Facing Direction
Facing Direction is a Fabric HUD mod that shows a compass bar with the eight directions and highlights the one the player is facing.
What it does
A minimal direction bar stays on screen during play. It lists the eight cardinal and intercardinal points, from SW through W, NW, N, NE and E to SE, and highlights the point the player is currently facing, updating as the view turns. Players can use it to keep track of heading without opening the inventory or checking coordinates.
Only the client needs the mod, so players install it while servers run without it. Facing Direction requires Fabric Loader, Fabric API and Mod Menu. Files exist for Fabric only, for 1.21.11, and the code is released under the MIT License, although the project is not open source.
Key features
Always-visible compass
The direction bar stays on screen during play, so the heading is readable at a glance while moving.
Eight-point display
The bar shows SW, W, NW, N, NE, E and SE, with the current facing highlighted in real time.
Lightweight overlay
The overlay draws little, so it adds almost nothing to the cost of rendering a frame.
Mod Menu support
Settings can be reached through Mod Menu, which lets players manage the mod alongside others.
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.
Required 1
Use cases
Navigating open terrain
Players crossing plains, deserts or caves can keep a fixed heading without stopping to check coordinates.
Building to a grid
Builders aligning structures along a cardinal axis can read the facing direction from the bar at any time.
Who it’s for: Players who want a heading readout during play, especially in large open worlds where coordinates are hard to read. The mod is client-side, so it suits single-player and multiplayer players alike.
How it compares
CordsHUD is a Fabric mod for 1.21.11, client-side only, under the MIT License and open source, so it covers the same version as Facing Direction. Compass Bar is a client-side Fabric mod for 1.21.4 – 26.2, released under All rights reserved and not open source, so it reaches more versions but its license is closed. D3letes Better Cords is a Fabric mod for 1.21.1 that requires the client and makes the server optional, with All rights reserved and no open source.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facing Direction | Fabric | 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2026-04-09 |
| CordsHUD | Fabric | 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2026-09-04 |
| Compass Bar | Fabric | 1.21.4 – 26.2 | Client-side only | 2026-06-25 |
| D3letes Better Cords | Fabric | 1.21.1 | Client required, server optional | 2025-09-07 |
Questions
Does Facing Direction need Mod Menu?
Does the server need Facing Direction?
Which game versions does Facing Direction support?
In the catalog
Facing Direction is one of 17,631 Equipment mods on ModsFinder, and one of 8,894 Equipment mods for Fabric. 19,862 mods support Minecraft 1.21.11.
Similar mods
What the author says
A lightweight, always-on compass overlay for Fabric — know exactly where you're headed at a glance. Compass HUD adds a clean, minimal direction bar to your screen that displays all eight cardinal and intercardinal directions (SW, W, NW, N, NE, E, SE) and highlights the one you are currently facing in real time. No…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/facing-direction
- Owner
- bojkata120_BG
- Published
- 2026-04-09
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-04-09
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15