ive been playing this game since 2011 when i was in middle school and im still coming back to it. im sinking hours into it after work while my puppy sleeps next to my desk and my gf is working evening shift. its such a cozy game and reminds me of when i spent all day after school playing MC and other games w friends. its not just nostalgia tho, its just such a cute game that can be whatever the player wants. after all this time, i still derive so much joy from exploring a new world, building a sprawling estate, spelunking, and even just mining. even tho MC doesnt track ur hours played, im certain its my most played game
just wanted to share that i love this game 
I tried to get into minecraft ages ago but it wasn't easy. I had to learn that among the things you'll have to do, is craft two things that you'll then use to craft another (for example), or learning that there's lots of (gadgets? machines?) you'll be able and will need to build to make other stuff. Then night comes for the first time and you're wrecked by a monster because you have no idea what you're doing. My current save game has a long line of blocks going straight up, and then a giant landing atop it so I can just build up there instead and avoid the monsters.
I'm having trouble really sinking into the game as I'm having trouble really getting it, but I do feel like it's a great game if I can just learn how it's to be played.
Have you watched anyone else play Minecraft or played with anyone else? I feel like the game got popular because everyone was watching Minecraft let's plays on YouTube, so nobody was really going in blind. Imo Minecraft doesn't reward you much if you go in blind, there's no big surprises, it's just a bit confusinf
The only way to really surprise people is by actually bothering to fix chest loot tables in modpacks. They think you're God