Parenting is tough for so many reasons. Just when you think you know your child and what they are into, something changes.

For me, my 8-year-old has been Minecraft obsessed for as long as he could hold a controller correctly in his hands. He even plays online with his friends and enjoys the creative aspect of building worlds and scouring for supplies. Until recent.

A few months back he began talking about this new game, Fornite and how all his friends were playing it and talking about it at school. Needless to say, after about 5 minutes into our very long and detailed conversation (you know how kids love to talk) I realized I had NO clue what he was talking about. Sure, I continued to listen to my son talk about how cool and fun this game was but I still needed a detailed (adult) explanation of what this game was all about.

So, what exactly is Fornite?

Well, from what I understand Fornite is basically an amped up version of Minecraft. Much like Minecraft, you have enemies to fight, you search for resources around the world to build a base, and you can work in a team with your friends to complete all of this. The easiest way to really understand this game is to see how it works for yourself (check out the video below).

Now, there is one thing to point out – while it’s like Minecraft in the sense of the strategy building, it’s not anything like Minecraft in terms of cost. Remember how you had to pay for Minecraft and all those times your kid has begged you to buy skins or map packs? This game doesn’t charge you. Yup, it’s FREE game to download!

Of course, the game developers have to make money somehow. After all, it’s a really pretty game. <— something else worth noting, it’s not pixelated like Minecraft. The graphics are actually really pretty!

While the game is free, there is in-game content that is readily available for purchase. These purchases are optional but available for players that wish to upgrade their experience.

So, now that we know what Fornite is, why are our kids obsessed with it?

I think that answer is far more simple. It brings me back to my first point – it’s a lot like Minecraft.

Kids love to be creative. Kids love to build (hello, LEGO). Kids love to spend time with their friends fighting monsters, collecting loot, and working out a strategy together.

Overall, it looks like a fun game and is something that will be around for years to come.

What do you think? Is your kid obsessed with Fortnite?