Find out how to make a Minecraft mod, and explore the different types of Minecraft mods you can create. Together we'll code a simple mod that sends a message, spawns a mob, and gives the player a weapon. Plus, discover some of the best resources for making mods including award-winning free live online Minecraft classes.
By the way do you know how different power sources such as Redstone blocks, torches, and switches can be used to power blocks around them in different ways in Minecraft? Join our virtual Minecraft engineering class for kids and find out, led live by an expert:
How To Make Minecraft Mods
Before we go into too many details, we will first address what a mod is. The word mod is short for modification. In this case, a Minecraft mod will modify the game’s behavior. Meaning that you can make things happen in the game that wouldn’t normally happen. Let’s briefly review three different examples to better understand this concept.
- First, imagine your character is running low on health and it’s surrounded by enemies. You could run a mod that replenishes your health and gives you weapons to defend yourself.
- Another example could be that you want to build a house, or any structure instantly. You could run a mod to build that structure anywhere in your world with a click of a button, instead of spending hours building it by hand.
- Finally, we could go up several levels of complexity and run a mod that creates a mini-game inside of Minecraft. This mini-game could be a multiplayer game where you and your friends have to go through several levels, collecting items, or fighting enemies.
All of these examples are possible thanks to the power of code, and with all the different resources available on the internet it’s becoming easier than ever for anybody to code mods. Now, before you can run all of these cool mods in Minecraft we first have to learn how to create them!
Common Questions About How To Make a Mod in Minecraft
First, get the answers to all your questions about how to make a Minecraft mod. One important thing to note is that you have to be extremely careful when visiting pages on the internet, and even more so when you’re downloading files and installing them in your computer.
1. How do I get Minecraft mods?
There are probably thousands of websites that host Minecraft mods. One of the most popular sites is MinecraftMods. It is important to note that the great majority of mods need forge. Forge is a program that allows users to install and run mods in Minecraft.
As a side note, before you start downloading and installing things on your computer, make sure that you have an antivirus installed and that it is up to date. Also, when browsing for mods always choose the ones that have good reviews.
2. Are mods in Minecraft free?
Yes. Most of the mods out there are made by other players that want to share their creations. There’s a lot of free content out there, so you shouldn’t need to pay anything to download mods or install them.
What if I want to create my own Minecraft mods?
With today’s technology, coding your own mods is pretty simple. One option is to use Java and Forge. You’ll need to install several things. First you’ll need to install Java - to be able to run and test your code, Forge - to run the mods in Minecraft, a text editor - to create the code, and obviously Minecraft. For more information about that you can visit this Tutorials/Creating Forge mods Gamepedia page.
The other option is to use a website that does most of the work. LearnToMod is a website that sends the mods directly to your own server without the need to install anything extra. These mods run in a multiplayer server that you can start from within the website. This is the website we use to run our Minecraft Code to Mod class.
How does LearnToMod work?
Even though this website does require a subscription, the investment will balance out once you get to experience how easy it is to use. After creating an account you can immediately start creating mods. If you’re a first-time user, they have hundreds of coding assignments and tutorials that will help you get up to speed.
How To Make A Minecraft Mod In Simple Steps
Let’s first start our server, join it, and then create a very simple mod. We'll code a simple mod that sends a message, spawns a mob, and gives the player a weapon. Follow our video tutorial or enjoy step-by-step instructions below.
1. Start and Join Your Server
Click on the green box in the home page, or go to Play > My Server. Then, click on Start Server.
This will start one of LearnToMod’s servers, build a world, and then return the I.P. address of that server. It will take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. While this is loading open Minecraft - specifically the 1.9.2 Java version for PC or MacOS.
In Minecraft go to Multiplayer > Direct Connect, and enter the I.P. address in that text field. Then, click Join Server.
Once inside your server, pause your game and go code your mod!
2. Create a Mod
Next, we’ll create a mod. From the top navigation menu click Play > Mods. To create a mod, we simply need to give it a name, choose Blockly (Multiplayer), and then click Code on the tile that appears on the right side.
LearnToMod uses Blockly code. Similar to the drag and drop blocks that Scratch coding uses. There are different menus and all of them have different types of blocks. These blocks connect to each other like puzzle pieces.
3. Start Coding
In this example we’ll code a simple mod that sends a message, spawns a mob, and gives the player a weapon. We first need a main function. This function is the starting point of our code.
First open the Functions menu. Then, drag the first block to your white canvas. Finally, rename the function main.
4. Code the rest of the mod
We’ll speed up a little bit and show you what the final code looks like. Don’t worry, the blocks are color coded it should be very easy for you to find the menus where they’re located.
The first line of blocks in the main function will simply send a message to the player. The second line will spawn a zombie in front of the player. And, the third line will give the player a diamond sword.
5. Run your mod!
After you finish coding your mod, you simply have to click the green Mod button at the top of the page.
This will send a mod book and place it inside your mod's chest. Open the chest and grab the book. Once in your hand simply left or right-click to run your mod. This mod sends a message, spawns a Zombie, and gives the player a Diamond Sword.
It’s that easy!
A more advanced way to mod is to use Java programming, instead of block-coding methods. But you can only do this on Minecraft for PC and Mac (also known as Minecraft Java Edition).
- For this method, which is much more challenging, you'll need the Java Development Kit, which you can find it on Oracle’s website.
- Then, you need to get the Eclipse IDE for writing Java (Eclipse IDE for Java Developers): download the Eclipse installer here.
- After that, get Minecraft Forge 1.18.
Learn How to Code Minecraft Mods
To get started learning Minecraft the most beginner-friendly way, join our free Minecraft Modding introduction class and enjoy instruction from an expert teacher with a curriculum designed by professionals from Google, Stanford, and MIT. In this live online small group class, you'll learn all about the LearnToMod platform. You'll also build your very first mod and can get all your questions answered by an expert as you go! This class is intended for students in grades 5 through 9, and we have a similar class for students in grades 2 through 5 here that uses Minecraft Education Edition.
Popular Minecraft Mods To Make
Minecraft 1.18 is an update to Minecraft which was released on November 30, 2021. Here are some of the most popular mods. Because there are so many options, be sure to keep your mod folder organized as you download new mods, and create them!
Resource and utility tools: These unique tools can be used to automate menial tasks in the game. With these resourceful tools, players can attain even the most rigid materials out there without crafting expensive tools like the Diamond Pickaxe.
RpgZ mod: This mod implements a new system for looting, which was inspired by many RPG games. Upon defeating a hostile entity, you’ll be rewarded with the items on the them.
Greater eye of Ender: This mod adds the greater eye of ender that works in a similar fashion to the vanilla eye. But this one will help you locate even more types of structures in the world.
Iron chests mod: This adds a variety of new chests to the game in addition to iron chests. All are better than vanilla chests because they have more capacity and can be placed next to each other.
This rocks mod: This cool mod makes the environment more interesting by adding small branches, tiny rocks, and random pine cones, creating a more lifelike enthralling environment.
Need more inspiration? Explore the best Minecraft mods.
Get Started: Make Mods on Minecraft
Up next, find out how to make a Minecraft skin. And join a live online class and learn how to build in Minecraft with the rare element Redstone:
Written by Sonny Najar, a Create & Learn instructor. After earning a BS in Computer Science, he began creating software and curriculum in 2015 that made learning Computer Science fun and engaging for K -12 students.
