What started out as a bit of an ugly, blocky, mess of an indie game, has grown into one of the most popular and successful titles in the industry, and that game is none other than Minecraft. Minecraft is a rare title that can be enjoyed by players of all ages, with some versions of the game specifically being made for kids, and others offering a more customization for those looking for a deeper, richer, experience. Mods play a major role in keeping the Minecraft community alive, experience for veteran players who have seen the game through to the Ender their fair share of times. To get you started on your modded Minecraft journey, we compiled a list of some easy to install updates that don’t depart too far from your standard Minecraft experience, but offer quality of life updates to make your world all the better. All of the mods listed here are compatible with the latest version, 1.16.5.
Gravestones
The Gravestones mod is an absolute must for Minecraft players of all kinds. Unless you’re playing on hardcore that is.
With this mod installed, a gravestone will drop whenever you die and will stay in the location of your death until someone breaks it.
Why is that useful? Well, the gravestone holds all of your inventory until you come back and get it. Your items won’t despawn or get picked up by mobs walking by.
It’s extremely helpful to get all of your items back in one convenient location, and to have the security of knowing that everything will be there when you make your way back.
Iron Chests
Best Minecraft 1.16.5 Mods
All of the mods on this list should really be officially added to the game as they build on the mechanics and items already present in the world of Minecraft. More than any of them, the Iron Chests mod really should be officially integrated into the game.
Iron Chests adds more chests to your game, all of which can be crafted using default metals found in vanilla Minecraft.
This includes chests made of Iron, Gold, Diamond, and Obsidian with each higher-grade material expanding upon the storage of the last.
There are even a few additional options for players with other modded metals installed, such as Copper and Silver.
Miners Helmet
This one may look a little goofy but can be extremely convenient for all sorts of purposes.
The Miners Helmet is exactly what you expect it to be, a helmet with a light on it.
The Miners Helmet lights up whatever area you are in. Yes that means caves, the Nether, and even underwater!
There really isn’t that much to say here, it’s just a very convenient piece of equipment that can be used in pretty much any situation.
More Vanilla Armor and More Vanilla Tools
Best Minecraft 1.16.5 Mods
These are technically two different mods but these essential offer the same experience and should really both be installed.
The More Vanilla Armor and More Vanilla Tools mods offer just that, more armor and tools!
You are no longer limited to your standard selection of metals when crafting new equipment, now you can make armor and tools out of pretty much anything.
The additional options include anything from coal and redstone, to cactus, slime, bone, and more.
Scuba Gear
Explore the ocean like never before with the Scuba Gear mod! The Scuba Gear mods includes a full set of armor that can be worn individually or together, with each piece offering an unique benefit.
The helmet offers the ability to breath underwater, the chestplate allows you to mine at full speed, leggings give a speed boost to your swimming, and the boots give a speed boost to walking underwater.
Scuba Gear opens up a whole new part of Minecraft for you to explore, and with the underwater updates added to the game a while back, it’s really worth checking out.
Falling Tree
Best Minecraft 1.16.5 Mods
Another basic, but brilliant quality of life update. The Falling Tree mod is as simple as it comes, making cutting down trees faster and more convenient.
The most valuable addition of the mod is the ability to chop down a full tree by destroying just a single log.
Alternatively, if you don’t want to chop the whole tree down so fast, you can hold down on the control button and instead you will cut each log one by one but from top to bottom, saving you the trouble of climbing up to the higher to reach pieces.
Leap
The Leap mod adds a much-needed double-jump to the game, making it easier to cross gaps –some even as big as a ravine!
You’ll have to work for this one though, as it doesn’t just straight up add the ability, but instead adds an enchantment that can be found in chests, fishing, or from the Librarian villager.
The mod also adds the ability to walk up blocks, much in the same way as a horse.
Oh the Biomes You’ll Go
Best Minecraft 1.16.5 Mods
This is one of the largest and most impactful mods in this list, though you might not realize it at first.
Oh the Biomes You’ll Go, aside from being a funny play on the Dr. Seuss book, adds a variety of new and unique biomes for you to explore — over 80 of them to be exact.
Along with new biomes comes over 40 unique trees, new wood types, new blocks, ores, and armor sets.
It’s a bit of a mini mod pack offering a variety of new things that all expand upon the Minecraft you already know and love.
Easy Villagers
This one may seem a little silly, but it is very useful, especially for those looking to create their own town.
The Easy Villagers mod adds the ability to… well… how do we say this… it adds the ability to kidnap villagers and to move them wherever you like.
All you have to do to kidnap a villager is to sneak up behind them and right-click, and bam! You got yourself your very own pocket villager.
They can even be placed inside Trader Blocks, Farmer Blocks, Breed Blocks, and more –allowing you to get the most out of your villager.
Surrounding Indicators
Best Minecraft 1.16.5 Mods
Finally we have the Surrounding Indicators mod –an absolute must-have for those struggling with the baddies of the world.
Surrounding Indicators adds a little info section to the top corner of your UI, informing you of any surrounding mobs and their remaining health.
The mods makes it a lot easier to know when something is coming your way and gives you a chance to get the drop on it before it gets the drop on you. It’s also just convenient seeing how close you are to killing a strong mob.
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