Minecraft Alpha is an infinitely large world where you can explore, collect resources, mine, and fight various creatures. Metals gained from mining can be used to create tools such as pickaxes or axes, which are used to gain more resources. Wood can be obtained from trees, and then used to make handles for tools or blocks for your house. The creatures in this game are your only enemy, other than lava. There are friendly creatures and aggressive creatures. The friendlies can provide easy resources, such as feathers, pork, and wool. Enemy creatures provide less common resources, such as gunpowder, which can be used to create TNT.