Minecraft is more than just a game. It’s a fully-embraced learning tool that educators have credited for an increase in problem-solving skills among students who use it. Part of the appeal is the endless supply of Minecraft mods, ways to change everything from your character's hair color to the world around you.
But with so many ways to customize the game experience, it can be hard to know where to start. Here are the top kid-approved Minecraft mods we see as must-haves for 2021. They are ideal for beginner users and seasoned gamers alike.
The best Minecraft mods for 2022
In no particular order, these are some of the most exciting mods available for the standard PC version of Minecraft.
1. Backpacked (1.14.4/1.15)
A frustrating part of Minecraft is that you can only hold so many items at a time. Deciding what to keep can be difficult, which is why the Backpacked mod is so useful. This inventory mod gives you an additional nine slots to put your precious gear into. It's made of leather and sits on your back, just like it would in real life.
Be sure to use it to store rare items that you don't want to lose, because it keeps your inventory safe even if you die. You’ll craft this backpack using leather in the same way you would a chest, and once it’s in your inventory, you can access it with the B button.
2. Wooden Golems (1.14.4)
With the Wooden Golems mod, you can make your own golems to attack monsters that get in your way. These wooden sidekicks come armed with either a sword or a bow. Simply put the weapon of your choice in the weapon slot, then switch weapons by right-clicking them.
Add armor to protect your wooden golems, but pay attention to any smoke they make. It indicates that they aren’t healthy and need a golem repair kit. Use these golems to guard a perimeter or keep them with you to act as your own private security against predators. To make the golem follow you, use a control rod.
3. Chat bubbles (1.14.2)
Crowded servers are fun to play on, but they can make it difficult to track conversations. Instead of trying to multi-task by watching your character and the chat lines, consider this Chat Bubble mod.
It puts the conversation for each player above their head, so you only have to watch each character to know what they are saying. It’s very useful for conversing with people in close proximity.
4. The Solar System mod (1.2.5)
Add the 8 planets from our solar system to your Minecraft world, including the dwarf planet Pluto, with the Solar System mod. Some features of these planets include various temperatures, their own color, and a soil that’s unique to each planet.
To visit each planet, you activate a portal frame with fire. Mercury, for example, can be accessed by lighting a gold block portal. Each planet’s portal color will vary; experiment to see which planet you can reach next.
5. VerticalRedstone (1.3.2)
For those who have been frustrated by the lack of ability to wire vertically along Redstone walls, you’re in luck! The VerticalRedstone mod lets you place wiring straight up a wall, saving you time and resources.
6. Realism (1.7.10)
While Minecraft is a game that kids enjoy, it’s popular among grown-ups, too. And as its name says, the Realism mod provides more realistic gameplay by changing how you craft and what certain tools do. Instead of converting a log into boards with one click, you’ll have to do more work.
Examples include:
- Smelt raw copper ore drops into refined copper to make your own tools
- Trade sticks for tool rods, which are sturdier and can be used for a variety of crafting purposes
- Spin cloth with threaders made from wood, iron, emerald, or gold
- Make planks out of larger pieces of wood using a handsaw, which you can also use as a weapon
If you want your Minecraft experience to be more lifelike, this is the mod for you.
7. [Forge]Rails of War Siemens-Schuckertwerke Akkulok update (1.7.10)
Train lovers will enjoy this mod that gives you old-fashioned trains, armored locomotives, tracks, switches, and everything you need for your own railway system. The fun comes from not only adding your trains, but building the track, which requires a working knowledge of the terrain and the right way to construct the ties and rails.
Trains also must be fueled with coal, controlled for proper speed, and filled with supplies. This is everything you’ve wanted in a hobby train set, but it’s all digital.
8. Enchanted Wolves
Enchanted Wolves is a somewhat complicated mod that gives you an entire wolf pack to customize and control. Create collars for your tame wolves, made out of leather and diamonds. You can even enchant the collars to give your wolves bonuses and immunity against any of your weapons.
Enchantments provide everything from buffness and toughness to swiftness. You can also enchant them to be a Hellhound with extra health or you can create a Resurrection wolf that teleports back to you after it dies. If you’ve always wanted a dog as a pet, this may be your next best thing.
