diff --git a/roles/minecraft-server/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/minecraft-server/defaults/main.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94fdd5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/minecraft-server/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+mc_server_version: 15c777e2cfe0556eef19aab534b186c0c6f277e1
+mc_server_memory: 1G
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/roles/minecraft-server/files/eula.txt b/roles/minecraft-server/files/eula.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ac74b96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/minecraft-server/files/eula.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+eula=true
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/roles/minecraft-server/files/minecraft-server.service b/roles/minecraft-server/files/minecraft-server.service
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a32e8e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/minecraft-server/files/minecraft-server.service
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Minecraft Server
+Documentation=https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Tutorials/Setting_up_a_server
+After=network-online.target
+
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+User=minecraft
+Group=minecraft
+WorkingDirectory=/srv/minecraft-server
+ExecStart=/bin/bash /srv/minecraft-server/minecraft-server.sh
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
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diff --git a/roles/minecraft-server/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/minecraft-server/tasks/main.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0df72a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/minecraft-server/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# based on https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Tutorials/Setting_up_a_server#Debian,_Ubuntu,_Raspbian
+
+- name: Install required packages
+  apt:
+    update_cache: yes
+    name:
+      - openjdk-18-jre-headless
+
+- name: Add user "minecraft"
+  user:
+    name: minecraft
+    create_home: false
+    shell: /bin/false
+    system: true
+
+- name: Create install directory
+  file:
+    path: /srv/minecraft-server
+    owner: minecraft
+    group: minecraft
+    state: directory
+
+- name: Download server jar
+  get_url:
+    url: https://piston-data.mojang.com/v1/objects/{{ mc_server_version }}/server.jar
+    dest: /srv/minecraft-server
+
+- name: Accept EULA
+  copy:
+    src: eula.txt
+    dest: /srv/minecraft-server/eula.txt
+
+- name: Install server script
+  template:
+    src: minecraft-server.sh
+    dest: /srv/minecraft-server/minecraft-server.sh
+
+- name: Install minecraft-server systemd unit
+  copy:
+    src: minecraft-server.service
+    dest: /etc/systemd/system/minecraft-server.service
+    mode: 0644
+
+- name: Enable minecraft-server service
+  systemd:
+    name: minecraft-server
+    daemon_reload: yes
+    state: started
+    enabled: yes
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diff --git a/roles/minecraft-server/templates/minecraft-server.sh b/roles/minecraft-server/templates/minecraft-server.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..62ac83f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/minecraft-server/templates/minecraft-server.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+exec /usr/bin/java -Xmn{{ mc_server_memory }} -Xmx{{ mc_server_memory }}  -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:+ParallelRefProcEnabled -XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=200 -XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions -XX:+DisableExplicitGC -XX:+AlwaysPreTouch -XX:G1NewSizePercent=30 -XX:G1MaxNewSizePercent=40 -XX:G1HeapRegionSize=8M -XX:G1ReservePercent=20 -XX:G1HeapWastePercent=5 -XX:G1MixedGCCountTarget=4 -XX:InitiatingHeapOccupancyPercent=15 -XX:G1MixedGCLiveThresholdPercent=90 -XX:G1RSetUpdatingPauseTimePercent=5 -XX:SurvivorRatio=32 -XX:+PerfDisableSharedMem -XX:MaxTenuringThreshold=1 -Dusing.aikars.flags=https://mcflags.emc.gs -Daikars.new.flags=true -jar /srv/minecraft-server/server.jar
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