Recreative
by evanbones
Recreative gives modpack developers and players control over Creative Mode tabs through simple JSON files, with no code required, and an in-game editor for changes.
What it does
Creative Mode tabs can be hidden, renamed, reordered, given new icons or built from scratch with custom item lists. Items are injected at exact positions with before and after placement rules instead of being appended to the end of a tab, and whole groups of items can be added or removed at once through Minecraft tags such as minecraft:logs or c:ores. Hidden tabs cover vanilla and modded tabs alike.
Configuration is handled by JSON files that are reloaded while the game runs, so changes show up without a restart. The mod also includes commands to manage configuration and look up registry IDs, and a debug option that shows internal tab IDs in place of tab names to make config files faster to write. Global settings are available in-game when Cloth Config API is installed, including a switch that turns the mod on or off.
Recreative is open source under the MIT License and is published for Fabric, Forge and NeoForge across six game versions, 1.20.1 – 26.2. Its latest Fabric and NeoForge files target 1.21.1.
Key features
Hide and reorder tabs
Vanilla and modded Creative tabs can be hidden, and specific tabs can be forced to appear in a chosen order.
Custom tabs
New tabs can be built with their own names, icons and item lists, or existing tabs can be renamed and edited.
Precise item placement
Items are inserted before or after chosen entries rather than appended to the end of a tab.
Tag-based groups
Entire groups of items can be added or removed in one step using Minecraft tags.
Hot reloading
JSON changes take effect immediately without restarting the game.
In-game tab editor
A built-in editor lets tabs be adjusted while the game is running.
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: Modpack developers, map and server makers, and players who want a tidier Creative menu without writing code.
How it compares
Creative Tabs + is client-side only, open source under the MIT License and published for 1.20.1 – 1.21.1, so Recreative offers a wider version range with a shared client and server environment. Better Saved Tabs is also client-side only and open source under the MIT License, covering 1.20 – 1.21.4 on Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt, and it does not require a server install.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recreative | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 26.2 | Client and server | 2026-10-14 |
| Creative Tabs + | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 1.21.1 | Client-side only | 2025-02-01 |
| Better Saved Tabs | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.20 – 1.21.4 | Client-side only | 2024-11-09 |
Questions
Does Recreative need to be installed on the server?
Does Recreative require Cloth Config API?
Do tab changes require a game restart?
In the catalog
Recreative is one of 36,990 Utility mods on ModsFinder, and one of 25,772 Utility mods for Fabric. 13,894 mods support Minecraft 26.2.
More from evanbones
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What the author says
Recreative is a powerful, data-driven mod that gives modpack developers and players complete control over Creative Mode tabs! Using simple JSON configuration files, you can completely reorganize, modify, hide, or create entirely new Creative Tabs without writing a single line of code. Recreative watches…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/recreative
- Owner
- evanbones
- Published
- 2026-04-13
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-10-14
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15