Gleam
by coalaura
Gleam is a client-side Fabric mod that draws translucent red overlays on the blocks where monsters can spawn, and it can mark the torch spots that cover the most ground.
What it does
Gleam renders a translucent red overlay on every block where hostile mobs can appear, meaning dark solid blocks with air above them. Only valid spawn locations are highlighted, so the overlay stays readable in areas full of unrelated blocks. The scan runs in a throttled way around the player, which keeps the frame rate steady while the overlay is active.
A second overlay shows golden markers at torch positions that cover the most area. The markers follow a fixed world grid, so they stay in place when the player moves rather than shifting with every step. The result is an arrangement that uses few torches for broad coverage, and it can be toggled separately from the spawn overlay. Players in multiplayer can use it as well, since the work happens entirely on the client.
The mod is open source under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later. Its source code and issue tracker are public. Mod Menu is optional and adds a configuration screen for the settings. Files are published for Fabric only, in two release versions: 1.21.10 and 1.21.11, with 1.0.0 for 1.21.11 as the latest file.
Key features
Spawn overlay
Translucent red blocks mark the exact surfaces where monsters can spawn at the current light level.
Torch placement markers
Golden markers show the torch positions that cover the most area using the fewest torches.
Visibility modes
The overlay can be shown while a key is held, toggled with a key, or kept visible all the time.
Adjustable scan area
Horizontal and vertical radius settings control how far around the player the blocks are scanned.
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.
Optional 1
Use cases
Who it’s for: Players who want to see spawn conditions in the world before they build or explore, on single-player worlds and on multiplayer servers.
How it compares
Light Overlay is a Fabric client-side mod released under the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike 4.0 license, with files for 1.21.6 – 26.3 and no open source code. Area Light Up is server-side only and open source under the MIT License, built for 1.21.11. Sticks to Torches is also server-side only, built for 1.21.11 and licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 only.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gleam | Fabric | 1.21.10 – 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2026-05-21 |
| Light Overlay | Fabric | 1.21.6 – 26.3 | Client-side only | 2026-10-02 |
| Area Light Up | Fabric | 1.21.11 | Server-side only | 2026-01-12 |
| Sticks to Torches | Fabric | 1.21.11 | Server-side only | 2026-02-22 |
Questions
Does Gleam need to be installed on the server?
Which loader does Gleam use?
Can the overlay be toggled without holding a key?
In the catalog
Gleam is one of 36,990 Utility mods on ModsFinder, and one of 25,772 Utility mods for Fabric. 19,862 mods support Minecraft 1.21.11.
More from coalaura
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What the author says
A lightweight, client-side Fabric mod that renders a light overlay to show exactly where mobs can spawn. Translucent red overlays indicate where monsters can spawn (block light 0).
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/gleam
- Owner
- coalaura
- Published
- 2026-05-21
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-05-21
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15