Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications as well as the creator of a popular blog and video game startup. A fan of EVs since the early s, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles.
Minecraft works just fine right out of the box, but tweaking and extending the game with mods can radically change the experience.
Some mods are great for brand new players and seasoned veterans alike, while others are aimed squarely at breathing new life into the game after you have already seen everything that the basic game has to offer. With a never-ending spigot of mods from a tremendously talented and dedicated fan base, you can always find something new to do or see in Minecraft. Whether you're brand new to Minecraft , or you're just new to modding, we've put together a list of the 15 best Minecraft mods that improve graphics or performance, add useful functionality, and open up brand new worlds to explore.
If you are brand new to Minecraft, we highly suggest checking out the basic game first to get a feel for it, and then add mods over time to make things easier, prettier, and finally to totally change up the entire experience. However, they only work with Minecraft: Java Edition. If you're playing a version of the game like Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition, or any console or mobile version, you have to buy skins, modpacks, and other content from the in-game store.
Mods for the Java version of the game do not work with any other version. Installing Minecraft mods is pretty easy , especially with the help of Minecraft Forge , but mods aren't always compatible with each other, and individual mods aren't always compatible with the latest version of the game.
If you want a seamless mod experience, consider checking out a curated Minecraft modpack like Regrowth or All The Mods , or a custom launcher like Feed the Beast or Technic. What It Does. OptiFine is a behind-the-scenes mod that improves and optimizes the graphics of Minecraft so that the game runs as smoothly, and looks as great, as it possibly can on your computer.
This is the best mod to grab, and the first one you should download, if you care about visuals and smooth gameplay. If you're brand new to Minecraft, it's just fine to install this mod right away. All it does is make the game look better and run more smoothly. You can safely ignore most of the features, which can be overwhelming, until you've spent more time in the game.
Download from Minecraft Forum. Download from OptiFine. What It Does Journeymap implements a beautiful world map that is generated automatically as you play. It includes a minimap that shows up in the upper right corner of the screen while you're playing, but you can also open up a full-screen map to view the entire world that you have explored up to that point. Since the built-in mapping feature that Minecraft includes by default is so basic and requires you to craft a bunch of stuff, Journeymap is a must-have mod for anyone who likes to explore.
While it's worth playing Minecraft without this mod to start just to get a feel of how the game is meant to work, adding this mod makes for a much better experience even for complete beginners. Download from CurseForge. What It Does Chest Transporter is a mod that lets you pick up and move chests, even if they're full of items.
This is pretty basic in comparison to a lot of the other mods on this list, but it's also tremendously useful. Without the help of a mod, moving a chest even one block in any direction is a tedious, multi-step process that looks something like:. With this mod, you can collapse all of that down to the two-step process of picking up the chest and then placing it wherever you want it.
This mod is all about convenience. If you've found yourself getting tired of the hassle of dealing with full chests, then grab this mod to make your life a whole lot easier. What It Does Just Enough Items allows you to immediately pull up some vital information about any crafting material or crafted item in the game. With this mod, you can instantly find out how to craft anything you see or find out what can be crafted out of anything you see. The biggest benefit of this mod is that you no longer have to experiment with random combinations, or search the internet, to figure out how to craft anything.
However, it's also useful in creative mode, since it makes it easier to locate and place new items in the world. While this is another quality of life mod, some people may feel like it takes away some of the fun of exploration and experimentation. Grab this one once you're an old hand at the game and just want to streamline things. This mod allows you to look at anything in the game, including blocks, crafted items, and even creatures, and instantly see what it's called. In addition to the name of the item, the mod can also show information like the contents of a chest, the progress of items being processed in a furnace, and more.
If you have Just Enough Items installed, this mod also allows you to look up recipes by looking at items and blocks. What It Does Minecraft Comes Alive is a mod that overhauls villagers, replacing them with a huge mixture of NPCs that you can interact with in a variety of ways. The basic functionality of Minecraft villagers is retained, in that you can still trade with them.
