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I mean, the only mode was survival… at least that’s what I recall playing the prerelease versions.

This is based on a version that predates those versions you're thinking of.

It went Classic -> Indev -> Infdev -> Alpha -> Beta -> full release.

Indev was the introduction of survival mode.

The very first version was just a creative-mode browser game without any health or fight mechanics, I think. (Never played it as I started in alpha)