How to play MineMaps

MineMaps is a free browser game that turns Google Street View into a Minecraft-style world. You stand inside the real panorama of a street, and you can place, break and blow up blocks in it. This guide covers everything you need to start.

1. Choose a place

On the home screen, type any address, city or landmark, then press Create New World. MineMaps finds the nearest Street View panorama and builds a block world around it. Not sure where to go? Start from one of the famous places, or try the place of the day, which changes every day.

You can also press Demo Mode to try the game in a generated world without Street View.

2. Controls on computer

• W A S D: walk. Ctrl: sprint. Shift: sneak. Space: jump.
• Mouse: look around. Left click: break a block. Right click: place a block.
• 1 to 9 or the mouse wheel: choose an item in your hotbar. E: open the inventory.
• T: open the chat. F3: debug screen. Tab: list of players.

3. Controls on phone and tablet

Use the left stick to walk and drag the screen to look around. Hold MINE to dig, tap USE to place a block, and tap JUMP to jump. E opens the inventory and T the chat.

4. Dig, build and blow things up

Your hotbar starts with a diamond pickaxe, building blocks such as grass, cobblestone and oak planks, TNT and flint and steel. Dig with the pickaxe to go under the road, stack blocks to build, and place TNT then light it with flint and steel to blow a crater in the street. The real photo stays all around you, so your builds look like they stand in the real place.

5. Chat commands

• /tp <address>: teleport to any address without leaving the game.
• /peaceful: remove all mobs, type it again to bring them back.

6. Play with friends

Turn on the Shared World to see the blocks other players placed in the same place, and to let them see yours. Use the share button to send a link to a friend: they will spawn at the same spot and can build with you. Press Tab to see who is playing and where.

7. The daily treasure hunt

Every day, a treasure chest is hidden near a famous place somewhere in the world. Clues are revealed during the day. Use them to guess the place, travel there and find the chest: the first players to open it earn the most points on the leaderboard.

8. Free worlds and the Explorer Pass

Street View costs money for every world loaded, so the number of free Street View worlds per day is limited. You can earn extra worlds by sharing the game, or get the optional Explorer Pass for unlimited worlds. Demo Mode is always free and unlimited.