mindshaft
by esotericist
Mindshaft is a Forge minimap that shows lit voids and solid terrain in the blocks around the player, drawing a flat map from a three-dimensional scan.
What it does
The mod turns the space around the player into a two-dimensional view. Mindshaft flags open air that is lit, within a chosen radius of the player, spread over a few y levels above and below. Solid blocks are tinted green, and the shade builds up as each column is scanned, so darker green shows where terrain is dense and lighter areas mark the voids. Red-shift and blue-shift annotations show whether empty space lies above or below the player along the y axis. Entity markers and a scrolling view of distant terrain that the player has already seen are also included.
Mindshaft is client-side only, so only the player needs it installed and servers run without it. It requires Forge and is published for 1.18.1 – 1.20.1, with files for 1.18.1, 1.18.2 and 1.20.1. The latest file is 0.7.4-1.20.1 for 1.20.1, released on 2025-06-16. The code is licensed under the MIT License and is open source, and its source code and issue tracker are public.
Key features
Void and terrain display
Lit empty spaces and solid terrain are shown in the area around the player, reading the blocks in a column.
Y-axis annotations
Red-shift and blue-shift markers indicate empty space above or below the player along the vertical axis.
Entity markers
Nearby entities are marked on the minimap so their positions can be read alongside the terrain.
Configurable performance
A config file adjusts the map refresh delay and the segment processing rate, which help with the known microstutters.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
How it compares
SimpleMap is a Forge minimap for 1.20.1, client-side only and open source under the MIT License. Project Minimap Hud covers 1.20.1 – 1.21.1 on Forge and NeoForge, is client-side only and open source under the MIT License. Immersive Minimaps spans Fabric, Forge and NeoForge across 1.20.1 – 26.3, is client-side only and is open source under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 or later. Mindshaft differs by drawing a three-dimensional scan as a flat view of lit voids rather than a standard surface map.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mindshaft | Forge | 1.18.1 – 1.20.1 | Client-side only | 2025-06-16 |
| SimpleMap | Forge | 1.20.1 | Client-side only | 2025-01-12 |
| Project Minimap Hud | Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 1.21.1 | Client-side only | 2026-07-20 |
| Immersive Minimaps | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 26.3 | Client-side only | 2026-10-09 |
Questions
Does Mindshaft need to be installed on the server?
Which loader and versions does Mindshaft support?
Why does the map sometimes stutter?
In the catalog
mindshaft is one of 36,990 Utility mods on ModsFinder, and one of 14,575 Utility mods for Forge. 34,764 mods support Minecraft 1.20.1.
Similar mods
What the author says
mindshaft is an accesssibility-focused minimap mod which transforms a quasi-density map from 3d minecraft space to 2d space. in abstract, it's similar to the kinds of imagery that doctors and dentists get from an x-ray, although the actual rules here are quite different. with familiarity with the graphical…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/mindshaft
- Owner
- esotericist
- Published
- 2022-01-10
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2025-06-16
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15