August has come around again, the sun is shining, and I have recently reconnected with a figure from my past. In other words, everything is happening exactly like that mysterious palm reader told me that it would. 

Believe me, I was sceptical, but this amazing clairvoyant also told me that a fresh cavalcade of mini games, add-ons, texture packs, and skins would be available for Marketplace Pass and Realms Plus subscribers this very month. What's that? She was right again! Woah!

I'm sure that you, like me, are absolutely reeling from the astonishing accuracy of this mall palmist's predictive powers. Let's both try to maintain a veneer of composure for just long enough to see what's new on Marketplace Pass this month.

MINI GAMES

Some games need no introduction, and yet my cold-hearted editors insist that I write them anyway, even though I'm extremely tired. So, here's RLCraft Bedrock Edition V1.2 by Honeyfrost, widely regarded as one of the most accomplished - and hardcore - survival experiences around. Expect a transformative experience in which you'll find yourself working doubly hard to gather even the most basic materials, all while fending off attacks from some seriously scary mobs throughout the day and night. Adapt to these harsh new realities and you'll uncover a deep levelling system and incredibly satisfying progression. If you can survive long enough to see it, I mean. 

Ever wished you could click your fingers and watch skyscrapers, restaurants, and bustling stores burst into existence before your very eyes? Well, Craftable City by Lifeboat has helped me with the instant-skyscraper part, but according to a note from the developers they're unable to teach me how to click my fingers. The sight of my gleaming urban playground brings me comfort while I soundlessly slap my thumbs together.

The pale garden biome has been scaring even the most intrepid explorers (e.g. me, and people exactly like me) since 2024, but it's never looked quite so fabulous. That's all thanks to Pale Garden House by Overtales Studio, which adds a heap of stylish yet cozy buildings to this otherwise spooky biome. Sure, the outdoors may still be packed with creakings trying to headbutt me into the ground, but who cares when I get to live in a modish (and fully furnished) estate.

Yet more luxury awaits in Cozy Camp House by ThunderAy. Like a French lumberjack or a bear in an exquisitely tailored suit, this countryside home positively screams rustic chic. An outdoor pool, an elegant living area, and a dedicated target practice area complete the sumptuous package. C'est magnifique.

And then there's Modern Mansion by Dodo Studios, which is the perfect tonic for those of us recovering from being repeatedly pulverised in RLCraft. Relax and unwind in a giant mansion packed with tasteful home furnishings, before taking a dip in the gorgeous multi-level swimming pool. All while trying not to dwell on how frightening and fast and weird-looking that giant scorpion was in RLCraft.

ADD-ONS

When I think about friends, I think about: fun, laughter, and lying on my back in a rowboat while we take turns saying what shapes we see in the clouds. Now, after spending some time with Huggy & Friends Add-on by Spark Universe, I think about: fear, running, teeth, they're going to catch me, I can't get away, and teeth again. Try it for yourself if you fancy facing off against the likes of Huggy Wuggy, Mommy Long Leg, and The Doctor. Just don't say I didn't warn you. 

Now I've thought about this a lot, and I've come to the conclusion that teleportation is the ultimate superpower. After all, super strength is pretty neat, but the Hulk still has to wait in line at the airport with his wallet and belt in one of those grey plastic trays. Warpstones Add-on by Mythicus is a multiplayer-friendly add-on that grants you the power to teleport yourself to preset locations - or your fellow players - in the blink of an eye. That can be hugely convenient, in much the same way I'd find it very convenient to be able to teleport to Rome whenever I crave a tiramisu.

Before we go any further, let me ask you a question: have you ever wished you could ctrl+z your own decisions? While the eggheads at MIT tell me that they "believe the imminent development of such technology is unlikely" and that I should "please stop sending such desperate emails about it", Uncrafter+ 2.1 Add-on by Dalibu Studios is the next best thing. This powerful add-on lets you break crafted blocks back into their constituent parts. Excitingly, it works with a huge variety of other add-ons, allowing you to dismantle, disassemble, and otherwise undo whatever dubious crafting decisions you might have made.

Now here's a piece of advice. Whether we're talking about your paycheck, the friendships in your life, or the number of baguettes you can eat in a single sitting, I always say the same thing: more is better. More Blocks 3.0 by RareLoot is yet more proof of this bulletproof wisdom, introducing more than 80 new blocks in over 1,000 texture variations. Perfect if you're planning an ambitious new build, or if you're a person who likes to ceaselessly boast about the number of blocks at their disposal. I'm the latter.

