Minecraft has been available for Android since 2011 when the Pocket Edition was launched. A demo version was also available until 2013 when it was removed. After 5 year Mojang has decided to offer Android users another chance to try the world-famous game. A new demo named Minecraft Trial has recently surfaced on the Play Store.
It appears that the app is only available in a few countries as a soft-launch is currently taking place. US users can’t download the trial for now but the situation will certainly change in the following months.
Demos for the other platforms have been available for years. The PC edition has two demos, one in the form of the JAVA edition, which is available since 2012 and the newer Bedrock version which can be found on the Microsoft Store but only Windows 10 users can access the app.
The Android trial version only offers a limited experience. Users that download the app are limited to the survival mode and there is a time limit. Even with the limitations the app still offers you plenty of time in order to decide if you want to pay for the full version.
Mojang did take their time before releasing a new Android demo but the trial has already attracted a large number of users. Most developers that offer paid apps won’t offer a trial and some of the reviews received by the Minecraft trial may justify their lack of enthusiasm. The top reviews beg for the game to go completely free, a scenario that is not likely to happen without the introduction of free-to-play transactions that are prone to become controversial.
Truth to be told, Mojang weren’t obliged to release a trial version and some of the reviews are actually thankful, as some users note that they will buy the paid version. Hopefully, this will encourage other developers to offer free trials or demos instead of forcing you to full price and then go through a refund process if you decide that you don’t like the game.