Sandy Secrets

But a few months later, Briskaard relented. He tried Minecraft out; “I instantly fell in love with the simple beauty [of it],” he tells me.

Brought up on Lego, Briskaard is a naturally creative person who’s enjoyed building and creating since childhood. “My skills with 3D software aren’t much [good]”, he tells me, “Minecraft helps me create things easily, in addition [to] gathering resources and fighting.”

The first of his builds to catch my eye was the Chinese Great Wall Villa build, which impresses with its stylish interior and realistic setting. “The Chinese Villa is an actual building close to the great wall,” Briskaard says. “I spent a weekend with friends [there] and I fell in love with the place.” He also got to meet the designer of the villa and have a chat with him, although he admits his mandarin is not so hot. 羞耻!

With the Desert Temple build, Briskaard had decided he wanted to take work-in-progress images to document his progress. He found himself stopping at key points in the build to take pictures, and getting an inadvertent (but very beneficial) opportunity to take a step back from the process. This way, he says, he saw the bigger picture and could identify areas that needed more work. “That’s actually a great thing,” he explains, “to look at your build from a distance to see if the proportions and [everything] else are harmonious.”

But that’s not all. Waaaaaaay back at the start of this story, I told you the Desert Temple has a secret, waiting for an enterprising player to puzzle it out.

“If you download the map, you might be able to solve an enigma and enter a secret world,” Briskaard teases. “You have to input the right password with the item frames.” Apparently, there’s a clue to be found on a sign above the button which activates the secret door. However, Briskaard doesn’t want to give away too much, he already thinks he’s made it too easy.

“Stick to three colours maximum, document your builds, look for inspiration on the internet, don’t hesitate to destroy small parts if you aren’t happy with them, experiment and make mistakes.” He also recommends planning and adding details; “it changes everything.”

Briskaard’s biggest influence, however, seems to be those that enjoy his builds. “I’m trying my best to create harmonious and pleasant-looking buildings for me, and also for you,” he says. “That’s such a pleasure, when you create something and you [get] feedback from other players.”

Wonderful! Now, how about we end this story with you telling me the secret of the Desert Temple? No? Come on! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.