ZVIAM
by JoudDev
ZVIAM turns players and animals into zombies through a configurable infection, and adds antiviral treatments to cure them, on Forge for 1.20.1.
What it does
Zombie infection spreads through the mod: rotten flesh has a 50% chance to apply the Infection effect, and a player who dies while infected returns as a controllable Zombie Player. Cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, goats and llamas can be converted into zombified versions, which keep dropping no original meat. Zombified entities can be converted back to their original form with a cure, and the conversion list for animals is set in a config file named infection conversions.json.
Two antiviral types, Methanolic and Ethanolic, are made from extracts using different methods, and each method carries its own side effects. Both types treat the zombie virus infection. Treatment tools come from the Meds and Herbs and The Hordes mods, and collected cultured cells and volunteer collecting tubes are part of the crafting path. The mod is part of the ZVIA modpack and runs on client and server, so the server and every player need it. It is released under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 only and is not open source. Files are published for Forge only, for 1.20.1, with 1.1.0 as the latest file from 2025-09-17.
Key features
Controllable zombie players
Zombie Player entities can be controlled: a player can spectate what the zombie sees, move it, and leave its body to return to normal.
Antiviral treatments
Two antiviral types, Methanolic and Ethanolic, cure zombie virus infection and zombified entities, including zombified animals and villagers.
Infected animals
Livestock such as cows and llamas can be turned into zombies, and killed zombified animals no longer drop their original meat.
Visual infection feedback
The infection is marked by a particle effect that changes color from dark red to light red as it progresses.
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.
Required 3
Optional 1
How it compares
Timless' Simple Zombie Infection is a Forge 1.20.1 mod under All rights reserved, not open source, that also runs on client and server. Zombie Players is a Forge 1.20.1 mod under the MIT License, also client and server, and adds aggressive zombie players to the world. Immersive Nation: UNDEAD is another Forge 1.20.1 option under All rights reserved, client and server, with its own undead content.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZVIAM | Forge | 1.20.1 | Client and server | 2025-09-17 |
| Timless' Simple Zombie Infection | Forge | 1.20.1 | Client and server | 2026-05-27 |
| Zombie Players | Forge | 1.20.1 | Client and server | 2025-10-01 |
| Immersive Nation: UNDEAD | Forge | 1.20.1 | Client and server | 2026-04-12 |
Questions
Which dependencies does ZVIAM require?
Does ZVIAM need to be installed on the server?
How are animals converted into zombies in ZVIAM?
Does ZVIAM work outside the modpack?
In the catalog
ZVIAM is one of 11,058 Mobs mods on ModsFinder, and one of 6,527 Mobs mods for Forge. 34,764 mods support Minecraft 1.20.1.
Similar mods
What the author says
It can be played outside my modpack but with the proper dependencies and config files. After dying while having Infection effect, a zombie version of you will spawn. You will spectate what your zombie sees, but you can't interact with the world.
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/zviam
- Owner
- JoudDev
- Published
- 2025-05-07
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2025-09-17
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15