15 Best Minecraft Modpacks To Play In 2023

There are tons of cool modpacks that you can play in Minecraft, but you might be wondering: What is the best Minecraft modpack to play in 2023?

Every modpack has different objectives and gameplay. For example, in a skyblock pack there is no land in the game and you have to build on a floating island. In other packs, you might face fierce dragons in the main world. As you can see, the pack you pick is very important and will determine the type of game you play.

Getting Started With Minecraft Mods

Since modpacks are not included with the base game of Minecraft, you will have to download third-party launchers or manually install mod files. I recommend using the Feed The Beast (FTB) Launcher when playing modpacks made by FTB (a group of people that make modpacks) or the Curseforge/Overwolf launcher for other modpacks. The Twitch desktop app used to be a popular way to play modpacks, but this has been replaced by the Overwolf launcher.

The launchers make it very easy to play modpacks. You simply pick a pack from the list and it automatically installs the pack for you. Note that you will typically have to login with your real Minecraft username and password. This is safe when using reputable launchers such as CurseForge or FTB. Be cautious providing your Minecraft username and password to less popular launchers!

Each modpack runs on different versions of Minecraft (for example, 1.7, 1.10, 1.12, 1.16 etc). This is because every mod supports only certain versions of the game. The version that the pack runs on will have a big impact on the types of mods that are included.

Here is a list of the 15 best and most popular Minecraft modpacks to play in 2023:

1. SkyFactory 4 Modpack

SkyFactory 4 (SF4) is definitely one of the most fun modpacks you can play in Minecraft. It is skyblock on steroids, and from the name you can probably guess what you will be doing. Building a factory in the sky of course!

You will start on a small chunk of land with a tree, which is standard for all skyblock maps. Next, you’ll have to progress through the pack to expand your island and obtain all the other items in the game. The progression will take you from getting resources from special trees, making a mob farm, generating power, and eventually applying all the best Minecraft enchants.

It’s quite different from Sky Factory 3 (SF3), for example there is no more sifting for resources. The majority of resources are obtained from trees in this version and there’s also no draconic evolution. There are many different variations of skyblock, however SkyFactory 3 and 4 are the most popular variants.

SkyFactory 4 is definitely worth checking out if you want to play a Minecraft modpack in 2023. For more information on Sky Factory 4, the makers of Minecraft have made a nice post going over it.

The official download page can be found here, or you can use the CurseForge launcher to download and play it.

2. Stoneblock 2 (FTB) Modpack

Stoneblock 2 (SB2) is similar to skyblock or SkyFactory, but it’s kind of the opposite. Instead of building in a totally empty world in the sky, you are building in a world filled with stone and you have to carve out an underground base.

It can be annoying mining the stone in the beginning, but once you get an RFTools Builder it gets much easier to dig out massive amounts of stone. Personally, I have found this to be a very fun modpack to play and definitely recommend trying it.

This pack makes use of the Project E mod, which can be somewhat overpowered as it lets you trade most items for other items (using the EMC system). For example, you can exchange 100 stone for 100 EMC, then use this EMC to purchase other items like diamonds or iron. The pack also includes Draconic Evolution, which unlocks a ton of end-game content to keep you busy.

Once you accumulate a lot of EMC, the game feels a bit like creative mode since you can instantly obtain nearly all items in the game. You could pretty much even build a Minecraft house out of diamond blocks! However, the EMC system can be nice because it allows you to trade your “junk” for EMC and buy more valuable things like diamonds.

A very cool idea for a base in this game is to use the Builder to hollow out a big dome, then use the luminous blocks to make a fake sky, clouds, and sun. This process is fully automated with the Builder block, and you don’t have to manually break and place all the blocks.

If you’re asking yourself Which Minecraft modpack should I play in 2023, I highly recommend Stoneblock 2. As one of my favorite modpacks, I have also made a nifty Stoneblock 2 guide to help you with some starter tips.

To play this pack, download the using the official FTB launcher on their website.

3. RLCraft Modpack

This “real life” style Minecraft modpack features more realistic graphics and very challenging gameplay. This pack is a good choice for veteran players who are bored of plain old Minecraft and want to change up their gameplay drastically.

Many basic mechanics get changed in this pack to make survival Minecraft challenging. There can be dragons flying around in the main world and you could be killed in one shot just walking around! Don’t believe me? Just check out the video above for a sneak peak of what you can expect. This pack is not for the faint hearted and the creator even warns players that “they will die… alot”.

Despite being so challenging, RLCraft is one of the most popular Minecraft modpacks. In fact, as of January 2023 it was the most downloaded modpack of all time on CurseForge, with 10.7 million downloads.

Are you ready for the Minecraft challenge of your life? RLCraft can be downloaded here.

4. Infinity Evolved (FTB) Modpack

FTB Infinity Evolved (IE) is a “kitchen sink” modpack, meaning it is a general all-purpose modpack that can facilitate many gameplay styles. It has most of the popular Minecraft mods and two difficulty modes: normal and expert.

Infinity Evolved Expert Mode is a way to prolong gameplay by making recipes more difficult. You will need way more blocks and items to craft things, which makes the pack take longer to progress through. If you find you’re finishing modpacks too quickly, you should definitely look into IE expert mode.

This pack is best if you want more freedom to do whatever you want. For example, with the SkyFactory 4 modpack, you have to build a floating island base and there is no other choice. With this pack, there are so many things to build in Minecraft (that aren’t floating island bases)!

Since this is a Feed The Beast (FTB) modpack, it can be played and downloaded using the official FTB launcher.

5. Valhelsia 3 Modpack

Most modpacks are running on older versions of Minecraft, however Valhelsia 3 runs on Minecraft 1.16 which is a newer version than most other modpacks. This means that you will have more up-to-date content in Minecraft, but some popular mods will be missing since they run on older versions. For example, some popular mods missing from this pack include: Draconic Evolution, Tinker’s Construct, and EnderIO.

