ModsFinder

Surface Level

by Sign

Surface Level changes how stone, deepslate and netherrack generate, swapping them for other blocks so underground mining feels different from vanilla.

ForgeClient and serverAll rights reserved1.20.1 – 1.21.1

What it does

Surface Level replaces stone, deepslate and netherrack in world generation with different blocks, which changes the material players meet when they dig. The mod is aimed at players who want caving to feel less like the vanilla cave layout, and it is described by its author as a mid to late game tool for realistic survival modpacks. Mining becomes harder, and tunneling straight through rock is discouraged by the changed terrain.

Gunpowder recipes are included among the additions. A server running it needs every connecting player to have it too. Files are published for Forge only, for 1.20.1, 1.20.2, 1.20.3, 1.20.4, 1.20.5, 1.20.6, 1.21 and 1.21.1, with 1.1.0 for 1.20.6 as the latest file. The code is not open source, and the source is available under All rights reserved.

Key features

  1. Replaced stone

    Stone generated in the world is swapped for other blocks, changing the rock players dig through.

  2. Replaced deepslate

    Deepslate in the deep layers is replaced too, so the lower underground looks and mines differently.

  3. Replaced netherrack

    Netherrack in the Nether is replaced with different blocks, altering that dimension's terrain.

  4. Harder mining

    The changed terrain makes tunneling slower and more difficult, which the author intends as a mid to late game challenge.

  5. Gunpowder recipes

    Additional crafting recipes for gunpowder are added alongside the generation changes.

Compatibility

Latest build for each game version and loader.

1.21.11.0.0
1.211.0.0
1.20.61.1.0
1.20.51.1.0
1.20.41.1.0
1.20.31.1.0
1.20.21.1.0
1.20.11.1.0
ReleaseBetaAlphaNot available

Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.

Use cases

Realistic survival modpacks

Modpack builders use the mod to make underground progression harder and more deliberate.

Replacing cave generation

Players who dislike vanilla cave generation use the block swaps as a different way to explore underground.

Who it’s for: Players and modpack authors who want mining to be harder and underground terrain to differ from vanilla. Server owners who run a realistic survival setup can install it on the server and on every client, since the environment is client and server.

Questions

Does Surface Level need to be installed on both sides?

Yes. Servers that run it need every player to install it too.

Which loader does Surface Level use?

Surface Level is published for Forge only, with builds for 1.20.1 – 1.21.1.

Which versions does Surface Level support?

Files exist for 1.20.1, 1.20.2, 1.20.3, 1.20.4, 1.20.5, 1.20.6, 1.21 and 1.21.1, and the latest Forge file is 1.1.0 for 1.20.6.

Can Surface Level be used in a pack with other world generation mods?

The author describes it as a tool for realistic survival modpacks. Check the replaced blocks against any other terrain mod before combining them.

In the catalog

Surface Level is one of 7,555 Cursed mods on ModsFinder, and one of 3,426 Cursed mods for Forge. 32,366 mods support Minecraft 1.21.1.

Cursed mods7,555Forge modsMods for 1.21.132,366

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What the author says

A very impactful mod that's tailored for realistic survival modpacks. If you don't like the vanilla cave generation, world generation mods can be used to get a better caving experiance with this mod. Custom generation that replaces stone/deepslate/netherrack with different blocks will weaken the effect of this mod…
Sign, on the Modrinth page

Official listing

Owner
Sign
Published
2025-10-26
Updated on Modrinth
2026-06-15
Facts verified
2026-10-15

Tags

CursedGame mechanics
Open on ModrinthCompare