What a nice anniversary gift

It's possible to (officially) play Minecraft Classic for free in your browser like it's 2009 all over again. You won't need to bust out a separate launcher or catch up on in-depth wikis – it's a cinch.

In celebration of the game's fast-approaching tenth anniversary on May 17, the developers are hoping to pull on fans' nostalgic heartstrings. It's kind of working! While I've only ever played Minecraft from the comfort of my own home, I can definitely relate to the trials and tribulations of trying to sneakily discover unblocked browser games in school as a bored kid. They never seemed to last long.

"With just 32 blocks to build with, all the original bugs, and an (inter)face only a mother could love, Minecraft 2009 is even more glorious than we remembered," notes the official site. I for one appreciate the simplicity of Classic. Minecraft has blossomed into so much more than a block-laying sandbox game over the past near-decade, and it's worth remembering precisely how far Mojang has come.

Go on, build something for old times' sake. You can even generate a code to invite your buddies into your Minecraft Classic world if you're feeling lonely. I settled on punching out holes in a pond for a bit.

Here's hoping this particular developer-sanctioned browser version sticks around once the 10-year anniversary bash wraps up. Running Minecraft in a web browser is hardly a new concept at this point, but this is a chance to keep a good thing going long-term. Don't let its compatibility slip away.

Mojang is highlighting the past this week, but come May 17, the studio will turn to the future. There are two big announcements planned, one of which is a Minecraft AR game for mobile devices.