You will still find a lot of great mods in this pack, including some of my favorites: Botania, Biomes O’ Plenty (adds lots of new Minecraft biomes!), and Immersive Engineering. If you are wanting to try out a more updated version of Minecraft while still having mods, Valhelsia 3 is a great option for you.

This modpack can be downloaded on the CurseForge launcher or on their CurseForge page here.

6. Regrowth (FTB) Modpack

Regrowth is a themed pack with a questline that guides you through the objectives of the pack. The general theme is that you start in a wasteland world and you have to progress to “regrow” the world back. This pack can be a unique twist for players who like to “rebuild” the world, like in skyblock packs.

Progression in this pack is definitely a bit slower and the mobs can be stronger, so this pack can be more challenging to play through. Since the progression is slower than most other packs, you’ll also get more hours of entertainment out of this pack. It will also be more difficult to defend yourself against monsters since it will be slower to get the proper equipment to defend yourself.

Regrowth is a Feed The Beast (FTB) Modpack, and can be played using the launcher downloaded from their website.

7. Project Ozone 3 Modpack

Project Ozone 3 (PO3) is another skyblock-like map that incorporates different recipe difficulties (like the infinity evolved pack). There’s normal mode, titan mode, and kappa mode, each progressively more difficult.

There are a few different map types to try with this pack, including Skylands, Garden of Glass, Frozen, etc. I personally prefer SF4 for skyblock, but if you want a more challenging version of skyblock try out PO3.

This pack can be downloaded here or played via the CurseForge launcher.

8. Agrarian Skies 2 Modpack

Agrarian Skies 2 (AS2) is a quest and objective based skyblock. If you are brand new to Minecraft mods, this pack would be great to learn the basics. The quest book will guide you through the progression step by step.

A major difference between this pack and SF4 is that there is no Mystical Agriculture mod. That makes this pack a bit more difficult and less overpowered. With Mystical Agriculture in SF4, you can “grow” nearly all items in the game, including diamonds, obsidian, wither skeleton skulls, etc. In this pack, you will have to do it the old fashioned way and get your diamonds from sifting and obsidian from lava and water.

This is not a FTB pack, so you will need to download the Minecraft modpack here or use the CurseForge launcher.

9. Revelation (FTB) Modpack

Revelation is another “kitchen sink” pack, similar to the Infinity Evolved pack. This is a newer pack which runs on the 1.12 version of the game (whereas infinity evolved runs on 1.7), so the mods will be different. It includes newer mods that might not have been around when Infinity Evolved was made, and doesn’t include older mods that were not updated for the 1.12 version.

It is the largest modpack made by FTB, with over 200 mods included. You may need a more powerful computer to fully enjoy this pack and all the mods it offers.

This pack is good if you’re looking for an all-purpose pack that doesn’t have limitations on what you can do. However, if you’re new to modding, the 200 mods may be overwhelming and make it difficult to learn how to play.

As this is a Feed The Beast (FTB) modpack, it can be played and downloaded using the official FTB launcher.

10. Farming Valley Modpack

Farming Valley is a modpack inspired by Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley. If you’ve played either of these games and liked them, definitely check out the Farming Valley Minecraft modpack.

In this pack, you will build up a town and plant/harvest/sell crops for money to progress. Farming in this pack is tweaked and will be more challenging than in vanilla Minecraft. The Harvest Goddess NPC (which you have to summon at the beginning) will guide you through progression in this pack.

To download and play this pack, visit the CurseForge page here or use their launcher.

11. DireWolf20 (FTB) Modpack

DireWolf20 is a popular YouTuber and this pack is essentially a collection of the mods used in his videos. It is another general all-purpose kitchen sink pack that has gotten quite popular.

A benefit of playing with this pack is you can watch his videos, play along, and learn the mods.

As this is a Feed The Beast (FTB) modpack, it can be played and downloaded using the official FTB launcher.

12. Sky Adventures (FTB) Modpack

Sky Adventures is another skyblock map that is similar to SkyFactory, but has slightly different mods.

One major difference is that this pack has the Project E mod (like Stone Block 2). This mod allows you to trade items for other items using a currency called EMC. If you’ve played Stoneblock 2 before and enjoyed the Project E aspect of it, but would prefer a skyblock map, Sky Adventures would be a good choice to play.

The download page can be found here.

13. Forever Stranded Modpack

Forever Stranded (FS) is kind of similar to the Regrowth pack in that you play in a “wasteland” kind of map. You start in a crashed plane and have to quickly defend yourself because the mobs at night are much more challenging than in normal Minecraft.

Although Forever Stranded is a little bit older, but it’s still worth trying out if you’ve already played all the other packs. The download page can be found here.

14. Beyond (FTB) Modpack

FTB Beyond is another kitchen sink general purpose modpack that runs on the 1.10 version of Minecraft. It’ll have slightly different mods than Revelation and Direwolf20 (which run on 1.12 and 1.16 respectively) and Infinity Evolved (which runs on 1.7).

If you are an experienced modded Minecraft player, you can go through the mod list to see which pack has the most of your favorite mods included. If you are a newer mod player, it may be better to start with other more popular packs like Infinity Evolved, or a pack that is progression based to teach you the packs like Agrarian Skies 2.

15. SevTech: Ages Modpack

SevTech: Ages is a modpack based on 1.12 and it is heavily progression based. Content is gated into different “ages” and you must progress through each age to unlock content. New recipes become available, new mobs appear, and new ores appear as you advance ages.

This pack is not your typical “kitchen sink” modpack and it is quite unique from the other packs. The download page can be found here.