Infiniminer

''Infiniminer'' is an open-source multiplayer sandbox game developed by Zachtronics, centered on block-based construction and excavation. Players assume the role of miners on a team, aiming to collect the highest amount of money by mining ore while avoiding and fighting hostile creatures. According to its creator, Zachary Barth, the game was inspired by ''Infinifrag'', '' Team Fortress'', and ''Motherload'' by XGen Studios. The game has been cited as an influence on the development of ''Minecraft''.

Gameplay

Players are placed into teams within a procedurally generated landscape and are equipped with mining tools. The primary objective is to collect the most money by mining ore while avoiding or fighting mobs. The team that earns the most money by the end of the round is declared the winner. During development, Zachary Barth, the creator of ''Infiniminer'', observed that players began using its mechanics for building and item collection, deviating from its original competitive design. This behavior led to the emergence of sandbox-style gameplay.

Development

Zachary Barth had early experience with programming games in his youth but honed his skills more formally while attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. After graduating, he worked as a game programmer at Microsoft, continuing independent development in his spare time. In April 2009, he released ''Infiniminer'', a multiplayer game that initially focused on competitive mining objectives. However, players soon began using its sandbox mechanics to construct structures.

Despite the game's growing popularity, Infiniminer generated no revenue. Barth had not encrypted the game's source code, which led to it being leaked online. As a result, unauthorized modifications and hacks became common. Due to the lack of monetization and control over the game's code, Barth discontinued development.

In October 2009, Swedish indie developer Markus Persson expressed interest in creating a game similar to ''Infiniminer'' through a post on his Tumblr blog. He began early development on the project that would eventually become ''Minecraft'', initially titled ''RubyDung''. Infiniminer significantly influenced the project, particularly in its block-based visual style, first-person perspective, and building mechanics. However, Persson aimed to incorporate additional gameplay elements, such as role-playing features, to distinguish his game from its predecessor.

The first alpha version of ''Minecraft'' was released on 17 May 2009 on TIGSource. Persson continued to update the game regularly, introducing new features including tools, mobs, and different in-game dimensions. As the game gained popularity, Persson released the full version on 18 November 2011.

Following the release, Persson stepped down from the lead development role, handing over responsibilities to Jens "Jeb" Bergensten. On 15 September 2014, Microsoft announced its acquisition of Mojang Studios for 2.5 billion. The acquisition included the ''Minecraft'' intellectual property. Persson had initiated the possibility of a sale in a public tweet expressing interest in leaving the project after receiving criticism over the enforcement of the game's end-user license agreement (EULA), which had been in place for several years. According to Persson, Mojang CEO Carl Manneh received a call from a Microsoft executive shortly after the tweet, questioning the seriousness of the offer. Other companies, including Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts, were also reportedly interested. The deal with Microsoft was finalized on 6 November 2014, and Persson was subsequently listed among Forbes' "World's Billionaires."

Following the rise in popularity of ''Minecraft'', Barth reflected on the game's impact in an interview with Cascade PBS. He stated, "It was never my plan to have what happened, happen. You don't plan things in life." Although initially shocked by ''Minecraft's'' success, Barth acknowledged the game's popularity.

Barth later found commercial success with the release of ''SpaceChem'', a puzzle game that grossed over 1 million on a development budget of just 4,000. The game's financial success enabled him to leave his position at Microsoft and establish his own studio, Zachtronics, which eventually employed four people. By 2012, however, the studio faced financial difficulties and turned to contract work with the education company Amplify to develop educational games.

On 15 March 2014, ''Infiniminer'' was featured on the British television program '' Fresh Meat''. According to Barth, a Channel 4 production coordinator informed him of the inclusion. He initially assumed the reference was to ''Minecraft'' due to its broader popularity, but the episode featured footage and references from ''Infiniminer''.

In 2015, Barth released ''Infinifactory'', a puzzle game incorporating elements of both ''Infiniminer'' and ''SpaceChem''.

In July 2022, Zachtronics released '' Last Call BBS'', which the studio announced would likely be its final game. The team stated that they felt it was "time for a change." Barth and other former members of Zachtronics established ''Coincidence'', an organization described as a "flexible business framework" that enables the team to pursue a diverse range of creative projects. These include card games, educational games, and other experimental works.

In February 2025, ''Coincidence'' announced ''Kaizen: A Factory Story'', a puzzle game similar to those by Zachtronics. The game has players assemble complex machines, drawing thematic inspiration from Japanese asset price bubble of the 1980s and 1990s.

References

{{Zachtronics

2009 video games
Indie games
Linux games
macOS games
Minecraft
Multiplayer video games
Open-source video games
Sandbox games
Strategy video games
Video games developed in the United States
Windows games
Zachtronics games