In the 12 years since Minecraft’s release, its prolific modding community has taken an already impressive game and pushed its creative potential to incredible heights. With new and exciting mods released every year, it’s always good to check in and see what mods can take this cave-diving experience to the next level.
From its humble origins as one developer’s quirky cave game to the smash success it has become, Minecraft has claimed its spot as one of the most played games of all time. As a blank canvas limited only by its players’ creativity, Mojang’s block-building sandbox hasn’t slowed in popularity over the years, despite what its creator Notch has said. Rather, it’s exploded, topping out at 140 million active players. Many of these players create or install mods to increase Minecraft’s longevity and introduce useful features, from building improvements to magic to better technology.
There are a variety of methods for installing Minecraft mods, including doing so manually; however, for the most streamlined process, CurseForge makes it simple and easy. CurseForge connects to the Minecraft launcher and handles the modding process automatically. Players can create a custom profile and add mods from the searchable list. They can also search for modpacks that others have curated for a cohesive experience. When players launch their custom profile in CurseForge, it will automatically load the selected modpacks into the Minecraft launcher so players can get started right away.
Best Minecraft Mods to Install in 2021
Before choosing and installing Minecraft mods, players must make sure the version of Minecraft they are using hasn’t outpaced the modding community. Most of the best mods are up-to-date with Minecraft version 1.16.5, but the list starts getting much smaller with the game’s latest version, 1.17.
Astral Sorcery
From the get-go, Minecraft has always tapped into the Medieval fantasy genre, with players slaying monsters, plundering underground treasure, creating enchanted weapons, and (maybe) uncovering the game’s various secrets. Many mods crank this magic up to 11, and Astral Sorcery is one of the most fantastical of them all.
With a magic system based around the stars, players progress through this mod and grow more powerful by discovering beautiful shrines throughout the world and interacting with them. They can conduct powerful buffing rituals, enchant armor, create wands, and construct teleportation portals as they become empowered by the cosmos.
Mekanism
On the other end of Minecraft’s spectrum is productivity. Minecraft players can do incredible things with Redstone, such as making automated minecart delivery systems, creating a working Redstone computer, or literally playing Minecraft inside Minecraft. Tapping into this idea, Mekanism is a technology mod that ascends beyond humble stone furnaces into electric generators and nuclear reactors.
In the Mekanism mod, players must gather massive amounts of resources to craft complex arrays of machines and create power systems to get them running. The result is a personal factory that can double or triple ore output and create energy-powered weapons and tools, jetpacks, and electricity. This mod can synergize well with and power tons of other technology mods the community has to offer.
Biomes O’ Plenty
Minecraft is often a grandiose, complex game, and players often create incredible structures that take real-life years. But sometimes, the simplest changes can greatly enhance the experience. Biomes O’ Plenty is a longtime staple in Minecraft, to the point that many users who play on modded servers might be surprised it’s not in the vanilla game. It adds over 50 different unique biomes to the world, from sakura blossom tree forests to autumnal pumpkin patches. Adventuring is at the core of the game, and this mod makes exploration just a bit more breathtaking.
Chisel
Minecraft is largely about building things. Chisel takes the most open-ended aspect of Minecraft and improves it by allowing players to change the appearance of blocks in their inventory. With hundreds of unique Chisel designs to choose from, this mod allows users to express themselves through their architecture even more, and construct new designs for their homes and fortresses.
No list can capture the hundreds of incredible mods developed for Minecraft, from excellent user-interface improvements to changing the entire game into a hardcore survival RPG. Since Minecraft is known for its simplicity, mods add new experiences to a game that took years to change its original ore textures. Whether players choose to add just a few of these mods to spice things up or go for a complete overhaul, Minecraft mods aren’t slowing down anytime soon.
Minecraft is available on PC, Mac, Xbox, Playstation, the Nintendo Switch, iOS devices, and Android devices.