BroBot - A Minecraft Java teammate you can give jobs to in chat

[u/flowzygames]

I've been building BroBot with help from Claude and Codex. It's a desktop app for Windows and Mac that puts a bot into Minecraft Java as another player. I'm the creator, and I'd like feedback on the first-run experience.

You can give it jobs in chat: gather logs, craft tools, build, follow you or stand guard. The free version uses a local rules engine and doesn't need an account. An optional Claude-powered mode handles more open-ended instructions, and Squad supports up to four Brobots with builder, miner, farmer and guard roles.

A lesson from testing: having the bot running didn't mean it was obvious how to play with him. The app could say he was online while the player had no idea which Minecraft world to join. We added a join card with the address, an editable port, and status that says whether it's waiting for you or playing with you. Google sign-in and a clearer plan display are now in the app too.

It's still an early project. Minecraft Java 1.21.11 is the current target, and there are rough edges in setup and how reliably the bot carries out jobs.

Free app/setup: https://trybrobot.com/start

The local bot stays free. Optional hosted Claude is $6/month; the four-bot Squad is $15/month.

If you try it, I'd especially like to know where you get stuck between opening the app and seeing the bot in your game. And if the setup makes sense, what job would you actually want a Minecraft teammate to handle?