FortressCraft Water and Building

As Mojang ports Minecraft onto portable platforms, a wholly unrelated group is cashing in on the block-moving train with FortressCraft on Xbox Live Indie Games.

What amounts to a blatant knock-off of Minecraft, FortressCraft is impressive nonetheless. Releasing this spring for 80MS points ($1), the game’s first chapter, “The Creation”, will feature world building and 31 player multiplayer. Subsequent chapters are also in the works, also for $1, and there are even plans to port FortressCraft to Windows, Mac, Linux and browsers.

At this point, you’re probably wondering how in the hell these guys are going to avoid a lawsuit from Mojang. Well, they answer that in the FAQ:

Q: Doesn’t this infringe Mojang’s copyright?
A: No it doesn’t infringe copyright. All the graphics, code, branding and trademarks are our own.

I’ll feel dirty doing it, but there’s nothing that’s going to stop me from checking this out when it releases. Of course, should Mojang ever decide to put the real deal on Xbox, they’ll surely get my money again. Until then, this looks to be the best way to get your Minecraft fix from the comfort of your couch.