Young gaming enthusiasts clicked away on Wednesday, July 8, at Minecraft Gameplay camp, offered through Newtown Continuing Education, in the Reed Intermediate School’s computer lab.

This past week Tim McGuire, the computer technology teacher at Reed, led 15 students grades five and above through the world of Minecraft, a popular computer and video game.

Minecraft, released in 2009 by Swedish programmer Mojang, has sold more than 20 million copies on personal computers and Macs, according to its website, minecraft.net.

Camper Katie Nichols said she has been playing the game “a lot” since its release six years ago.

Camper Evan Smith said he has been playing the game daily for two years.

Some campers, like camper Reed Uhlik, play more sporadically, logging on only once or twice a week.

Mr McGuire credits the games popularity with kids to its unique platform. “It’s very open ended,” he said, “and it encourages creativity.”

College sophomore Brendan Grant, a business major and graphics minor at Sacred Heart University, has been Mr McGuire’s assistant counselor since the camp’s conception three years ago. Brendan, an avid player himself, called Minecraft “a world where you can do pretty much whatever you want.”

Mr McGuire said that though the camp itself is only 20 hours in duration, the way the students interact and work is designed to push campers' skills no matter their current ability. Throughout the week campers design various games within Minecraft, readying for Friday, when their hard work culminates with a group exchange of each other’s creations.

Campers worked on Wednesday to create their own different mini-games. Some campers designed player versus player or “PvP” games, that pit opponents against each other in maps and spaces created by the campers. Others, like camper Natalie Despagna, worked to design “hide-and-heek” platforms, for gamers to play hide-and-seek virtually.

Natalie and Katie Nichols worked on a game together, building one enormous room that players will do their best to hide in, as one participant is randomly designated as the seeker.

Mr McGuire will be running another weeklong Minecraft camp later this summer, which will run from July 27 to July 31.

Further information about Newtown Continuing Education’s summer programs is available online at summersmartcampct.org.