I still play Minecraft a lot. Usually I build fortresses and islands in the sky, and I'm often very happy with my airbourne sanctuaries. Not anymore though, because the entries in Planet Minecraft's 'Head Into The Clouds' contest easily put everything I've done to shame.

The contest tasks players with building something, anything , on Planet Minecraft's Floating Island map. There are several rules: texture packs cannot be used, and the basic structure of the Floating Island map should be preserved, which means no deep excavation, and no removing pesky mountains or water beds.

Head Into The Clouds has attracted 206 entries, and most of them are a sight to behold. Entries are closed, with the winner expected to be drawn next week. In the meantime here are three choice entries, but you really should check them all out. They can be viewed and downloaded on the Planet Minecraft website .

Aeternium - Symphony of Dreams [ link ]

"Floating high above the Earth exists a vast fantasy dreamworld, full of strange and extraordinary mechanical creatures. Clockwork bumblebees fly among the mountains whilst a mechanized turkey grazes below."

Iduna - Angelic City [ link ]

"There they were, standing in front of the walls of Iduna, the holy city responsible for angelic beings and whose powers are used to protect the Good."

Hydrata - The City of Water [ link ]

"High up in the sky, above the clouds, where the heat from the volcanoes and magma cannot reach. Oxygen is thriving up there, the air is light and fresh, its cool enough for water to condense, so rivers are not a rare landform."

If mere world building isn't impressive enough for you, this guy built a giant functioning mech in vanilla Minecraft.