There are tons of cool modpacks that you can play in Minecraft, but you might be wondering: What is the best Minecraft modpack to play in 2021?
Every modpack has different objectives and gameplay. For example, in a skyblock pack there is no land in the game and you have to build on a floating island. In other packs, you might face fierce dragons in the main world. As you can see, the pack you pick is very important and will determine the type of game you play.
Getting Started With Minecraft Mods
Since modpacks are not included with the base game of Minecraft, you will have to download third-party launchers or manually install mod files. I recommend using the Feed The Beast (FTB) Launcher when playing modpacks made by FTB (a group of people that make modpacks) or the Curseforge/Overwolf launcher for other modpacks. The Twitch desktop app used to be a popular way to play modpacks, but this has been replaced by the Overwolf launcher.
The launchers make it very easy to play modpacks. You simply pick a pack from the list and it automatically installs the pack for you. Note that you will typically have to login with your real Minecraft username and password. This is safe when using reputable launchers such as CurseForge or FTB. Be cautious providing your Minecraft username and password to less popular launchers!
Each modpack runs on different versions of Minecraft (for example, 1.7, 1.10, 1.12, 1.16 etc). This is because every mod supports only certain versions of the game. The version that the pack runs on will have a big impact on the types of mods that are included.
Here is a list of the 13 best and most popular Minecraft modpacks to play in 2021:
1. SkyFactory 4
SkyFactory 4 (SF4) is definitely one of the most fun modpacks you can play in Minecraft. It is skyblock on steroids, and from the name you can probably guess what you will be doing. Building a factory in the sky of course!
You will start on a small chunk of land with a tree, which is standard for all skyblock maps. Next, you’ll have to progress through the pack to expand your island and obtain all the other items in the game. The progression will take you from getting resources from special trees, making a mob farm, and generating power.
It’s quite different from Sky Factory 3 (SF3), for example there is no more sifting for resources. The majority of resources are obtained from trees in this version and there’s also no draconic evolution. There are many different variations of skyblock, however SkyFactory 3 and 4 are the most popular variants.
SkyFactory 4 is definitely worth checking out if you want to play a Minecraft modpack in 2021. For more information on Sky Factory 4, the makers of Minecraft have made a nice post going over it. The official download page can be found here, or you can use the CurseForge launcher to download and play it.
2. Stoneblock 2 (FTB)
Stoneblock 2 (SB2) is similar to skyblock or SkyFactory, but it’s kind of the opposite. Instead of building in a totally empty world in the sky, you are building in a world filled with stone and you have to carve out a base.
It can be annoying mining the stone in the beginning, but once you get an RFTools Builder it gets much easier to dig out massive amounts of stone. Personally, I have found this to be a very fun modpack to play and definitely recommend trying it.
This pack makes use of the Project E mod, which can be somewhat overpowered as it lets you trade most items for other items (using the EMC system). For example, you can exchange 100 stone for 100 EMC, then use this EMC to purchase other items like diamonds or iron. The pack also includes Draconic Evolution, which unlocks a ton of end-game content to keep you busy.
Once you accumulate a lot of EMC, the game feels a bit like creative mode since you can instantly obtain nearly all items in the game. However, the EMC system can be nice because it allows you to trade your “junk” for EMC and buy more valuable things like diamonds.
A very cool idea for a base in this game is to use the Builder to hollow out a big dome, then use the luminous blocks to make a fake sky, clouds, and sun. This process is fully automated with the Builder block, and you don’t have to manually break and place all the blocks.
If you’re asking yourself Which Minecraft modpack should I play in 2021, I highly recommend Stoneblock 2. As one of my favorite modpacks, I have also made a nifty Stoneblock 2 guide to help you with some starter tips. To play this pack, download the using the official FTB launcher on their website.
3. RLCraft Modpack
This “real life” style Minecraft modpack features more realistic graphics and very challenging gameplay. This pack is a good choice for veteran players who are bored of plain old Minecraft and want to change up their gameplay drastically.
Many basic mechanics get changed in this pack to make the game more challenging. There can be dragons flying around in the main world and you could be killed in one shot just walking around! Don’t believe me? Just check out the video above for a sneak peak of what you can expect. This pack is not for the faint hearted and the creator even warns players that “they will die… alot”.
Despite being so challenging, RLCraft is one of the most popular Minecraft modpacks. In fact, as of February 2021 it was the most downloaded modpack of all time on CurseForge, with 6.9 million downloads. Are you ready for the Minecraft challenge of your life? RLCraft can be downloaded here.
4. Infinity Evolved (FTB)
FTB Infinity Evolved (IE) is a “kitchen sink” modpack, meaning it is a general all-purpose modpack that can facilitate many gameplay styles. It has most of the popular Minecraft mods and two difficulty modes: normal and expert.
Infinity Evolved Expert Mode is a way to prolong gameplay by making recipes more difficult. You will need way more blocks and items to craft things, which makes the pack take longer to progress through. If you find you’re finishing modpacks too quickly, you should definitely look into IE expert mode.
This pack is best if you want more freedom to do whatever you want. For example, with the SkyFactory 4 modpack, you have to build a floating island base and there is no other choice. With this pack, there are so many cool things you can build in Minecraft (that aren’t floating island bases). Since this is a Feed The Beast (FTB) modpack, it can be played and downloaded using the official FTB launcher.
5. Valhelsia 3
Most modpacks are running on older versions of Minecraft, however Valhelsia 3 runs on Minecraft 1.16 which is the latest version of the game (as of Feb 2021, when this article was last updated). This means that you will have more up-to-date content in Minecraft, but some popular mods will be missing since they run on older versions. For example, some popular mods missing from this pack include: Draconic Evolution, Tinker’s Construct, and EnderIO.
You will still find a lot of great mods in this pack, including some of my favorites: Botania, Biomes O’ Plenty, and Immersive Engineering. If you are wanting to try out a more updated version of Minecraft while still having mods, Valhelsia 3 is a great option for you. This modpack can be downloaded on the CurseForge launcher or on their CurseForge page here.
ALSO READ:: FREE MINECRAFT CARS, SKINS AND HOUSES 2021
