You can download Minecraft from the official Minecraft Download page or download Minecraft.exe directly from Mojang's Amazon Content Delivery Network (for Windows). After opening it, you'll need to sign up for a Mojang account. Once done, you can play the demo, which lasts for 5 in-game days.

If you decide to purchase Minecraft, your account will be automatically upgraded (no need to re-download the game).

In-Browser Demo

You can also play an in-browser demo directly on the official Minecraft website (still requires a Mojang account). I've had trouble with Java security errors trying to play Minecraft through the official website though:

"Application Blocked By Security Settings"

"The application cannot be run."
If you run into these, it is best to download Minecraft and run it normally (not through your browser).

Demo Restrictions

The Minecraft demo has these restrictions (from the Minecraft wiki).

• The demo map is preset and will always generate with the same features.


• Players are normally restricted to Survival mode.


• Multiplayer is inaccessible, although LAN is allowed.


• The game time is limited to five in-game days (1 hour and 40 minutes real time). After the time runs out, players can still navigate though the world, but not interact with it. Resetting the demo world also resets the demo timer.