The story of the epic rise and fall of a country, from its founding revolution, its dictatorial takeover and reformation, to its total destruction at the hands of anarchists. The trials and tribulations of a man fighting to get back his most prized possessions from a tyrant devoid of emotion. The mental breakdown of a crazed former president and his eventual death at the hands of his own father. A time-traveler’s struggle to chronicle history as he slowly loses more and more of his memories along the way.

While these all may sound like pitches for the next big Netflix original series, all are actually stories that come from a somewhat unexpected place: Minecraft.

Told by Minecraft players through the medium of several-hour-long live streams on Twitch, the story of the Dream SMP (survival multiplayer server) has been captivating and inspiring millions. Initially organized by internet personality and famous Minecraft YouTuber Dream, the server is host to some of Minecraft and the gaming community’s biggest names, from Technoblade and GeorgeNotFound to Pokimane and Corpse Husband.

Minecraft roleplay is nothing new, but the popularity and complexity of the story that the Dream SMP has told so far is astonishing, with many streams reaching hundreds of thousands of viewers at once. While it may seem like a silly idea to tell a story within the blocky game of Minecraft, the actual narrative that the server has been able to tell is strikingly profound. It touches on many provocative issues such as political corruption, depression, abuse, gaslighting, and even the nature of good and evil.

The sandbox nature of Minecraft lends itself perfectly to telling any story, as the game is a perfect blank canvas to create scenarios, from the founding of a country to an alien invasion. The simplicity of the environment in which it is staged allows for the more complex story to take center stage, allowing for depth and realism within the characters, their struggles, and their relationships.

The streamers’ acting is also volumes better than you would expect from a project like this, with heart-wrenching scenes and moments of drama with more tension than some Oscar-nominated films. The relationships between the characters feel real and genuine, often because they’re built upon the relationships that the streamers have with each other in real life. The tightly-knit community consists mainly of people who have been good friends for many years, both on and off the internet, and their bonds allow their characters to have more intimate and believable connections.

Family dynamics are another hallmark of the series, offering many varied situations for viewers to project onto, and with the relatively young age of most of the server members, the characters are instantly relatable and accessible for people of all ages. Additionally, the Dream SMP has been groundbreaking with its casual LGBTQ+ representation, featuring multiple canon gay, trans, asexual, and nonbinary characters and streamers. This, combined with the enthusiastic support of the LGBTQ+ community by the streamers themselves makes for an inclusive and positive environment that all modern media can aspire to achieve.

With its exponential rise in popularity over a fairly short period of time, the server has been quite the vehicle of fame for more than a few of its members. One streamer, Ranboo, is on track to become the first Minecraft streamer to reach #1 on Twitch at 17 years old after only being on the platform for around six months. His success comes from his relatable, awkward humor, recognizable persona, and the deep, well thought-out lore he has crafted for his character on the SMP.

Ranboo is not the only high-schooler to make a career out of streaming because of the Dream SMP. 16-year-old TommyInnit (Thomas Simons) found his fame after being one of the first members to join the server. Since he joined, he has become the unofficial “main character” of the storyline, as it follows him from his adventures with his best friend Tubbo in the early days of the server, his founding of the fictional country L’manburg with his narrative brother Wilbur Soot, his exile from L’manburg and his final triumphant conflict to regain the mythical music disks that have been the driving force of the story since the very beginning. Despite his age, Tommy is one of the strongest actors on the server, and his essential role in the plot ensures that the server would never be where it is today without him.

With the recent unofficial Season 2 finale, the long-awaited end of the “Disk Saga,” things are looking bright for the future of the SMP. Its popularity is greater than ever before, the drama is as high-stakes as it's ever been, and the potential for new storylines is infinite. People have always been telling stories in Minecraft, but never has it been as ambitious and compelling as this one. It may be an unconventional way to world build, but it cannot be denied that the work done on the Dream SMP is revolutionizing entertainment, one block at a time.

By Bailey Staerkel

February 26, 2021

Oshkosh West Index Volume 117 Issue 5

Minecraft proves unusual, yet strikingly profound storytelling medium