The best Minecraft mods in 2021 🔥

A selection of necessary and simply interesting modifications for the main “sandbox” in the world. From graphics and gameplay improvements to new locations, enemies and characters

Like any popular sandbox game, Minecraft boasts constantly evolving modding. Some fans are improving the gameplay, others are experimenting with graphics, and still others are writing story-driven adventures or even creating completely new game modes. The creativity of fans has long been counted in thousands and thousands of high-quality mods. We have selected the best of them.

IMPORTANT: modifications only work on the Java version of the game. To install them, you need the 

Minecraft Forge program . You can download it here .

Optifine – prettier and faster

Many people call Optifine the first modification to be delivered. And absolutely everyone. Firstly, it improves the optimization of the graphics part, and secondly, it expands the number of corresponding options. As a result, the game can be configured as flexibly as possible, it will look better and run faster. There is even support for high definition textures.

• Improves snow, sod and water.
• Adds graphic effects and dynamic lighting.
• Increased visibility range.
• Allows you to install shaders with which you can change the graphics for the better.

Pros: noticeably improves and optimizes the graphics component in the game.

Cons: Can be demanding on weak computers.

Place the downloaded shader files in a special folder: \ .minecraft \ shaderpacks

• You can download the Optifine mod for Minecraft here .

JourneyMap – a convenient map

After creating a new world, especially in the “Survival” mode in Minecraft, it is quite difficult to navigate the terrain. You have to naturally memorize the native land of your spawn. And many, even in the first hours of the game, build high striped pillars of sand and earth, so that it is easy to return home from a hunt or a sortie for coal. And it will take many hours before you make a plan of the area out of paper and a compass (which also require resources and tools). Only now you will have to take it in your hands and lower your gaze.

The creators of the JourneyMap mod decided that the developers of Minecraft went too far with realism in this aspect. After installing this add-on, you will have access to a convenient auto-updating map, and its mini-version, familiar from other games, will appear in the corner of the screen.

• You can download the JourneyMap mod for Minecraft here .

WAILA – highlighting objects

Another modification that makes virtual life easier for Minecraft fans. It gives information about any block or object, it is worth hovering over it. That is why it is called WAILA – What Am I Looking At. It helps a lot when you see something for the first time in the game.

• You can download the WAILA mod for Minecraft here .

The Aether – Cubic Paradise

As you know, the world of Minecraft has its own Hell with lava and zombie pigs. It’s called Nether. You can get there by building a special portal. However, where there is Hell, there must be Heaven. The original game cannot boast of this. The creators of The Aether mod have corrected this misunderstanding. In the parallel world of Ether, the player is waited for by pink piglets with wings, soaring ores and walking on colorful clouds.

• You can download The Aether mod for Minecraft here .

Twilight Forest – forest adventure

And this work also adds a new biome – a twilight forest, reminiscent of Mirkwood from “The Hobbit”. There are many funny animals, scary spiders, gnome miners and other inhabitants. And the crowns of trees form a continuous cap that does not let the sun’s rays through.

• You can download the Twilight Forest mod for Minecraft here .

Carpenter’s Blocks – an architect’s dream

It’s no secret that in the original Minecraft, the whole world is made up of cubes. However, sometimes you want some kind of variety. This is especially critical when building beautiful buildings. A modification called Carpenter’s Blocks adds blocks with beveled edges to the game, as well as other objects with more complex 3D models such as fences, roofs or furniture.

• You can download the Carpenter’s Blocks mod for Minecraft here .

Dungeon Pack

The standard dungeons in the creation of Marcus Persson become boring very quickly. These are just cavities inside the rocks, where ores are found among the thickness of the stone, as well as mobs and somewhere deep lava flows. The creators of the Dungeon Pack mod managed to add a bit of the spirit of role-playing adventures in the style of Diablo to Minecraft . It adds many different locations with chests and dangerous mobs. Among these there are ships, temples in the rocks, forts, villages and much more.

• You can download the Dungeon Pack mod for Minecraft here .

Smart Moving – Cubic Parkour

And this work turns the player’s character into a real parkour and superman to boot. After installing Smart Moving, your hero will be able to run faster, jump further, pull up two blocks, slide through one empty one, and even fly!

• You can download the Smart Moving mod for Minecraft here .

Minecraft Comes Alive – the villages are now interesting

Another modification that makes the gameplay more varied. It is worth putting a fan add-on with the self-explanatory name Minecraft Comes Alive , and the game naturally comes to life! If earlier it was incredibly boring to explore the cube world alone, and even periodically meeting villages were not saved, now the player seems to find himself in the cube Sims again. In the settlements, not silent Buratins now live, but the most real square men. Each has its own profession, unique appearance and even character. For example, you can gain the trust of a guard or a farmer. Then the first will protect the player’s character from monsters, and the second will supply food. And if you try to molest someone else’s wife, you can get a slap in the face.

