Knowing where to start with the best Minecraft mods can feel overwhelming. What do you want to improve in Minecraft? Are you looking for something that will improve the user interface or do you want to change how the game feels overall via a horror mod? Maybe you want to improve the visuals in a way that needs more than just the best Minecraft texture packs.
With so many options out there, we’ve tried to narrow things down to the absolute best of the best. In all cases, you can easily add them via the best Minecraft server hosting or do so locally instead.
Take a look below at what we’ve picked out and spend some time trying everything out. It’s impressive how different Minecraft can seem depending on the mods you install.
The best Minecraft mods 2024
Just Enough Items
Crafting new items is a key part of Minecraft but the standard way of doing so isn’t the easiest. If you’re sick to death of looking on a different screen (or your phone) for a recipe, install Just Enough Items. It adds a neat-looking interface to your inventory so you can easily look up recipes for any item, including those from installed Minecraft mods. Is it the most exciting mod? Not really but it’s a huge time saver and will make your Minecraft time much more convenient.
RLCraft
Want an entirely different Minecraft experience? Check out RLCraft. It promises to be hard but rewarding with the name being short for Real Life Craft. Survival is tough so it won’t appeal to anyone seeking something cozy but it’s impressive. It includes a thirst bar, the need to pay attention to temperature and your heart levels, and there are plenty of new mobs too. It also has a cool RPG skills and perks system so at least you stand half a chance of surviving. If you feel like you’ve had your fill of regular Minecraft, RLCraft will shake everything up for the better.
BetterEnd
Turning the game into a whole new thing, Minecraft mod BetterEnd adds 24 new biomes into the End with each biome providing its own atmosphere, mobs, and general unique style. There are new blocks and items along with new mechanics like Infusion Rituals, and it all comes together to be pretty special. Even the sky has a new look to it and it’s perfect if Minecraft is feeling a little tired to you at this stage.
Sodium
Sodium isn’t an exciting Minecraft mod but it could well end up being your favorite while it ticks along in the background. It’s a powerful rendering engine and optimization mod that is guaranteed to improve performance and graphical quality. It won’t change how the game looks but it will improve your FPS and the stability of your session. If you have lots of mods installed or your PC needs some assistance, this is the easiest solution.
OptiFine
If you’ve scooped up some great Minecraft shaders and texture updates, and your PC is starting to feel it -- get OptiFine. It helps Minecraft run faster and look better thanks to its full support for HD textures, shaders, and dynamic lighting. Minecraft can still look pretty gorgeous and mods like OptiFine help a lot with this side of things.
AppleSkin
Eating food is necessary and more complicated than you might think in Minecraft. With AppleSkin, you can see exactly how much nutrition you’re gaining when using any foodstuff. That means you can plan in advance when it comes to what food you should be eating and when. It does so through a cute addition to the HUD so you can easily see what will be satiating for you.
When Dungeons Arise
Want to turn Minecraft into a dungeon-crawling experience? Check out When Dungeons Arise. It’s a dungeon generator that places dungeons randomly on your worlds and gives you plenty to explore. It’s risky business, of course, because plenty of foes are generated too but the rewards can be worth it and it’s certainly thrilling stuff. Many of the structures are gorgeous to look at too.
Aquaculture 2
Everyone loves fishing, right? Seemingly every game features a fishing system these days and Aquaculture 2 enhances Minecraft’s fishing. There are over 30 new fish to catch with the option of doing so with a rod or while swimming in the wild. Besides new rods, there’s new bait and you can customize fishing lines and bobbers. Each biome type has new types of fish so there’s plenty to do here for those cozier moments.
Epic Dungeons: A Roguelike Journey
For a more roguelike experience, check out Epic Dungeons: A Roguelike Journey. We’re all used to the procedural generation that makes Minecraft different every time but Epic Dungeons: A Roguelike Journey adds to that by providing procedurally generated dungeons where you can fight harder mobs, avoid traps, and find some neat loot. It feels different every time and all the better for it.
Pixelmon
For Pokemon fans or anyone who likes the concept of monster-catching, there’s Pixelmon. It gives you the chance to capture creatures in Minecraft, battle with them, trade them, and breed them -- just like in a Pokemon game. It matches the mechanics of the beloved games while having the Minecraft magic too. If that sounds like heaven to you, you need to run and not walk towards this mod.
You may also like...
- Our guide to the best Minecraft seeds
- A rundown of the best Minecraft shaders
- A look at the best Minecraft servers
