True Darkness
by grondag
True Darkness makes night and unlit caves as dark as the player sets them, by tying brightness to the moon phase and removing torch and sky light.
What it does
The mod changes how light is computed on the client. A full moon keeps the normal brightness of vanilla Minecraft, while a new moon leaves the night with no light at all. Where there is neither torch light nor sky light, the result is pure black no matter which moon phase is active, so unlit caverns stay dark.
Two options control where the effect applies. The dark overworld option, on by default, enables it in the Overworld. The dark default option, also on by default, enables it in modded dimensions that have a sky, such as the Overworld. Both can be turned off in the configuration. The mod is open source under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 only, and its source code and issue tracker are public.
True Darkness is client-side only, so the server and other players do not need it. It has no dependencies and is published for Fabric, Forge and Quilt, with files for six game versions, 1.17.1 – 1.19.3. The latest file, for 1.19.3, dates from 2022-12-11.
Key features
Moon phase brightness
Night brightness follows the moon: full moon keeps vanilla light, and new moon removes it.
Pure black caves
Areas with no torch light and no sky light render as pure black whatever the moon phase.
Overworld option
A configuration option enables the darkness in the Overworld and is on by default.
Modded dimension option
A second option extends the effect to modded dimensions that have a sky, also on by default.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Horror and survival play
Players who want nights and caves to feel genuinely threatening can use the mod to strip out the ambient light that vanilla provides.
Who it’s for: Players who find vanilla night brightness too forgiving, and survival or adventure players who want unlit underground areas to stay fully black.
How it compares
Enhanced Darkness is a Fabric-only client mod for 26.1 – 26.2 under the MIT License, and it is open source. Urkaz Moon Tools runs on Fabric, Forge and NeoForge across 1.12.2 – 1.21.1, is open source under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 or later, and is client and server. Pitch Dark Hardcore is a Forge client mod for 1.20.1 – 1.20.6, released under All rights reserved, and it is not open source.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| True Darkness | Fabric, Forge and Quilt | 1.17.1 – 1.19.3 | Client-side only | 2022-12-11 |
| Enhanced Darkness | Fabric | 26.1 – 26.2 | Client-side only | 2026-08-03 |
| Urkaz Moon Tools | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.12.2 – 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2026-04-19 |
| Pitch Dark Hardcore | Forge | 1.20.1 – 1.20.6 | Client-side only | 2026-05-02 |
Questions
Does True Darkness need Fabric API?
Does the server need True Darkness?
Which loaders does True Darkness support?
Can the darkness be limited to the Overworld?
In the catalog
True Darkness is one of 19,031 Adventure mods on ModsFinder, and one of 10,052 Adventure mods for Fabric. 7,205 mods support Minecraft 1.19.3.
More from grondag
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Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/true-darkness
- Owner
- grondag
- Published
- 2021-12-14
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2022-12-11
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15