Not So Hardcore
by nicochart
Not So Hardcore gives players several lives that regenerate over time, so a death costs one life instead of the whole world, for Fabric players who want a softer version of hardcore.
What it does
A player starts with a maximum of 3 lives by default. Losing one switches the player to Spectator mode, as in vanilla hardcore, until a life is regained. A life returns one hour after the last loss by default, and the interval, the maximum count and the regeneration rate can all be changed in the config. The remaining lives and the time until the next one can be checked on the Info Menu, opened with the H key.
The mod changes the normal game mode rather than replacing vanilla hardcore. Spectators can move through walls by default, and a separate Anti Spectator Noclip option can block that behavior. A shard reviving item lets a player come back after the lives run out, and the config files and commands are described on the mod wiki. Not So Hardcore runs on Fabric for client and server and is released under the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike 4.0 license, so it is not open source. Builds cover 1.21.1 – 26.3, and the latest file is 0.2.3 for 26.3, published on 2026-09-23.
Key features
Multiple lives
Each player has several lives, and the default maximum is 3.
Lives regenerate over time
A lost life returns after a set time, one hour by default, so the world stays playable.
Spectator mode on death
Losing a life sends the player to Spectator mode until the life is regained, as in vanilla hardcore.
Lives shown on the Info Menu
The H key opens the Info Menu, where the remaining lives and the time to the next regained life are listed.
Revive option
A shard reviving item lets a player return after the lives run out.
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 hardcore tension with a second chance, and server owners who run survival worlds on Fabric.
How it compares
Hardcore Revive+ Legacy is a mod that only the server needs, so players can join without it; it is released under the Apache License 2.0, is not open source, and covers 1.21 – 26.1.2 on Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt. Partcore is a client and server mod under the MIT License, so it is open source; it covers 1.21.1 – 26.1.2 on Fabric only. Harder Hardcore runs on the server alone under the MIT License, is not open source, and its only listed version is 26.2.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not So Hardcore | Fabric | 1.21.1 – 26.3 | Client and server | 2026-09-23 |
| Hardcore Revive+ Legacy | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.21 – 26.1.2 | Server required, client optional | 2026-04-14 |
| Partcore | Fabric | 1.21.1 – 26.1.2 | Client and server | 2026-03-25 |
| Harder Hardcore | Fabric | 26.2 | Server-side only | 2026-08-18 |
Questions
Does Not So Hardcore need to be installed on the client?
How long does a lost life take to come back?
Which loaders does Not So Hardcore support?
In the catalog
Not So Hardcore is one of 19,031 Adventure mods on ModsFinder, and one of 10,052 Adventure mods for Fabric. 8,071 mods support Minecraft 26.3.
More from nicochart
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What the author says
Want to play a hardcore game with your friends, but get frustrated when any friend dies and can't play anymore? Not So Hardcore is here to solve this problem. With its lives that regenerate over time, you'll experience the fear of death like in hardcore mode, while still having the option to revive after a while.
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/notsohardcore
- Owner
- nicochart
- Published
- 2026-01-01
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-09-23
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15