9. Ice Mountains World Type
If you’re playing Minecraft and decide you want something completely different in your world, this mod can help. Add an Ice Mountain or Ice Island and see what new things you can do. Just be aware that these areas are somewhat experimental and are for advanced players only.
10. AstikorCarts (v0.1.2.7)
This MIT-created and licensed mod features carts that can be attached to horses or other animals. Simply press “R” to either hitch up or release a nearby cart, or you can carry the cart yourself. Slow down your cart or speed it up as you wish.
Carts have a number of uses, including holding double chest inventory and giving friends a lift, too. Some other types of carts can do extra tasks, including the plow that can carry your tools as inventory or turn dirt into a pathway for you to ride on.
Bonus Mod: Rideable Bees
With so many ways to play, it's no wonder Minecraft continues to be a must-have PC game year after year. It’s also why we had a hard time picking just the 10 best Minecraft mods and had to add this last one in.
The Rideable Bees mod is a unique way to add a little buzz to your world. Tame them with honey, and when you see the hearts, you can hop on for some sky-high adventure. Just remember that you’re heavy for a bee, and they can have a hard time going uphill with you aboard. You’ll have to attach a lead to their body, then pull them to higher ground before riding again.
How to download Minecraft mods
There are many sites to get mods from, so how can you know which sources are safe? You can start by sticking with the major collaboration sites, which will have comments and updates to tell you how others are enjoying the mods, plus tips for how they work. They should also have a set of rules that mod creators follow before submitting their projects.
We’ve also included safe links within this article for the mods we reviewed.
Only download from sites that specifically require mods to be:
- Functioning, even if they aren’t in the final version
- Original and not plagiarized from other sources
- Family-friendly and without nudity, swearing, drugs, or inappropriate violence
- Free from cheat suggestions, such as hacking or griefing
If there is a community associated with any Minecraft mod download site, check to see that the rules are followed and that harassment or dangerous behaviors aren't allowed or encouraged.
It's up to the parent or educator to vet sites before allowing downloads, so do your homework to check out any site your child wants to use for projects.
You’ll also want to ensure that they are compatible with your version of Minecraft. Console and PC versions are different, and the educational themes that classrooms use are different still. To get the best experience, check the version notes at each download site to see if your game is compatible.
Each mod typically comes with specific instructions for how to download and install it, so read the documentation carefully before you click the “download” button. Remember where you directed the downloaded files to save because you’ll need this location to access them later.
How to install Minecraft mods
Once you have the mod you want, follow these steps to install them and use them in your game. Each mod will have different instructions for making it work for your game version. There will be different directions for console, PC, and homegrown systems like Raspberry Pi.
Be sure you have a backup of your current Minecraft game so that you don’t lose your hard work if you run into any issues. You can always refer to this original backup if necessary.
One other way to download and install Minecraft mods that requires little experience and lets you use a variety of mods is to use a management tool like Forge:
- Extract the mod file, if necessary, by right-clicking on the file or folder and selecting Extract. This new file will be saved in a new location under the same folder path
- Copy the mod file by pressing Ctrl+C (You’ll know it’s the right mod file, as it will have a .jar extension)
- Open Minecraft from your desktop or Start menu
- Select the latest release
- Find your Minecraft installation folder by clicking on the green arrow on the right side of the game directory. You should see program files for Minecraft
- Open the Mods folder
- Inside the Mods folder, click your mouse in any blank space and press Ctrl+V to paste that mod file you had copied earlier
Now that your new mod is installed, you can start playing it. Look for the name of the mod in your menu, and remember that it may not be the exact mod name you call it.
Additional Minecraft mod tips
Minecraft is considered by many to be one of the best computer games for kids, and it’s available on more than just PC. There are Mac and mobile versions of the game, as well as console versions. Because not every version being played out there is the same, not every version can be modded.
Play on PC if you can
As a general rule, the updated, full version of the PC game can use most of the mods. If you want the most flexible experience possible, this is the way to go. Many people play this title on their Windows 10 operating system and enjoy great gameplay.
Other versions lack similar mod support
There are some packs and features you can download or buy for the PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo versions as well as the mobile Pocket Editions (Minecraft PE). However, they don’t have the same modding abilities.