However, there are additional dialog options and a complex relationship system that even allows you to marry a villager and have your very own Minecraft baby. If you're getting tired of the droves of identical villagers you run into in game after game, this is a great mod to install. What It Does This is a must-have mod for dedicated builders, but it's equally useful if you're new to the game and just want more customization options.
The mod adds a ton of new blocks and patterns, but it also allows you to craft a chisel that lets you change the appearance of blocks by smacking them. What It Does Pam's HarvestCraft adds a ton of food and farming options, which makes it the perfect mod to grab if you're bored of pork chops and watermelon slices. In addition to new foods and plants, the mod also includes a beekeeping system, which adds even more new gameplay. Download CurseForge. This mod was introduced when Minecraft only included a handful of default biomes, but it's still good if you're tired of the standard biomes or just want to generate a world with a whole lot more diversity.
This mod retains all of the default biomes, but it adds dozens more, including a mystic grove populated by pixies. What It Does The Lost Cities is a mod that lets you create a world populated by hauntingly crumbling cities. This is a great mod to grab if you're getting tired of the same old Minecraft biomes, or you just want a different type of survival experience. What It Does This mod adds a brand new dimension to Minecraft, literally, in the form of a flat expanse made just for mining.
After generating your new world, you are tasked to survive and unleash your creativity to build a virtual reality. In the gameplay, you explore your open worlds , which are laid out on a 3D grid and separated into different areas known as biomes.
These could be villagers, hostile creatures, or animals. There are different ways to interact with them, which can help your survival, including taming a fox or a panda. This character can explode and sneaks up on players. There is also the enderman, which can pick up and place blocks, and has the ability to teleport. It is an inventive and imaginative world, so will appeal to anyone who likes fantasy or creativity.
You have a choice of the three main gameplay modes. Each one gives you a different experience when playing Minecraft. Creative mode is where you can experiment with unlimited resources, building anything you can think of. You can fly around the gameworld and focus on completing larger projects. Survival mode brings in more time-sensitive or action-based gameplay, where what you do affects your character.
Players use seeds to spawn new worlds ; by entering a string of numbers, you can create and add unique biomes. Minecraft also offers multiplayer mode. There are various ways to play with others, including a local split-screen or by connecting to servers. It is in this mode that players from different platforms can come together to compete or team up in the same Minecraft worlds.
You can interact and communicate through the game. Many of the same concepts of the Java edition can be found in the touchscreen bedrock game. You have an inventory, where you can store and choose materials, such as wood for building.
The main parts of the game are moving around and picking up and placing blocks. The adaptation of these functions for the touchscreen has been done successfully. Placing blocks can be achieved by tapping the screen in the desired location.
Other actions, such as destroying blocks that required a mouse click have been changed to pressing and holding, which works very well. The options menu allows a player to adjust the controls and the camera view. There are also split touch controls , which are ideal for bigger screens. The graphics and soundtrack are unique, but not anything to wow and impress you.
Where the game really comes into its own is the creativity and potential of a virtual environment. It is supported by a fantastic online community that adds to the immersive experience. There are ways to add to and expand your Minecraft experience, and there are alternatives for you to try. It became the best-selling video game for a reason, so if you want to augment the experience or try something similar here are some options for you. You can take your Minecraft gameplay to the next level with Mod-Master for Minecraft.
It comes as a free or a premium version, and you can use it to add just about anything to your game. It allows you to install maps, seeds, mods, and servers. You can smoothly install add-ons without encountering glitches and issues with your game.
Each Minecraft player has their own favorite elements. As well as playing the game, there are different areas to get creative. For those who want to change the texture packs , UTK. Alternatively, for those who want to edit skins, you can try Skins Editor 3D. It is aimed at kids and teenagers. You are tasked to keep your blockhead alive while exploring the wilderness around you. Minecraft is brilliant for expressing creativity , getting to grips with a world of survival, as well as getting technical.
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