About

A Creeper is a hostile mob (mobile entity) found in the video game Minecraft. It sneaks up on unsuspecting players, chasing them and hissing for a second and a half before self-destructing.^[1]

Origin

Introduction

The Creeper was first released in the August 31, 2009 Survival Test update^[7]. They are the only mob to drop Music Discs as well as being the easiest source of gunpowder in the game, which is necessary to craft TNT. However, when a creeper comes within one block of a player, the user has 1.5 seconds to either move 3-4 blocks away or kill the monster before it explodes ^[1]. According to the points system used by the 3rd stage of Minecraft development, Survival Test, Creepers are the most valuable mob at 200 points, while the next closest mob is worth 120 points^[2].

On Minecraft Forums: Hissing

Beginning in the Minecraft forums, the hissing sound made by Creepers before exploding became an interruptor, where people would type out ‘’ssssSS!’’ in conversation to derail a conversation. While the exact origin is unknown, one of the earliest posts of the Creeper sound used in this manner dates back to April 11th 2010.^[6]

Spread

That Sure is a Nice X You Have There

Another common phrase attributed to the Creepers is, "That sure is a nice X you have there. It would be a shame if anything happened to it". They also have evolved into an Advice Animal style image macro.^[5]

Usage

Creepers, known for their distinct green pixel face, have become the unofficial face of Minecraft, even more popular than the actual face of Notch, who created the game. Different people have different reasons for using an image of a Creeper, but the most common include:

- Showing a screaming player response to a Creeper explosion.
- Manipulating objects, giving them the Creeper's face.
- Pictures of what the Creeper might look like in real life.
- Pictures representing the terror when mining in a cave (or anywhere else), receiving the vibe that they are being followed.

In Cubelands

Users of the Unity-based game Cubelands^[3], which is a collaboration building game similar to Minecraft, have built Creeper heads and full-on Creepers throughout the game.

In Cubelands, users can also equip custom skins that make them look like Creepers, using this as a griefing technique to harm areas and other users around them. This can get out of hand, and can cause everyone to leave, resulting in levels being annihilated or abandoned, resulting in a reset.

Fan Art

Search Interest

Search for "minecraft Creeper" began in July 2010 and has been steadily increasing. Though "creeper"^[4] is a more common word in every day speech and therefore, more searched, the growth for "creeper" alone correlates to that of "minecraft Creeper."

External References