Also, people often confuse the Minecraft Windows 10 Edition with the standard game played on a Windows 10 operating system. These are two different game versions, so check the documentation of any game you buy to know you’re getting the right one.
Final thoughts to keep in mind
You can also read user reviews to learn how others are using the game and what features they enjoy if you’re not completely sure. Many people have been disappointed to learn that the mobile version doesn't let you create new mods, or that it doesn't transfer over to the full version of the PC game.
The official website is also a good source of information on the various editions and what they offer.
Conclusion
What mod trends will we see next? While there are new mods being developed and shared all the time, our list contains some of the more unique and exciting Minecraft mods that will appeal to players of all ages. And if you haven’t downloaded the Backpacked mod yet to expand your inventory, what are you waiting for?
About the Author
Linsey Knerl is a contributing writer for HP® Tech Takes. Linsey is a Midwest-based author, public speaker, and member of the ASJA. She has a passion for helping consumers and small business owners do more with their resources via the latest tech solutions.
FAQs
What is the best tech mod for Minecraft? ›
- 8/10 Applied Energistics 2.
- 7/10 Red Power 2.
- 6/10 Thermal Expansion.
- 5/10 GregTech 6.
- 4/10 Industrial Craft 2.
- 3/10 Mekanism.
- 2/10 Immersive Engineering.
- 1/10 Ender IO.
Here are some of the ultimate Minecraft world mods:
Twilight Forest. Biomes O'plenty. Alex's Mobs. Immersive Portals.
1 Just Enough Items (JEI) (Downloads: 131 Million)
Just Enough Items is currently the most popular Minecraft mod in terms of downloads, boasting a mammoth figure of 131 million downloads over its lifespan.
BetterFps is a Minecraft mod that add a few performance improvements, trying to be compatible with other mods. If you have two screenshots comparing with and without, PM me. These screenshots are outdated and many improvements have been implemented since then.
What mod does Technoblade use to build? ›Although Technoblade mainly uses the Tightvault Revamp pack these days, this hasn't always been the case. In the past he has used other packs, prominently featuring packs such as War v2 and TimeDeo's 2k pack.
How many Minecraft mods are there? ›One repository website, CurseForge, features over 100,000 mods as of March 2022. The types and sorts of content added by these modifications also take on many different forms.
How do I make Minecraft run faster with mods? ›- Turning down your render distance.
- Change your graphics setting from 'Fancy' to 'Fast'
- Turn off Smooth Lighting and Clouds.
- Reduce your FOV if it was increased.
- Set particles to minimal.
- Turn off vsync (may be dependent on global video card settings)
- Disable Mipmaps.
- Disable Biome Smoothing.
- Dungeon Crawl (by XIROC1337)
- AmbientSounds 3 (by CreativeMD)
- Fresh Animations (by FreshLX_official)
- Aquaculture 2 (by Shadowclaimer)
- Better Advancements (by way2muchnoise)
- Biomes O' Plenty (by Forstride)
- Guard Villagers (by almightytallestred)
- Additional Lanterns (by SuperMartijn642)
Mods for the non-Java version of Minecraft are called add-ons, and they aren't free. You buy them from the Minecraft store, which you can access from inside the game.
What is the best Modpack? ›- Advanced Wizardry.
- Agrarian Skies 2.
- All the Mods 6 Vanilla Minecraft Modpack.
- FTB Modpack Academy.
- Hexxit.
- MC Eternal.
- The Pixelmon Modpack.
- Project Ozone 3.
What is the oldest mod in Minecraft? ›
- Large Branched Trees.
- TooManyItems, the inventory editor and more (1.8 Forge is here!)
- BuildCraft.
- The Queen - Orespawn. ...
- Witherzilla - Titans Mob Mod. ...
- The King - Orespawn. ...
- Burning Godzilla - Godzilla.
...
Reduce Minecraft's Load on Your PC
- Decrease resolution. ...
- Reduce render distance. ...
- Turn off Vsync. ...
- Turn on fullscreen mode.
Lower frame rates make your Minecraft gameplay look laggy or stuttering. And because stuttered gameplay is not enjoyable, a 60 FPS is already a good standard. However, if you're not really a particular type of player, 30-45 FPS is already acceptable for most people, but not the kind you'll probably enjoy.
