Across the vast community of Minecraft, there are thousands of public servers to choose from. From minigames to MMORPGs to anarchy servers to SMPs, there are servers around for players of pretty much all playstyles and interests. As a server owner, standing out from this sea of options is no easy task. I spoke to the owner and staff team of Minearchy – a Jinglecrafters partner and public Minecraft server – about the challenges that server owners face, and this team’s strategy for keeping players engaged.
Minearchy offers a variety of gamemodes, including survival multiplayer (SMP), minigames, and KitPvP. Featuring stunning original builds from their build team, frequent updates and improvements, and an ongoing programme of events and activities for players to take part in, it’s clear that Minearchy is a labour of love for its owner, Jonaas13.
I asked Jonaas about what inspired him to create Minearchy. “Back in 2014 or so, I was playing around with being a moderator on other servers, and trying to set up my own service for my friends,” Jonaas tells me. “Eventually that grew into a hobby, so I created Minearchy.””
“Back then, it was still an RPG,” he adds, calling back to a time when Minearchy had just a modicum of the features and gamemodes it has today. Through Jonaas’ dedication and vision, what started as a simple pastime has developed into something much more.
But every great journey has its share of obstacles, and Minearchy’s early days were no exception. Persevering through some “rough patches”, including a full year of the server being offline, Jonaas’s passion and commitment to his project shines through. Growth often involves adapting to change, learning from setbacks, and building anew – and Minearchy is a testament to that. The staff team has completely changed since Minearchy’s origins, alongside a sizable expansion to the server’s features.
Of course, it’s not just good gameplay and a strong staff team that makes a Minecraft server – the community lies at the heart of everything Minearchy does. I asked their general manager, bdean, what he wants to do to help the community grow, and his goals for the future of Minearchy. “Our community is growing pretty quickly, but we’re also trying to create a bond between staff and player,” he tells me. This approach ensures that the server is more than just a platform for gaming; it’s a collaborative and inclusive space where everyone feels valued.
“We create events every month for the server to join in,” events manager IStealTeeth says. “For example, during October we did a pumpkin carving event, and we also did a village defending event. One was a live event where players were there at thein the moment, and the other was a month-long event.”
The server also undergoes updates with new content and improvements, funded through community purchases in the in-game store. A recent update added custom furniture models for players to use on the SMP, and a previous update added personalisable pet companions. With this mixture of live events, longer-term (but still time-limited) activities, and content updates, Minearchy keeps its gameplay new and fresh, providing new reasons for players to log on time and time again.
Coming to Minearchy in December, players can look forward to a Winter Wonderland building contest, as well as a Christmas tree event and Secret Santa. There will also be an Elytra Parkour challenge, partnered with Jinglecrafters to raise money for Jingle Jam. This challenge will last the full two weeks of the charity campaign, from the 1st to 14th of December, with players able to log in at any time to try to beat their individual high score, as they race through festively-themed elytra tunnels. Whether you just want to improve your personal elytra skills, or are gunning for that top spot on the leaderboard, you can give the challenge a go through server IP play.minearchy.com
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