chat-bubbles-forge
Chat Bubbles for Forge shows chat messages as speech bubbles above players' heads, and both the server and every player need it installed.
What it does
Each message a player sends appears in a bubble over that player's head, and several recent messages can stack above one another. Bubble backgrounds, borders and text colors can be set per player, and a height offset controls how far above the head the bubbles sit. An option can hide the nametag so the bubble takes its place.
Settings are open from an in-game screen that previews changes live, and the default key C opens it. Server settings control bubble duration, the maximum number of bubbles, padding and similar limits, so a server owner can keep the display consistent for everyone on the server.
The mod targets Forge 1.20.1 – 1.20.6, with builds for 1.20.1, 1.20.2, 1.20.3, 1.20.4, 1.20.5 and 1.20.6. The latest file is 1.0.0 for 1.20.6, published on 2026-08-31. Java 17 is needed, since the standard Java 8 build bundled with Windows fails to run Forge 1.20.1. The code is open source under the MIT License.
Key features
Stacked speech bubbles
Recent chat messages stack in bubbles above the player's head, so a short conversation stays readable in place.
Per-player appearance
Each player can choose a background, border and text color for their own bubbles.
Height and nametag options
A height offset moves the bubbles up or down, and the nametag can be hidden so the bubble replaces it.
Live settings screen
An in-game screen shows changes as they are made, opened with the C key by default.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Who it’s for: Players who want chat visible above characters, and server owners who want to set limits such as bubble duration and the maximum number of bubbles for everyone on the server.
How it compares
Villagers Speech Bubbles is a Forge mod for 1.19.2 – 1.19.4 that runs on client and server, under All rights reserved and not open source, so it does not cover the 1.20 versions this mod targets. Talk Balloons works on Fabric, Forge and NeoForge across 1.18 – 26.3, has an optional environment, and is open source under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 only. Voice Transcript is a Forge and NeoForge mod for 1.20 – 1.20.1, also client and server, under All rights reserved and not open source.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| chat-bubbles-forge | Forge | 1.20.1 – 1.20.6 | Client and server | 2026-08-31 |
| Villagers Speech Bubbles | Forge | 1.19.2 – 1.19.4 | Client and server | 2023-12-21 |
| Talk Balloons | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.18 – 26.3 | Client or server, optional | 2026-10-12 |
| Voice Transcript | Forge and NeoForge | 1.20 – 1.20.1 | Client and server | 2025-09-09 |
Questions
Does Chat Bubbles need to be installed on both sides?
Which Java version does Chat Bubbles require?
Which game versions have Chat Bubbles files?
In the catalog
chat-bubbles-forge is one of 5,392 Social mods on ModsFinder, and one of 1,817 Social mods for Forge. 11,154 mods support Minecraft 1.20.6.
Similar mods
What the author says
A Minecraft mod for Forge 1.20.1 that shows chat messages as bubbles above players' heads. Inspired by Chat Bubbles NeoForge. Must be installed on both the client and the server.
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/chat-bubbles-forge
- Owner
- Lucas-M-Barros
- Published
- 2026-08-31
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-08-31
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15