Microsoft Corp. announced today that the company is opening up closed beta signups to the general public for Minecraft Earth, an augmented reality game developed by the software giant that brings the tree-punching, block-placing game into the real world.

Minecraft quickly became extremely popular after its initial launch in 2011 because of its simple but imaginative approach to world creation and gameplay. It was created by Swedish developer Mojang AB, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2014 for $2 billion. At the time of the acquisition, Minecraft boasted more than 55 million users, a number that has since grown to more than 176 million.

Just like the PC and console version of the game, players in Minecraft Earth can collect blocks and place them similar to building block games. But instead of displaying a 3-D world on a 2-D computer monitor or TV screen, players get to experience the Minecraft world as part of our own through a smartphone or tablet screen and the magic of AR.

The exploration part of the game allows players to walk around their own neighborhood and see it rendered into a Minecraft map based on satellite imagery. In this mode, players can find and collect blocks such as grass, fences, stones and so forth as well as discover and collect animals such as pigs and cows.

These blocks and materials become the building blocks for making Minecraft creations in the AR mode where creation happens.

In AR mode, any flat surface can become a placement location for an actual 3-D rendering of a Minecraft plot. Upon that plot, players can build whatever they like with the building blocks gathered from the world around them while playing the game. These plots, called “build plates,” come with a number of templates from deserts, forests, beaches, glaciers and more.

Build plates are miniature, fitting readily on a tabletop. That makes them easy to interact with and build on: The removal and placement of blocks will be done by looking at a cellphone screen, which are pretty small next to TVs and monitors.

The game also supports multiplayer gameplay. This means that users can invite their friends to come and build with them. Friends can place objects and blocks that they have collected from the rest of the world, or they can mine or remove them from the build plate.

This multiplayer mode is invitation only. Microsoft warns that players may want to invite only people they really want to play with since it’s possible for mean “friends” to destroy the work a player has done in a build plate.

Once a plot is complete, players can also get the opportunity to place it into the real world in life size. With enough space to place one down – such as a backyard or a park – the players can see their creation rendered so they can enter it themselves.

For example, a player could build a house on a plot using the miniature mode and place it at life size. After that, it’s possible to walk into that house, look around at the walls, the furniture and even look out into the rest of the world through the windows. This brings out the stunning, immersive power of AR by even allowing players to walk around with pigs and other Minecraft animals on the plot.

Any players who wish to sign up for the closed beta will also receive a free Minecraft Earth skin, or costume “look” for their player character. Even those who do not get accepted into the beta will get one.

The game is free to play and will run on Android and iOS devices, but requires a Microsoft or Xbox Live account to play. Minecraft Earth closed beta signups are available right now on the game’s website. Further details, instructions and information is also available.

During the beta, Microsoft also plans to continue adding features to Minecraft Earth in order to expand gameplay opportunities and content.

Image: Microsoft