Play Minecraft and get paid to support AI research — Thursdays in September and October

A multi-institute research collaboration project hosted at Arizona State University is looking for Minecraft players to participate in a remote study. The researchers are looking for thousands of players to form three-person teams to generate data to train AI advisors in the Minecraft world. Learn more about the ASIST Minecraft Research Study and join today at the game website.

Special events (Hybrid Game Nights)

Please join the data collection weekly events on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, and every Thursday in September and October: AI Research Game Night (5–8 p.m. PT; 8–11 p.m. ET).

Anyone who plays three games on Thursdays will get a $20 Amazon gift card.

Players can participate from anywhere in the U.S. If you join in person at the ASU Polytechnic campus library room 72, free food and tech support starts at 4:30 p.m. PT).

Weekly prizes

The top-performing three teams each week will receive a $25 Amazon gift card per person. One additional team will be selected from the top 50% of scoring teams for that week (excluding the top-performing three teams previously mentioned) and receive $25 per person.

Grand prizes

At the end of the research team’s data collection (estimated at the end of October 2023), the 10 best-performing teams will win a $50 Amazon gift card per person. 

Research credits

If you need research credit to fulfill the requirement of the course HSE 101, or if you are interested in research opportunities related to this project, you can email Lixiao Huang at [email protected] to request it.

Participant requirements

To participate in the study, you will need to meet the following requirements:

  • Live in the United States.
  • Be 18 years of age or older.
  • Can communicate in English.
  • Have experience playing Minecraft with a mouse and keyboard.
  • Have Minecraft Java edition and a paid Minecraft account to use.
  • Have a computer and reliable internet access.
  • Have normal color vision: If you are not sure, you can check using free online color vision tests, such as the Ishihara Test.

Discord server

Join the Discord server to coordinate team availability, report game feedback and get the latest announcements.

Sign up to play

The game server is available 24/7, but the game requires three players to form a team. The researchers encourage participation on Thursday game nights to have more players online to form teams. Or, you can bring two friends to play with you at any time you choose.

Sign up and receive preparation instructions.

For any questions, please contact the researchers through [email protected] or join the discord channel.