• You can download the Minecraft Comes Alive mod for Minecraft here .

Pam’s HarvestCraft – Improved Farming

If you are tired of growing wheat and potatoes alone, then you may like the mod with the complex name Pam’s HarvestCraft . He not only significantly expands the range, adding to the game almost all cultures known in our area, but also introduces the mechanics of the market. On the latter, you can buy seeds, and then sell the excess of the resulting crop.

• You can download the Pam’s HarvestCraft mod for Minecraft here .

ComputerCraft – cubic programming

And this work should please those who like to write machine code or various scripts. It adds a number of fairly simple tools that allow you to compose interesting algorithms and even develop full-fledged programs in the Lua language.

• You can download the ComputerCraft mod for Minecraft here .

Brewcraft is a cubic brewery!

Brewcraft will make you feel like a real brewer. Here you can create real craft beer in real cube barrels. And the actual brewing process itself is pretty close to real and very exciting.

• You can download the BrewCraft mod for Minecraft here .

Industrial Foregoing

In this mod, more than 50 devices have been added to automate the work with energy. The improvement allows you to distribute various kinds of functions between machines for creating, sorting and destroying animals, extracting liquids from them for food production. Helps to create your own automatic farm without adding a huge amount of unnecessary materials and ore. There is a book with a description of all items.

Pros: optimizes resource extraction and simplifies the development of an automated system.

Cons: you have to spend time studying all the mechanisms.

• Download from the link .

Ultra Amplified

The mod automatically generates an unusual world, which consists of huge hanging blocks. Water, mountains, buildings, trees and other components will be scattered throughout the location in a chaotic manner at different levels.

Pros: unique landscape.

Cons: Requires a large number of connections between layers for easy movement.

• Download from the link .

Arcana

One of the most interesting mods in which players have implemented a system of infecting the world. The higher its level, the faster the spread of the infection, which changes the appearance of everything around.

The improvement is currently in test mode. In the future, it is planned to add a system of spells, tasks and research, magic and dungeons.

Pros: Adds more variety.

Cons : Many interesting mechanics are missing yet.

• Download from the link .

XNet

Popular improvement for automatically storing, filling and transferring items. Adds wires, connectors, controllers, pipes and other blocks to the game to unite the entire industrial system into a single network. Allows you to sort the required products, transfer fluids and energy.

Pros: Optimizes the transfer of materials between player camps.

Cons: it is required to study the work of each block before use.

• Download from the link .

World Map

Adds a map of the game world, on which all biomes (unique territories in terms of their climate and ecosystem), previously discovered by the player, are marked. Updates each chunk (a specific piece of the game world). Various add-ons and cave search are supported.

Analogue of JourneyMap: popular with users who are using the current version of the game, since the original modification has not yet been finalized to the fresh version.

Pros: makes it easier to navigate the map and find buildings.

Cons: there is no way to launch through the browser like its predecessor.

• Download from the link .

SuperMiner (MinersAdvantage)

Modification to automate some of the simplest actions:

1. Speeds up farming and resource extraction.
2. Allows you to pick up resources from a greater distance.
3. Digging and cutting trees quickly.
4. Automatic installation of torches and change to the required tool.
5. Creates a mine and paths to it.

Pros: Simplifies mining and interface work.

Cons : May not be pleasant to hardcore players, as it greatly simplifies the game.

• Download from the link .

Lycanites Mobs

An updated version of the popular modification, with the help of which new opponents will appear in the player’s world. Added large peaceful giants, fearsome elementals, fearsome living shadows and more. Each creature has a unique look and habitat.

Pros: Expands the animal world of the game.

Cons: Some creatures are annoying with their sounds.

• Download from the link .

MrCrayfish’s Furniture

Special improvement for home decor and interior design. Now you can turn your home into a dream home. In the game, not only furniture, TVs, stereos and computers will become available, but also many other unique items such as household appliances, lamps, curtains.

Pros: expands the list of objects and allows you to furnish buildings inside.

Cons: it will take a lot of time to equip a large house, since there is no automation and each item will have to be built manually.

• Download from the link .

XRay

There are many different versions of this modification, but only the most classic is worth noting, which best fulfills its original function. XRay is used to find the required resources and blocks, making the rest completely transparent. There is a cave search function.

Pros: Simplifies gameplay.

Cons: banned on some servers, as it equates to cheats.

• Download from the link .

