One of my favorite aspects of the MCPE community is the vibrant creative workshop that seems to flow through every “crafter“. Whether I’m browsing forums, enjoying myself on servers, or chatting with creators, there’s always a delightful surprise waiting just around the corner! While surprises can be thrilling for crafters, not all are pleasant—just think about the builder who created a spider-filled cage I couldn’t escape from: thanks for nothing, buddy.
A prime example of a creation in Minecraft PE, which I never even dreamed of, is “Dinosaurs in Space.” This pack was crafted by Fred, a young and talented skin artist. However, it reached us with a little extra help from the Pathway Studio, which managed to give his prehistoric pals a spot in the Minecraft Store.
I spoke with Gerald Bove and James Dusik, the founders of Pathway Studio, about how they assist small creators in showcasing their work to you, the Minecraft enthusiasts, who enjoy all their unique yet cool ideas!
“What we realized as soon as the marketplace launched,” James explains, “is that there are many creators out there with the skills, talent, and abilities to make it into the MCPE Store… these are the people we’ve spent years surrounding ourselves with. We believe there are individuals whose art deserves to be seen by the world, who should earn income from their creations, and who deserve to achieve their goals.
“However, they might lack the resources or connections that some larger teams, big studios, or traditional developers have to enter the market independently.”
Gerald and James have known each other for quite some time, nurturing their passion for the community over the last six or seven years. Initially, they were involved in the community through player-versus-player (PvP) engagements. Now, they help release a variety of creative add-ons for Minecraft Pocket Edition via the Store, including texture packs, skin packs, maps, and game modes.
They even infused their extensive PvP experience into their work by publishing and developing Snowball Fight—a festive and entertaining game made by VanillaBurp and Sybillian specifically for the 20 Days of Christmas in Minecraft.
“Snowball Fight,” James explains, “is a PvP party game featuring three arenas set in a snowy outdoor environment. You play just like kids running outside having snowball fights.
“When we first conceptualized this,” says Gerald, “we thought, ‘How can we enhance snowball fighting and make it more exciting while adding speed similar to the mini-game Quake?'” So, we incorporated additional speed and the ability to jump higher, allowing players to move quickly and bounce around during gameplay.” Thus begins an epic PvP saga within the game.
“We also aimed to capture that feeling of being children again,” continues Gerald, “when on the first day of snow, we would rush outside to play. Therefore, anyone entering the world finds themselves in a random house, ready to step outside and experience it firsthand.”
Let’s try stepping onto the battlefield now! No one seems to be around… Which means no one is throwing snowballs at me. Quite nice!
Is anyone hiding behind the fountain, ready for a high jump? Does this grass block the evil snowplow? Ah! This is too intense!
My poor nerves calmed down when I spotted this friendly fellow. Ahoy there, new friend!
Ahhhhhh! What the heck?!?!?! I thought we were best friends for life, and you turned out to be a traitor, pelting me with snowballs!
Even this snowman is getting in on the snowball action! Wait… Is he… Is he coming after me?
“This is an incredibly dynamic and engaging snowball fight,” James remarks, giving it an entirely unnecessary hard sell—as someone who fantasizes about hurling snowballs at Tom’s dull face all day, I’m already sold.
Alongside Snowball Fight, Pathway has also decided to release several free skin textures. As expected, these skins turned out delightfully festive, perfect for braving the chilly weather with warm hats, gloves, and coats.
So, how do they create new content for the Store? James provides insight into what he looks for in a creator’s work. “Creativity” feels too broad. Perhaps inventiveness?
“Are you trying to do something others aren’t doing? Are you genuinely pushing boundaries rather than simply replicating what others have done but better? Are you expressing fresh ideas?
James emphasizes that creators must be dedicated to their craft. They need humility, openness to feedback, and a willingness to adapt. Essentially, a desire to learn. “And it’s not easy to learn,” explains James. “It’s about swallowing your pride and learning without rushing the process.”
“It’s fun!” adds Gerald. “But creating something enjoyable requires a lot of dedication and strong willpower to take an idea or concept you’ve envisioned and actually turn it into a tangible game.” It needs to be something playable, refined, and enjoyable for people. Creating such a project demands significant effort.”
Often, even for veterans like Pathway, it comes down to luck. “It’s such a vast community,” says James, “sometimes we receive submissions from someone we’ve never heard of, and we say, ‘Who is this person? This is incredible!'”
Thus, they aim to continue engaging with the Minecraft Pocket Edition community, expanding their knowledge base and gaining experience. “We want to connect with those who create maps, those who design them, and the players enjoying those maps,” states James. “We seek that feedback. [It] is truly invaluable to be accessible to those playing our projects and using our skins, as well as interacting with our content.”
Above all, it should be an enjoyable experience. “Minecraft is a fun game,” explains James, “so there’s something to ask yourself throughout the ongoing process. ‘Are you bringing joy to your players? Does your content provide them with experiences that brighten their lives and days?’
I don’t know about you, but throwing snowballs at strangers always brightens my world.
