Autcraft

Autcraft

Type of site	Minecraft server
Founded	23 June 2013 (12 years ago)
Founder	Stuart Duncan
URL	www.autcraft.com
Users	20,000 as of February 2026 (unique players)
Launched	2013 (2013)

Autcraft is a Minecraft server dedicated to be a safe haven for people who have a diagnosis of autism and their families.^[1]

History

Founded in 2013, Autcraft was the first Minecraft server created with autism in mind. It was founded by Stuart Duncan, a web developer in Timmins, Canada whose son is diagnosed with autism, and is known in-game as AutismFather.^[2][3] Autcraft was created so such children could play their favourite game with others without facing the threat of bullying and discrimination.^[4][5] Autcraft is administrated by neurodiverse and neurotypical adults with support from friends, family and other members of the server.^[6][7] As of February 2026, the server has over 20,000 whitelisted players.^[8]

When asked about the server, Duncan stated, "We just let them know that they're not alone... We're here for each other and will support each other for as long as need be... We all know how terrible it can feel sometimes and none of us want the others to feel that same way."^[6]

Autcraft was the subject of a 2015 conference paper by Ringland et al. in which empirical data was gathered from a digital ethnography of the server to explore how parents of autistic children continually create a "safe" virtual world through both implicit and explicit means.^[9]

In 2017, Duncan hosted a TEDx Talk discussing Autcraft, and how it has helped the autistic players. ^[10]

Gameplay

Autcraft's gameplay is mostly similar to vanilla (unmodded) Minecraft, however offers a variety of server plugins to facilitate moderation and enhance gameplay. Some modifications to normal Minecraft gameplay include: The addition of player-owned shops; the addition of ranks, which grant players additional commands; jobs, which provide online credit to buy ranks, and various social features. There are also regular events based around fighting various enemies within Minecraft, both from the unmodded game, and custom enemies that are specific to the server, which often drop rare cosmetic and functional items. These events, known as Darkness Fights or Wither Fights, require some collaboration as well as independent gameplay, which supports the neurodiverse player-base.

The socialisation on Autcraft encourages a supportive community, by rewarding players for good things, and supporting them when things go wrong. Every week, a "Player of the Week" (POTW) event is held, in which an outstanding player is selected and acknowledged. The server also celebrates many international events, such as New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, Autism Acceptance, Easter, Pride Month, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanzaa. There are some celebrations that are unique to the server as well, such as Stuart Duncan's Birthday or the anniversary of the server. Birthday celebrations for each player also take place.

There are eleven ranks on Autcraft, some of which are bought through the online shop, through subscription, or given to players who help others in chat. The shops bought through the online shop are named after ores that can be mined in Minecraft, and grant players with increasingly more powerful abilities in the game, such as healing or flight.

Following the server's publicity, many content creators known within gaming communities have visited the server, leading to the SpecialGuest rank. These visits are generally for large events, such as Autism Acceptance Day, or the server's anniversary. These include stampylongnose, Grian and the makers of the Hypixel server: Hypixel and NoxyD.

Moderation & accessibility

There are three staff ranks on Autcraft: Helper, Senior Helper (known in game as SrHelper) and Admin. Unlike many gaming platforms, the staff of Autcraft don't apply for their roles, but are given them when they have shown to be responsible and helpful.

The moderation of Autcraft is thorough to ensure the safety of the players involved, many of whom are vulnerable, and to ensure the server is not targeted by bullying. The staff team are alerted (via the social media platform Discord) for many actions in game, such as writing signs or books, breaking blocks or conversations on the server.^[11] The server rules are clearly stated and enforced through reminders. Moderation focuses on preventing situations instead of reacting to them. For example, players builds are protected to stop theft or destruction. Limitations and sanctions are rarely used, only to disrupt harmful behaviour and not to punish players who may be overwhelmed due to their Autism. The server works collaboratively with players (and often their parents or guardians) to explain rules and ensure they can be enforced. To ensure that the server can be moderated effectively, the server language is English, but the server is available to any nationality.^[12]

Autism can occur with many other disabilities, including Anxiety, Sensory Processing Disorder and various physical impairments. The Autcraft server allows and builds in accommodations that many other Minecraft servers would consider to be cheating, such as chat modifications, so they are available to players who need them. They also make use of an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device to support players who may feel unable to speak in the main chat, or have a non-verbal form of Autism. Many traits of autism are also considered, such as by having "Calm Rooms" for overstimulation, some of which provide grounding techniques, or "Spam Rooms" for hyperactivity.^[12]

References

1. Boddy, Zachary (10 September 2020). "Learn about Autcraft, a Minecraft server built for players with autism". Windows Central. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
2. Winkie, Luke (26 March 2020). "Meet the dad who quit his job to run a Minecraft server for autistic kids". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 7 September 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
3. Rutkin, Aviva (27 April 2016). "How Minecraft is helping children with autism make new friends". New Scientist. Archived from the original on 29 April 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
4. Warzel, Charlie. "This 'Minecraft' Community Is Saving The Lives Of Children With Autism". Tech. BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
5. Beck, Kellen (25 May 2017). "'Minecraft' players on the autism spectrum find a safe space on the Autcraft server". Mashable. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
6. "Stuart Duncan's Autcraft: crafting a playspace for children with autism". Royal College of Psychiatrists. 26 March 2018. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
7. Thorbeke, Catherine. "Single father creates a safe haven for children with autism to play together online". ABC News. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
8. Duncan, Stuart (5 February 2026). "Autcraft has just reached 20,000 players!!". Autcraft. Archived from the original on 5 February 2026. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
9. Ringland, Kathryn E.; Wolf, Christine T.; Dombrowski, Lynn; Hayes, Gillian R. (28 February 2015). "Making "Safe": Community-Centered Practices in a Virtual World Dedicated to Children with Autism". Proceedings of the 18th ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing. Vancouver BC Canada: ACM. pp. 1788–1800. doi:10.1145/2675133.2675216. ISBN 978-1-4503-2922-4. S2CID 5858849. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
10. Duncan, Stuart (2 February 2018). How I use Minecraft to help kids with autism. Retrieved 25 February 2026 – via www.ted.com.
11. "Autcraft Info - First Minecraft Server for Children with Autism". autcraft.info. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
12. Autcraft. "Wiki • Autcraft". www.autcraft.com. Retrieved 25 February 2026.

External links

• Autcraft - Official Website (autcraft.com)
• Autcraft Info - Website (autcraft.info)