The Dark Forest
The Dark Forest changes the survival experience of a world through a data pack that replaces the vanilla overworld, Nether and End, and works on existing worlds as well.
What it does
Installed on a server, the data pack swaps the adventure-based vanilla survival for a slower game built around base-building and a harder progression. Advancements from vanilla are removed, so progress is measured by the pack's own steps rather than the default list. Because it loads into an existing world, a server can switch to it without starting over.
Gear upgrades form a straight line in which each tier requires the one before it, so a player must obtain the earlier materials before reaching the next. The day and night weather cycle is part of the pack's design, and monsters can only notice a player within five blocks of light. Polymer and filament are required dependencies, so both must be present on the server for the pack to load correctly.
The Dark Forest is server required and client optional: the server needs it, and players may add it or leave it out. It is released under the MIT License but is not open source, and its files cover 26.1 – 26.2 across four release versions, with 1.2.0+mod for 26.2 as the latest build for Fabric and Quilt.
Key features
Replaced dimensions
The overworld, Nether and End are replaced by versions made for this progression.
Linear gear upgrades
Each gear tier must be obtained in order, so a player cannot skip ahead to the late materials.
Day and night weather
A day-night weather cycle changes the conditions a base has to cope with over time.
Limited monster sight
Monsters only see a player within five blocks of light, which shapes how lighting is placed around a base.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Use cases
Hardcore base-building
Players who want a slower survival game can build up a base before facing the harder parts of the world.
Existing worlds
Server owners can add the pack to a world that already has progress, since it loads into existing saves.
Who it’s for: Server owners who want a survival server with harder progression and a stronger base-building focus will find the pack most useful. Players join without needing it on their side, because the client is optional.
Questions
Does The Dark Forest need to be installed on the client?
Which loaders does The Dark Forest support?
Which dependencies does The Dark Forest require?
In the catalog
The Dark Forest is one of 8,515 World generation mods on ModsFinder, and one of 4,027 World generation mods for Fabric. 13,894 mods support Minecraft 26.2.
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Similar mods
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/dark-forest
- Owner
- Aria's Creations
- Published
- 2026-05-21
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-08-01
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15