Great Fire 1666 for Minecraft: Frequently asked questions

Find out more about Minecraft, the Great Fire 1666 project, and how to download, install and play the game.

What is Minecraft?

Minecraft is a ‘sandbox’ video game that can be played across a number of platforms for a one-off payment. It’s called a sandbox game because it allows users to play around, explore and create what they want. The creative and building aspect of Minecraft allows players to build 3D constructions using textured cubes. The virtual landscapes in which building or game play takes place are often referred to as ‘maps’ because of their simulation of geographic areas.

To date, Minecraft has sold over 100 million copies and is one of the most popular video games in history. It is used by players of all ages and is becoming increasingly popular within education.

More information on Minecraft can be found at https://minecraft.net/en/.

What is Great Fire 1666 for Minecraft?

Great Fire 1666 is a set of 3 Minecraft ‘maps’ telling the story of the Great Fire of London. Minecraft ‘maps’ are virtual environments or games created in Minecraft, often by players themselves, and made available for others to download and play.

How do I play Great Fire 1666?

Great Fire 1666 maps are available free to players of Minecraft on PC or Mac. However, please be aware that they are not compatible with the Windows 10 version of Minecraft. They will only work with Minecraft: Java Edition, version 1.11.2.

Each of the maps can be downloaded as zip files by clicking the links on the individual game pages:

Pre-fire London map (click to download)

Fire of London map (click to download)

Rebuild London map (click to download)

Click on the Download symbol (an arrow facing down to a line) in the top right hand corner to download the files.

For a look at what the Great Fire 1666 experience is like, check out our handy films showing maps one and two and a walkthrough from our YouTube partner Wizard Keen.

How do I install the Great Fire 1666 map in Minecraft?

Once you have downloaded a Great Fire 1666 map to play, in the form of a zip file as explained above, follow these instructions (intended for users with the latest version of Minecraft: Java Edition):

  • Extract the map files with a zip extractor (saving the file to your desktop or Documents folder so that you can easily find it). Zip files can usually be opened by your operating system without any problems. Click the ‘Extract’ button and you will be asked for a location to extract to. Extract the folder to your desktop or Documents folder so that you can easily find it
  • For Windows – Click the Start menu and select ‘Run’. Type %appdata% and press Enter. Open folder named ‘.minecraft’ and then ‘saves’
  • For OS X – Click the Go menu in Finder and select ‘Go to Folder’. Type ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/saves and press Return
  • Copy the extracted map folder into the ‘saves’ folder that opens
  • Run the program ‘Minecraft launcher’ (which you would normally use to start the game). In the menu at the top of the screen, click ‘Installations’
  • Click the ‘New’ button, next to the plus sign. In the box below the heading ‘Name’, type ‘Great Fire’ (for the Pre-Fire or Fire of London maps) or ‘Rebuild’ (for the Rebuild map)
  • Click the drop-down menu below the heading ‘Version’, and choose ‘release 1.10.2’ (for the Pre-Fire and Fire of London maps) or ‘release 1.11.2’ (for the Rebuild map). Click the green button that says ‘Create’ in the bottom right corner of the screen
  • Hover your mouse over the entry (called ‘Great Fire’ or ‘Rebuild’) that you just created, and click the green button that says ‘Play’ that appears on it. The game should start
  • Your newly downloaded map will be available in your ‘Worlds’ list in Minecraft. Select it to begin playing and exploring your new map.

What are the system requirements?

To play Great Fire 1666 via your Minecraft account you will need version 1.10.2 (or newer) of Minecraft: Java Edition and to follow the instructions above.

See also:

Is Minecraft safe to play for all age groups?

Mojang, creators of Minecraft, recommend the game for players aged 13+, mainly owing to the one-off payment required to download the game. However, many younger children will enjoy playing Minecraft and Mojang offers guidance to parents for account users under 13.