What mods help with lag? ›- Chunk Pregenerator (Image via Minecraft)
- Surge on Forge website (Image via DarkhaxDev, Sourceforge)
- BetterFPS settings (Image via Minecraft)
- Sodium settings in Minecraft (Image via Minecraft)
- Optifine settings in Minecraft (Image via Hypixel)
The Origins SMP, also called the Origins Mod SMP, is a private, whitelisted survival multiplayer server (SMP) played on by a group of Minecraft streamers. The server uses the Origins mod, which gives the players unique abilities based on the origin they choose.
What mod does Empire SMP use? ›Empires does not use mods, only texture and resource packs. The texture packs are private until the server ends, and I know at least one of the resource packs they use is Vanilla Tweaks.
What mod did TommyInnit use? ›TommyInnit's Minecraft mods
Some of his popular mod videos include the following mods: TNT rain mod. Morph mod. RLCraft.
The King is the second strongest mob in OreSpawn, excluding the Ultimate King easter egg. It is a three headed dragon, with different colored eyes on each head (blue, red, and black). It also has 6 wings, no arms, and a tail shaped like a hammer at the end.
Is Witherzilla a mod? ›Witherzilla (real name - Regnator, or The Dominator) (mix of "wither" and "godzilla") is the first God Titan to have been released in the Titans mod.
Was there ever Minecraft 2? ›
There is no actual version 2.0 of Minecraft currently in development yet.
Is all the mods 6 good? ›Of course, the modpack All the Mods 6 doesn't really contain all mods that are available for Minecraft. Instead, you get an extensive and high-quality mix of well-known and great mods as well as lesser-known additions for an interesting gaming experience with many new design possibilities.
Is Minecraft getting rid of mods? ›In early 2022, we're looking to wind down the Additional Modding Capabilities experiment and associated Script API capability and remove it from future versions of Minecraft: Bedrock Edition.
What mod is best for FPS boost? ›Optifine is one of the most popular mods for Minecraft, and for a good reason. It can dramatically improve a player's FPS and provides many other features and quality-of-life improvements. Optifine optimizes the game settings and provides players with options to customize their gaming experience.
How do you speed 5 in Minecraft? ›To use this command make sure cheats are on, open the chat like shown above, and type: /effect give (player name) minecraft:speed # #. The first number in this command is the number of seconds you want the effect to last; the second number is how many times the effect is amplified.
How much RAM do you need to run Minecraft with mods? ›The minimum system requirements for “vanilla” Minecraft* (that is, completely unmodded) is 4GB of RAM, but players who use mods routinely allocate 6GB or more to keep the game running properly. If you're planning on heavily modding Minecraft, 8GB of RAM is a good place to start, with more being better.
Which biome mod is the best? ›1) Biomes O' Plenty
Up first is the most popular choice for adding new biomes to Minecraft. With over 72 million unique downloads, Biomes o' Plenty is the go-to choice for many to add over 80 new biomes to the game. Every biome that this mod adds is well thought out and designed with attention to detail.
- MC Diaries.
- Mod Mod World.
- MyStreet.
- Mod Mod World.
- My Inner Demons.
Minecraft mod (short for Minecraft modification) describes the output or process of adding custom items and blocks to Minecraft. Modding allows users to expand the open-ended game, incorporating new tools, blocks, mobs, and more.
Is selling Minecraft mods allowed? ›Any Mods you create for the Game from scratch belong to you (including pre-run Mods and in-memory Mods) and you can do whatever you want with them, as long as you don't sell them for money / try to make money from them and so long as you don't distribute Modded Versions of the Game.
Is it OK to mod Minecraft? ›
Unless you get them from a shady source, Minecraft mods are always safe to download and install. The worst case scenario is corrupting your world, which is rare. A great and reliable place to get mods is Minecraft Forge .
What is the biggest mod pack in Minecraft? ›The Biggest Modpack contains 25+ dimensions, 250+ biomes and 55000+ items. Mods will be updated and added new at each update. Modpack is unstable therefore server files are not included.