Angel of Vengeance

A major addition that adds character leveling, magical abilities, classes and spells. Now you can choose one of three classes with your own set of spells, gain experience and develop new abilities. To select a hero, it is imperative to build a monument, as in the picture below. After that, you need to pick up a diamond and use it on the central block, after which the structure will be reduced to the size of one cell. We take it with us and put it where it is convenient, and then use it to improve magical abilities.

To successfully use the ability, press the Alt button . After activating the top panel using the wheel, select the required spell, and then click on the Right Mouse Button to attack. There are 15 charges available, so we turn to the statue to replenish it.

Pros: noticeably expands the universe of the game and allows you to feel like a real hero, going all the way from the initial level to the maximum.

Cons: Not yet as popular as Divine RPG.

• Download from the link .

Apotheosis

Another improvement for the game, increasing the number of items in it and expanding the capabilities of the character. This time, users have added potion blocks, bookshelves, altars and other enchanting devices. A new system of witchcraft is used.

Pros: greatly expands the possibilities of witchcraft and potion production.

Cons: initially you need to learn the recipes for crafting the necessary blocks.

• Download from the link .

Mystic World

A small modification that allows you to diversify the animal world. Each model of the beast is made with maximum reliability. At the moment, from real-life animals, a deer, beetle, frog, owl, fox or worm have been added to the game. There are also more bizarre creatures in the upgrade: lava cats and sprouts.

Pros: High quality character models.

Cons: few animals.

• Download from the link .

TrapCraft

Adds 7 types of hunting traps to the game: traps, fans, scarecrows, igniters, grass covers, hunting spikes and magnet chests. Very useful for killing animals. As soon as any of the animals steps on the placed device, it will slam shut, and sharp thorns will pierce the game.

Pros: An effective way to destroy enemies.

Cons: Requires scrolls to be learned to create a trap.

• Download from the link .

WorldEdit

A major modification that allows you to edit the world map at the player’s request. For this, the user is provided with special commands and tools. Now you can change any blocks around: for example, make a river or build a huge mountain in a short period of time. Allows you to remove, replace or install an infinite number of blocks, as well as build buildings in the form of geometric shapes, including from water. There is a convenient compass for teleportation by location.

Pros: fast and easy world editing in one of the best mods.

Cons: Requires large resources to build the largest landscape structures.

• Download from the link .

VoxelMap

A minimap appears in the game, which will help not only determine your position in the world, but also show the direction to the place of death. According to the community, it is considered one of the most useful modifications not only among the mini-maps, but also in the list of all previously released changes. There is support for mods, search for caves, mines and mobs, supports markers and Russian.

Pros: huge functionality for small modifications.

Cons: makes it too easy to navigate the world.

• Download from the link .

Damage Indicators

Adds players the ability to see the health of any creatures in the game. The amount of health is displayed at the top left of the screen. Great for adventure RPG modifications, as it makes it easier to get comfortable in the battles.

Pros: Allows you to control the situation on the battlefield.

Cons: the atmosphere of ignorance of future adventures is a little lost, as in the original version.

• Download from the link .

Baby Yoda

A unique upgrade that adds Baby Yoda. The partner will follow the player and use magical abilities to defeat enemies. Several funny static animations were also added to the child: he will drink soup, look around, blink. Can’t die.

Pros: The Mandalorian fans dream, plus the baby can be very useful in any battles.

Cons: Battles get too easy at times.

• Download from the link .

RealisticClouds

Adds a realistic shape to the clouds that will change over time. Their condition depends on the weather. Now bend around obstacles instead of going through them.

• Download from the link .

Iron Chests

Adds blocks of chests to the game: iron, gold, diamond, obsidian, crystal, dirty. Although the modification seems elementary, even such a small variety will allow you to correctly sort the stored items and not get lost in their location. They do not combine as simple ones, do not open if a transparent block is placed on top.

Pros: Convenient sorting of items.

Cons: little functionality.

• Download from the link .

Lucky Block

Allows you to create a magic item on a workbench or find it in the game world, with which you can get a random item. It all depends only on the luck of the player. You can discover lava, dangerous monsters, wealth, move into a deadly trap, or start an apocalypse. The list of possible events is incredibly long.

Pros: it dilutes everyday gameplay with random events that will give you much more pleasure than the usual game actions.

Cons: Sometimes you can fall into a death trap or cause a cataclysm with disastrous consequences.

• Download from the link .

World Downloader

Allows you to download the entire map from any server for further launch in a single player game. Works great in conjunction with World Edit, as it allows you to borrow someone else’s buildings. Nice modification to save the world for personal use, even if the multiplayer server is restarted.

Pros: useful for exploring alien worlds and finding interesting buildings that you can use for your own purposes.

• Download from the link .

