Minecraft focuses on allowing the player to explore, interact with, and modify a dynamically-generated map made of one-cubic-meter-sized blocks. In addition to blocks, the environment features plants, mobs, and items. Some activities in the game include mining for ore, fighting hostile mobs, and crafting new blocks and tools by gathering various resources found in the game. The game's open-ended model allows players to create structures, creations, and artwork on various multiplayer servers or their single-player maps. Other features include redstone circuits for logic computations and remote actions, minecarts and tracks, and a mysterious underworld called the Nether. A designated but completely optional goal of the game is to travel to a dimension called the End, and defeat the ender dragon.

Bedrock Edition (also known as the Bedrock Version or just Bedrock) refers to the multi-platform family of editions of Minecraft developed by Mojang Studios, Xbox Game Studios, 4J Studios, and SkyBox Labs. Prior to this term, as the engine originated with Pocket Edition, this entire product family was referred to as "Pocket Edition", "MCPE", or "Pocket/Windows 10 Edition".

All Bedrock editions of Minecraft use the title Minecraft with no subtitle. The current version of Bedrock editions is 1.16.0. Before the Better Together Update, they had different subtitles on each platform, including Pocket Edition (for all mobile platforms), Windows 10 Edition, Gear VR Edition, and Fire TV Edition. Xbox One Edition, Nintendo Switch Edition, and PlayStation 4 Edition were originally part of Legacy Console Edition before the Better Together Update, and their features had to be ported to Bedrock Edition. Apple TV Edition was discontinued shortly afterwards, thus it was no longer updated and removed from the App Store on Apple TV devices.

Although all Bedrock versions are nearly identical, the price varies depending on the platform. Approximate prices are listed in USD; Mobile versions cost US$6.99 (€7.99, £6.99, AU$10.99). PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Fire TV cost US$19.99 (€19.99, £16.74, AU$29.95). The Windows 10 and Nintendo Switch versions are the most expensive, costing US$29.99 (€19.99, £16.74, AU$39.95). The Windows 10 version is sold in a Starter Collection or Master Collection, the latter costing US$49.99 (€49.99, £39.99, AU$69.95) and including more DLC and Minecoins.[33] DLC purchased from the Marketplace on one platform is usable on all other platforms, but the game itself is sold separately on each platform. Despite all being UWP apps, Minecraft is sold as 3 separate apps at different prices on Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, and Xbox One. (This means that Xbox Live achievements are not shared between these platforms and buying the game on one of these platforms does not get the game on the others. There are sets of achievements for each platform). The Xbox One version is also playable to Xbox Game Pass subscribers. As with Java Edition, updates are free of charge.