The best Minecraft mods
Minecraft is a wonderfully open-ended game on its own, but mods are truly where the game shines. As one of the most popular games that has ever existed, there are a lot of great mods out there. It can be too much to parse through, so we've gathered a list of the best.
We've updated our list of mods for 2020 with the most current links and latest versions of the best Minecraft mods. We've organized them by the newest version of Minecraft they support, so you can begin picking mods that will all run on your preferred version. Many of these great mods are compatible with Minecraft 1.15, so that's a great category to start with!
Over the years, Minecraft modding has gotten equal parts simpler and more convoluted, depending on the route you choose. The Curse Forge platform (nowadays owned by Twitch) is still the simplest way to quickly and cleanly get playing modded Minecraft.
For doing all your mods a la carte, the many, many versions of Minecraft released over the years can make managing things difficult. Some of the best Minecraft mods of yore have stopped being updated, moved locations, or changed hands to new creators when the originals tire of the job. We've updated our list of favorites with links to their newest homes.
As with all mods, there's no guarantee that they're all compatible with the latest version of Minecraft. Some require the installation of legacy versions of Forge to get them running. Thankfully, installing older mods isn’t too difficult. Most mods come with instructions, but if they don’t, we’ve got a mini-guide to get you up and running.
The best Minecraft mods
Utility Mods
Optifine
Minecraft version: 1.7.2 - 1.14.4 | Download link
Minecraft doesn't scale too well to the power of fast or slow machines. It runs surprisingly poorly on low-end laptops, and a high-end rig can't do much with its extra oomph. Enter Optifine—a mod that not only makes Minecraft run faster but also look far better. It supports HD textures, smooth lighting, and more, and framerate doubling is not uncommon. It's one of the first things we usually add when installing Minecraft.
Just Enough Items (JEI)
Minecraft version: 1.15.2 | Download link
Just Enough Items is the successor of the older NotEnoughItems mod that lets you search for materials in-game and see all of its recipes. This is another useful tool to have installed alongside any new modpacks you try, helping you learn the recipes for new items you're not yet familiar with.
Here's What You're Looking At (HWYLA)
Minecraft version 1.12.2 - 1.15.2| Download link
HWYLA is a fork from the old popular utility What Am I Looking At. WAILA is no longer being updated, so you'll want to go with HWYLA for the future. Among other things, it shows a tooltip with the name of the block or object your cursor is pointing at. It's a useful utility for exploring a new modpack if you're constantly scratching your head wondering what that block you've never seen before is.
1.15 Mods
Biomes O'Plenty
Minecraft version: 1.15.2 | Download link
Since the 'Update That Changed The World' in late 2013, there's been a bit more diversity in Minecraft worlds. But Biomes O'Plenty adds vastly more—75 to be exact—from brushland and coral reefs, through lavender fields and ominous woods, to tundra and wasteland. You'll need to create a new world to use it (make sure to select the 'Biomes O'Plenty' world generation option), but it's worth it to see corners of Minecraft that you've never seen before.
Engineer's Tools
Minecraft version: 1.15.2 | Download Link
Engineer's Tools is a simple mod that makes mining above and under ground way more convenient. The mod's main feature is a craftable multitool that combines your pickaxe, wood axe, sheers, and shovel into a single item. You still need the individual tools to craft the multitool, so it's not so much a cheat as an inventory convenience. It also adds a coal chalk marker that you can use in caves to leave navigational waypoints or mark points of interest.
Botania
Minecraft version: 1.15.2 | Download link
Some mods add powerful magical items. Others add intricate machinery. Botania just adds flowers—but wow, what flowers. Flowers that heal you. Flowers that feed animals. Flowers that turn hostile mobs against each other. Flowers that eat cake. Oh, and did I mention that you've can also use flowers to create a magical portal to a world of elves? If you want to try something wildly different from most other mods, Botania is it.
The Lost Cities
Minecraft version: 1.10 - 1.15 (beta) | Download Link
Something has ended life as we know it. Buildings are in disrepair, and everyone has vanished, or so it seems. The Lost Cities, as the foreboding name suggests, spawns you into a city forgotten by time. The goal? See how long you can survive this post-apocalyptic wasteland without succumbing to death. If you fancy taking the survival one step further, this mod also interlinks with the Biomes O Plenty mod, meaning you’ll have a lot of stunning new areas to explore alongside the empty cities.
Journeymap
Minecraft version: 1.15.2 (beta) | Download Link
Maps are great for trying to keep a rough idea of where you are or where you’re heading. That said, there’s always room for improvement.
Imagine Google Maps, only for Minecraft and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what this mod does. Specifically, it lets folk view a more real-time map in-game, and on the mini-map, as well as being able to view the map online via a web browser. If you’re charting your next journey, and it’s going to take you far, far away from the sanctity of your home base, then this mod is a must.
Instant Massive Structures
Minecraft version: 1.7.10 - 1.15.1 | Download link
Okay, okay, so this one may be cheating. We’ve all seen monstrous builds online which make our 5x5 dirt house pail in comparison. But what happens if you want to turn the tables? What happens if you want an enormous city in a matter of seconds? That’s where the Instant Structures mod comes in. Simply cycle through the creative menu, drop a block, right click it, and a building will magically spawn. Structures range from castles, to houses, all the way to tram stations. Yeah, sure, it’s technically cheating, but we won’t tell anyone.
Rope Bridge Mod
Minecraft version: 1.15 | Download link
You know what’s annoying? When you’re at the top of a mountain and see something interesting on an adjacent mountain. No one likes the feeling off having to trudge down a mountain only to clumsily stumble your way up another directly after. What this mod does is cut out the in between bits. Namely, point, click, and a rope bridge will magically appear to offer up a link between the two destinations. Yes, it’s for lazy people like us. Feel free to judge.
