Best Minecraft mods for new biomes, more items, and optimization

Minecraft biomes o'plenty mod cherry blossom biome
(Image credit: Mojang)

The best Minecraft mods can really shake up and improve your game, whether they're enhancements to existing features, visual overhauls, or entirely new biomes, blocks, and mobs. What about Minecraft in space? Historical architecture textures? Maybe even a fancy camera mod? There's so much choice when it comes to Minecraft mods, so we've narrowed things down to this list of some of our favorites for Java Edition. All of these mods have been updated reasonably recently and should be compatible with the most recent Minecraft The Wild update, or are planned to be in the future! Here are what we think are the best Minecraft mods and how you can install them.

How to install Minecraft mods using Minecraft Forge

Minecraft mods

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Adding the best Minecraft mods to Minecraft is quite simple, but they'll require Minecraft Forge - an open source project that focuses on making different mods compatible - to function. With Forge ready, download a mod, add it to your Minecraft folder, and then launch the game as you normally would. Be aware that not every mod listed below is compatible with each other, so you won't be able to have all of them installed at once.

It's also important to note that Forge and these mods only work for Minecraft Java Edition. You will not be able to install them on Minecraft Bedrock Edition, even if you're playing on PC. The closest thing to mods that's available on Bedrock Edition are game Add-Ons, which include resource and behaviour packs, skin packs, texture packs, mash-up packs, and more. Some Add-Ons are free while others will cost you money on the Minecraft marketplace.

Best Minecraft utility mods

Optifine

Minecraft best mods optifine

(Image credit: Microsoft/sp614x)

Starting off with a basic improvement for the whole experience without totally turning it on its head, we have Optifine by sp614x. Optifine provides optimization and visual tools to overhaul Minecraft's look, making the game more beautiful while still maintaining the classic, blocky look. It even comes with a lot of customization options to dial those features back, or push them even further. It's a great mod for anybody who doesn't want to completely change the game, or wants a good starting point.

Quark

Minecraft mods

(Image credit: Microsoft/Vazkii)

If you're looking for a Minecraft mod that adds loads of quality-of-life adjustments, new block types, and gameplay enhancements at once, then you should download Quark by Vazkii. You'll get many things that Minecraft normally lacks; such as auto-sorting, a search bar for items, a feeding trough for your animals, and an auto-walk option. Quark also adds new mobs, more wood and stone types, and even magnets. You can pick and choose which Quark features you want too; with the mod installed, just click 'Q' in the main menu to configure which features you want on and off.

Immersive portals

Minecraft mods

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If you use Minecraft portals a lot, then the Immersive Portals mod by Qouteall is definitely going to improve your game experience. This mod reduces loading time and allows you to see right through the portal. Yes, you can see what's on the other side before going through! 

Just Enough Items (JEI)

Minecraft mods best just enough items

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If you've got a ton of mods installed, can't remember every recipe, or just like having information easily accessible, Just Enough Items (sometimes abbreviated to JEI) by mezz is a perfect solution. With some UI adjustments and new features, it lays out a basic interface in addition to the inventory screen that helps you have any recipe clearly laid out in front of you. It's especially useful if you've added a bunch of mods and don't know how they all work yet, as it's a little helping manual you can draw upon at any time - it's even included in quite a few other mod packs, so it's compatible with lots of popular mods.

Best Minecraft building mods

Chisels & Bits

Minecraft mods

(Image credit: Microsoft/AlgorithmX2)

How much can a chisel and a wrench change your Minecraft experience? A lot, as it turns out. The Minecraft Chisels & Bits mod by AlgorithmX2 allows you to chip away at any block, creating endless customization opportunities. Different types of tools make it easy to quickly create the forms you want. Whether you aim to be Minecraft's next Michelangelo or you simply wish to smooth the edges around your home a bit, this mod is a must-have. 

Conquest Reforged

best minecraft mods

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If you want to give your Minecraft a more realistic, historical look, then Conquest Reforged is for you. This modpack comes with tons of unique textures and blocks that add so much detail, from different types of stone bricks and cobblestone, to ornate wooden details. This is definitely a mod for creative builders and obsessive architects, and it'll help you create stunning historical recreations of real buildings or your own ancient edifices. 

Decocraft

best minecraft mods

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Decorating your house/room/cave is always a significant part of any adventure game - Minecraft included. If you want to add more depth to the interior design of your mansion, then Decocraft may be for you. Decocraft gives more craftable items to furnish your digs with, including everything from silverware and bedside table lamps to glass walls for the shower and a seesaw for the playground. These additions will bring life to your Minecraft home renovation project. I also recommend adding the bibliocraft mod too as it gives you more stylish ways to display your items on shelves and whatnot. 

Best Minecraft gameplay mods

RLCraft

best minecraft mods

(Image credit: Microsoft)

If you're after a Minecraft mod that adds a serious challenge to survival mode, you'll want to try RLCraft - a fantasy mod that emphasises realism, making staying a live much trickier. It has dragons, enemies that can easily kill you in one shot, dungeons, castles, and lots of new crafting recipes and advanced systems. It's a ton of fun if high difficulty is the kind of thing you enjoy in your Minecraft experience.

The Twilight Forest

best minecraft mods

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The Twilight Forest is basically a separate adventure game designed within Minecraft. Start by creating a special portal and then use it to reach the Twilight Forest dimension, where you can delve into unique dungeons, fight bosses, collect loot, and more. The Twilight Forest dimension is filled with purple hues and new quests, so it's ripe for exploring. It's in ongoing development so more content, and constant updates, should be getting added with time. 

Camera Mod

Minecraft mods

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The Minecraft mod by henkelmax is great for those who like to take screenshots during their Minecraft adventures. Not only does this Camera Mod give you a full view (same ratio as your screen), it also adds filters, zooming, and photo albums. The best thing about it though, is the option to display your pictures in-game. You can go out, shoot some gorgeous landscapes, and then decorate your Minecraft home with them!

Biomes O’Plenty

Minecraft biomes o'plenty mod auroral garden multi-coloured forest

(Image credit: Mojang)

Minecraft has a pretty sizeable array of biomes that you can find out in your worlds, but the Biomes O'Plenty Minecraft mod adds so many more to the Overworld and the Nether! You can explore vibrant cherry blossom groves, redwood forests full of towering trees, and the smoking erupting inferno biome of the Nether. Each of these biomes comes with their own unique flowers, plants, building blocks too!

Galacticraft 

best minecraft mods

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Galacticraft goes boldly where no Minecraft mod has gone before: space. You'll get to explore new planets, collect resources, and survive in the far reaches of the galaxy. It's a wonderful adventure that's completely unique when compared to other mods. Other space mods have popped up, but none as simple and straightforward as Galacticraft. It focuses on linear progression, so you can see the final frontier in a more accessible way. 

The Lost Cities

best minecraft mods

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The Lost Cities mod starts you off in a decrepit old city full of buildings, roads and highways instead of a normal Minecraft starting point. It still has the expected dungeons, loot, biomes, mobs, and the like but they're found within subway tunnels, under freeways, and lost in a jungle of concrete. If you're after a more post-apocalyptic, urban feel to your Minecraft survival world, this is the mod for you.

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Freelance Writer

Aron writes for Upcomer covering the video games and eSports industries in-depth. He was previously a freelancer whose work appeared in Wired, Rolling Stone, Washington Post, and GamesRadar, among others. 

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