NEW KID ON BLOCK

WITH Minecraft cementing itself as perhaps the most popular survival game around, going up against it is no mean feat.

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Despite this, one development team has just launched a new title that looks to be going head-to-head with Microsoft's behemoth - and so far, it's well-placed to give it a run for its money.

Much like Minecraft, Hytale is a voxel-based game built in Java. It's currently only on PC and in an early-access state.

It's easy to see the Minecraft influences. The blocky design of both the landscape and items bears a striking resemblance with much of its survival and crafting systems also borrowing ideas.

For example, you'll still need to punch down trees to get your first resources, and the initial priority is to create crafting benches and a safe place to sleep.