Minecolonies

An extensive modification that provides the ability to found a city with a population. For this, special tools and blocks will appear for quickly building houses and generating residents with different professions. You can improve buildings, offer people different roles in the city and automate the process of extracting resources. Players should be careful, as the colony will need protection from possible attacks from raiders and wild animals. That is why it is necessary to train warriors.

Pros: great mod for diversifying a single player game.

Cons: it will take a lot of time to create a colony and organize its protection.

• Download from the link .

Moar Boats

Minor improvement expanding boat transport. Modular ships are added to the game, which can also be configured to automatically move along the selected route. It will be very useful for delivering materials by water from one settlement to another.

Pros: Simplifies shipping.

• Download from the link .

Ruins

Generates random buildings around the world. Players will be able to find sunken ships, abandoned buildings, waterfalls, castles and more. Added about 30 new structures.

• Download from the link .

Solar Flux Reborn

A useful improvement for expanding your factory. Solar panels generate power for all of the player’s vehicles. Adds 8 types of blocks, which differ in the complexity of creation and the amount of energy generated. Improvement of the panels is possible.

Pros: Extends basic functionality for developing a successful factory.

Cons: Some panels require too many resources.

• Download from the link .

SecurityCraft

A modification that adds special buildings that increase the security of settlements. The game can use lasers, retinal scanners, card readers, inventory scanners, trap cages, portable radars, flooded chests, panic buttons, password stoves, cameras and much more, including explosives and blast-resistant blocks.

Pros: allows you to build a fortress protected from all sides.

Cons: you can fall into your own traps.

• Download from the link .

Macaw’s Roofs

The long-awaited improvement with which you can construct buildings with real covers. You no longer need to build stairs on roofs. There are 5 types of blocks: black, light gray, white, brownish red and gray.

Pros: Simplifies the construction of buildings.

Cons: poor choice of roofs.

• Download from the link .

Mutant Creature

Adds improved versions of enemies to the game world, which are considered bosses due to the increased supply of health points by almost ten times. They have significant advantages over the player not only in terms of survivability, but also in terms of the value of damage dealt and the use of special magic skills. After defeating such an enemy, you can get improved items.

Pros: Battles become more challenging and interesting.

Cons: An unprepared player can easily die under the onslaught of an opponent.

• Download from the link .

Reap Mod

Allows you to cut the bottom blocks of trees for instant timber. You can program the Right Mouse Button to automatically harvest and nest new seeds.

Pros: Suitable for those who like to farm in the game.

Cons: Speeds up gameplay too much.

• Download from the link .

Ultimate Car

Allows you to create cars in the game world. All vehicles are represented by cars of different sizes and colors. In the future, it will be possible to change parts. You will definitely need gas for the production of biodiesel, otherwise the car will not move.

Pros: You can quickly reach new uncharted territory.

Cons: Kills the atmosphere of the Middle Ages.

• Download from the link .

AmbientSounds

The only sound modification in this collection that adds new background sounds. In the forest, you can hear birds singing, and at night the hero will travel side by side with owls and crickets.

Pros: Adds realism.

Cons: New sounds can be scary at first, especially at night.

• Download from the link .

Shoulder Surfing Reloaded

Introduces an updated third-person view into the game. One of the best options for use on role-playing servers.

• Download from the link .

CraftTweaker

A modern version of the legacy MineTweaker. Allows you to modify and add your own crafting scrolls using simple tools. Complete freedom of action when editing crafting.

Pros: Suitable for creating your own multiplayer servers.

Cons: there is no beautiful graphical interface, so all operations are performed by writing commands in the file.

• Download from the link .

Placeable Items

Allows you to place items in a wide variety of locations. For example, you might put a sword on a shelf, food on a table, and spread books on the floor.

• Download from the link .

In addition to the modifications presented above, which add game items, mobs or in some way change the functionality of the game, it is worth listing separately the graphic shaders that improve the picture.

GLSL

The most important shader that is compatible with almost all modifications. Needed to install small graphical improvements that affect some specific changes. The game will feature animated water, beautiful light, realistic fauna and colorful sky.

Pros: good optimization, many visual details improved.

• Download from the link .

KUDA

One of the most powerful improvements that makes a big difference in the game for the better. Considered one of the best of its kind, the community especially praises the improved color rendering and believable water. Alas, any graphical changes require increased performance from the computer.

Pros: Improved many visuals, water and lighting.

Cons: in the “ultra” mode, the mod is very demanding on the hardware.

• Download from the link .

Werrus

Included in the top of the most popular modifications. In Werrus, the lighting has changed significantly, realistic shadows have been added, foliage and greenery have been improved, the waves on the water and the brightness of the fire have been changed. Shader optimized for weak computers

Cons: Requires additional mods to be installed successfully.

• Download from the link .

BSL

One of the best lighting mods.

Cons: Hits FPS.

• Download from the link .