If, like me, you would rather climb into a taxi full of wolverines than spend so much as an hour engaged in hard, honest work, then boy-oh-boy do I have the add-on for you. Auto Factory by Team Metallurgy is all about automation, offering a suite of labor-saving gadgetry to help you gather, move, and craft materials. With the help of conveyor belts, funnels, magnets, and more. you can create the redstone-compatible factory of your most Dickensian dreams.

5,000 is a really big number. Just ask my accountant, who tells me (often while crying) that it's the amount I need to earn every day for the next 30 years in order to "dig yourself out of the miserable financial hole you're in". It's also, coincidentally, the number of new blocks and furniture included in Blocks Update by Radium Studio. This block-stravaganza even plays nice with heaps of resource packs, making it a true boon for builders and interior designers.

Next up, nature! It's beautiful in the abstract, but the reality is that it's covered in mud and crawling with horrible bugs. That's why I've been using Auto Farming Add-on by Block Perfect Studios, which lets me grow productive crops inside pristine glass containers. Not only can these handsome vessels be used to create sprawling auto-harvesting farms, they also mean I don't suffer the indignity of getting soil under my freshly manicured fingernails. Ideal. 

Now I don't know about you, but the raw, physical effort of creating this article has unleashed a powerful hunger in me. Fortunately, Food Expansion by Mine-North is here to satisfy my appetite with a smorgasbord of culinary delights. There's dozens of new dishes to savor, along with new crops to cultivate and farming vehicles to drive around in a state of postprandial bliss. 

TEXTURE PACKS

Give your worlds a lick of crusty, medieval paint with Excalibur by Syclone Studios, a texture pack that drapes everything from blocks to mobs to UI elements in ye olde finery. The overall effect is so thoroughly middle ages-y that I found myself forming strong opinions on feudalism, the three-field system of crop rotation, and the shifting balance between royal and baronial power. You know, medieval stuff. 

Next up, we have a texture pack for the purists. Do you consider 16x16 textures the height of decadent excess? Do you long for simpler, more pared-back textures? Then look no further than Vanilla 8x by Giggle Block Studios, which lends Minecraft a pleasingly streamlined, almost minimalist look - like a gorgeous work of modern art. But with more creepers.

SKIN PACKS

Even when I find myself sick with rage (such as, hypothetically, when I'm disinvited from the annual Minecraft.net writers' pizza party for the crime of telling it like it is, and also for the crime of stealing unattended bags), I can always soothe myself by looking at some calming pastel tones. Pastel Colors HD by Wonder features eight pleasing pastel skins that I'm confident could pacify even a rampaging beast. My own testing was interrupted when I was bitten and kicked and trampled by said beast, but I remain committed to proving this theory.

Ever wished that half of your body was replaced with that of a giant, muscular fish? Of course you have! Mermaids Skin Pack by CupcakeBrianna lets you live out your piscine dreams with 11 detailed mermaid skins in a variety of colors. Take to the water to live your best mermaid life! Or just waddle around on dry land to really freak those landlubbers out. 

Next up, we have a skin pack so adventurous that it would scale the world's tallest mountains - if it wasn't cruelly held back by the fact that it's just downloadable software and doesn't have a physical form. Shed a tear, then, for Adventurers by Gamefam. It may never summit Everest, but it does feature eight bold, intrepid skins equipped with rugged outdoor gadgetry befitting their dauntless dispositions.

CHARACTER CREATOR ITEMS

The final items on our bumper list of treats making their way to Marketplace Pass this month are themed around the most frightening object known to humankind: the spooky skeleton. I'm sure you'll agree that it was very brave of me to even attempt to write about these Character Creator items, much less to assemble them in a gorgeously formatted bullet-point list. 

● RGB Skeleton Head by CubeCraft Games

● Dark Scary Wings by Street Studios

● RGB Skeleton Pants by CubeCraft Games

● RGB Skeleton Top by CubeCraft Games

● Black Bold Glow Fire hands by Horizon Blocks

● Abyss Feet by Meraki

And there we have it: another month that is sure to go down in the history books principally for reasons relating to Minecraft Marketplace. I've never actually met a historian, but I assume that's what they're all up to, right?

Something in this list of goodies caught your eye? All you need to do is sign up to Marketplace Pass today to gain access to this treasure trove of mini games, add-ons, textures packs, and more. Or, if you're the sociable type, you could subscribe to Realms Plus to get all this and an always-online server for you and up to 10 friends to stomp around in.