraft Marketplace and dive into an arcade experience you won’t find anywhere else. I mean, where else would you have to dodge skeletons, witches, creepers and noxious gasses to access a game arcade?
Take that, Copenhagen.
Disclaimer: Requires Minecraft: Bedrock Edition (sold separately). Multiplayer functionality on console requires platform specific online subscription (sold separately).
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