Iron Chests 2
Minecraft version 1.15.2 | Download link
More storage mods, but this time focused on the early-game. Iron Chests lets you upgrade wooden chests to hold more stuff. In the long run, you'll probably still want an Applied Energistics system, but this make the early part of the game so much more pleasant.
1.12 Mods
Millénaire
Minecraft version: 1.12.2 | Download link
How many times have you explored a new area only to be met with nothing but vast emptiness? The Millénaire mod fixes that by introducing a wealth of new content into spaces where there’d usually be nothing. Villagers are replaced by human men, women, and children, instead of the bog-standard villager. Even villages have had a makeover to incorporate 11th-century Norman, North Indian and Mayan themes.
Fossils and Archeology Revival
Minecraft version: 1.12.2 | Download link
If there’s one thing missing from Minecraft it’s dinosaurs. Who doesn’t want to ditch creepers in favour of riding around on a T-Rex? Not only is there a massive amount of dinosaurs to spawn in creative, but in survival, the player can hunt down fossils and bring these forgotten beasts back to life. As well as a texture overhaul, there’s also a new mob boss in the Anu for those looking to put their prehistoric skills to the test.
JurassiCraft
Minecraft version: 1.12.2 | Download link
From the deep dark abyss of space to the glistening glory of Jeff Goldblum. The JurrassiCraft mod lets you create your very own prehistoric world by extracting DNA from fossils or amber you can find. It even includes some vehicles to help you make your way around. You can even bring back some prehistoric plants too. Just remember that life, uh, finds a way, and dinosaurs are much bigger than you and usually hungry.
Mystcraft
Minecraft version: 1.12.2 | Download link
Have you grown bored of your world but don't want to lose your progress? Conjure up a new dimension with Mystcraft. It lets you create 'Linking Books' that allow you to travel around the multiverse—with the contents of the book dictating the kind of worlds you'll discover. You might find a series of snow-covered floating islands, or an endless ocean with giant trees sprouting from the water. But be careful, some of the new dimensions could be unstable, falling apart around you.
Animal Bikes
Minecraft version: 1.12.2 | Download link
Making your way downtown in Minecraft isn’t always an enjoyable experience. While things are great once you’ve set up your own network of railways or rivers, it can often feel like a slog in new areas. Well, rather than lamenting this fact, why not speed up the experience with a whole slew of new animal bikes. This mod allows you to craft and ride a whole bunch of different beasts, all of which have special abilities. You can ride on animal hungry dinosaurs, volatile creepers, and even your very own fire-breathing ender dragon.
Natura
Minecraft version: 1.12.2 | Download link
Another great mod for spicing up world-generation is Natura. It adds a wide variety of new tree types, and therefore different-coloured woods to make your home more aesthetically pleasing. It also adds a few extra crops for early-game food and resource production, and makes the Nether a little more dangerous. Natura is a nice first step into Minecraft modding, because it sticks close to the themes of the regular game.
The Aether II
Minecraft version: 1.12.2 | Download link
The Aether (pronounced “ee-ther”) is the opposite of the Nether. While the Nether is seen as Minecraft’s equivalent of hell, the Aether is a sort of heavenly realm. Once transported via a portal, you’ll find yourself above the clouds surrounded by gorgeous, newly-designed floating islands. There’s also new mobs, including flying cows and flying pigs, some new boss enemies, as well as new block types to play with and new-fangled loot to find.
Thaumcraft
Minecraft version: 1.12.2 | Download link
Being a sorcerer is awesome, and the most awesome way to be a sorcerer in Minecraft is with Thaumcraft. It's a vast mod that revolves around drawing the magical essence out of physical objects in the Minecraft world and reshaping it into new forms. In the process, you'll create altars, wands, golems and fill dozens of jars of coloured goo. There's even a puzzle game you'll have to complete to research new spells.
Twilight Forest
Minecraft version: 1.12.2 | Download link
Love adventuring? This mod adds a new, densely-forested dimension shrouded in perpetual twilight that hides both valuable treasures and dangerous monsters. Throw a diamond into a pool of water surrounded by flowers to create a portal there, then spend a while roaming around. You'll find hedge mazes, hollow hills, enchanted groves, glaciers, lich towers and more with rich rewards for those that delve the deepest.
Forestry
Minecraft version: 1.12.2 | Download link
If you like the agricultural aspects of Minecraft, you're going to love Forestry. It's a huge mod, which adds a bunch of new items, machines and blocks, but it's best known for its bees. You can become an apiarist, capturing wild bees and cross-breeding them using real genetic principles to create masses of different useful resources. If I were teaching biology, I'd be using this in the classroom.
Chameleon Creepers
Minecraft version: 1.12 | Download link
Creepers not giving you enough grief? We can fix that. The Chameleon Creepers mod makes it so when a creeper passes over a block type, it changes color in the hopes of stealthily blending in to its surroundings. In short, it makes creepers even more deadly so you won’t see them until they’re hissing down the back of your neck. Why you’d want to use this mod is anyone’s guess, but for the masochists out there, you’re welcome.
Chisel
Minecraft version: 1.12.2 | Download link
Making your base pretty is an afterthought to some players, but to others it's a vital part of the game. Chisel provides loads of new texture options for many of the most common blocks in the game, giving you lots more decorative options. Even cobblestone blocks can almost look nice!
Pam's HarvestCraft
Minecraft version: 1.12.2 | Download link
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