Is RLCraft a Modpack? ›RLCraft is a Minecraft modpack consisting of approximately 169 separate mods that have been bundled and tweaked to create a challenging Minecraft fantasy world. The modpack is currently on version 2.9. 1, and runs on Minecraft version 1.12.
Is RLCraft a good Modpack? ›RLCraft has emerged as one of the most popular modpacks out there, in part thanks to Shivaxi's brilliant videos introducing his ultra-difficult Minecraft modpack. RLCraft was also somewhat recently updated, which significantly nerfs to otherwise game-breaking features.
Is mod 70's? ›The mod revival was a subculture that started in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and later spread to other countries (to a lesser degree).
What year did mod start? ›Welcome to MOD
When Scott and Ally Svenson founded MOD Pizza in 2008, they knew the last thing the world needed was another pizza place. In their hometown of Seattle, they imagined a new way for people to enjoy pizza, by bringing speed, individual style and value to one of America's favorite foods.
DescriptionOne of the very first popular mods was a parody of the original Castle Wolfenstein on the Apple II in the early 1980s, called Castle Smurfenstein. The mod replaced the Nazi enemies in the game with Smurfs.
Is the warden a boss? ›But according to Brandon, it isn't. “The reason we decided not to approach this new mob as a boss was because a boss is meant to be fought in combat and defeated. With the warden, we felt we had an opportunity to introduce a different, yet challenging gameplay that focused on stealth and sneaking.
What is the most powerful dragon in Minecraft? ›Many players consider the Ender Dragon to be the strongest mob in Minecraft. This is because, for a long time, the Ender Dragon was the strongest and hardest mob to defeat.
Who is stronger warden or wither? ›Yes, the warden is stronger than the Wither it's because it has more HP and more damage than the wither. You'd been thinking that the Wither can Spam wither skulls in the air which makes the warden can't attack it with it's smash.
How do you make Minecraft look amazing 2022? ›
The best way to make the game more realistic is through texture packs. These can range in their realness, but there are plenty of great options. It's still going to be the same block-based game with lots of pixels, but it could look better.
How do you get better at 2022 in Minecraft? ›- Think Before Digging. ...
- Fuel Consumption: Don't Be Coal Based. ...
- Be Multifaceted In Crafting: Craft Many Items Simultaneously. ...
- Amass A Lot Of Torches. ...
- Taking Advantage Of The Coordinates. ...
- Think About Trapping The Villagers: ...
- Find Sheep Whenever You Can. ...
- Utilizing Lava Buckets In The Furnace:
- Advanced Wizardry.
- Agrarian Skies 2.
- All the Mods 6 Vanilla Minecraft Modpack.
- FTB Modpack Academy.
- Hexxit.
- MC Eternal.
- The Pixelmon Modpack.
- Project Ozone 3.
Players can download high-resolution packs to make everything look realistic in Minecraft. The default textures are 16x pixels, but players can get textures of 256x, 512x, or 1024x pixels with custom resource packs. They can download these packs from sites like CurseForge, resourcepack.net, etc.
How do you hug in Minecraft? ›Instead of hitting, as if you were placing a block, you would end up hugging that player. Now there may be some speculation about space. They both must agree on hugging. So... they both press the button to place a block on each other, only it results in a friendly hug.
Is Ein Aphmau's brother IRL? ›Are Aphmau and Ein related? No, they are not related.
Can I join Aphmau server? ›Everyone is free to join it, and we have a lot of activities for you to do while in the server, while also holding several notable names among the server, such as Sebastian Todd (Voice of Laurance Zvahl) as a VIP member.
What does F3 plus S do in Minecraft? ›The debug screen now does not open when the player uses a specific key combination like F3 + N , F3 + B , etc. F3 + S has been removed from the debug screen, which previously reloaded sounds. F3 + T now reloads all resource pack content, including sounds.
What is the biggest Modpack? ›The Biggest Modpack contains 25+ dimensions, 250+ biomes and 55000+ items. Mods will be updated and added new at each update. Modpack is unstable therefore server files are not included.
What is the hardest Modpack in Minecraft? ›Dungeons, Dragons, and Space Shuttles. This modpack has been dubbed one of the most complicated and difficult modpacks by Minecraft veterans. This is mostly due to the massive breadth of content added by this pack.