Zombies in Minecraft aren’t scary at all. They’re all identical when it comes to their appearance, as well as the way they behave. If a Zombie gets close, then you can simply walk away.
One of the more interesting ways to play Minecraft is by turning it into a Zombie Apocalypse, which can be done by installing some different Texture Packs and Mods. By doing so, we can make them run, add new variants and even have them build toward you.
This list is going to showcase 20 mods that will help turn Minecraft into a Zombie Apocalypse. All of these mods are compatible with Minecraft 1.18.2 with Forge at least, but some other versions might be available.
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Bunker DownA mod that makes Minecraft feel like a Zombie Apocalypse is Bunker Down. When creating a new world, you’ll instantly spawn in an underground bunker, and it’s at least some sort of haven from the undead above. Inside the Bunker, you’ll find 8 Beds, so there’s plenty for you and your friends. There’s also a Chest containing some starting items like a Wood Pickaxe and Under Root Seeds, which can be used to collect Wood while underground. Bunkers are typically deep down, and behind the Cobblestone blockage is a ladder taking you to the surface. Throughout your world, you might also find other Bunkers which can be taken over.
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Graveyard BiomesImproving on the surface, we can install Graveyard Biomes. It’s separate from the Graveyard mod, so doesn’t include any of the structures or mobs. Instead, it adds 4 Biomes which are the Ancient Dead Coral Reef, Eroded Haunted Forest, Haunted Lakes, and the Haunted Forest. They’re quite atmospheric, and fit with what we’re going for.
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The Lost CitiesOne of my favorite world generation mods that truly makes Minecraft feel like a Zombie Apocalypse is the Lost Cities. You can configure it when creating a world, and you’ll have the best results by choosing the ‘Wasteland’ preset. It causes abandoned cities to spawn throughout your world, with the amount of space they take up being configurable. You’re able to explore the buildings to search for loot, and some of them contain hostile mob spawners too. Installing The Lost Souls mod will cause some of these buildings to become haunted, which will cause the mobs inside to have more damage and health. These cities are intimidating at night, and you can explore either on land or travel through the subway system which connects cities.
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Better VillagesVanilla Villages are quite boring in style. So a mod that I like to install is Better Villages, and it’s going to be compatible with the Lost Cities mod. With it installed, you’ll find that Villages are much larger, as they’ve been overhauled in the Plains, Desert, and Snowy Biomes. Most of the improvements come to the buildings, as they’ve had their sizes increased massively, and just look a lot more like comfortable houses compared to what we see in Vanilla Minecraft. Some new buildings are introduced as well, like Windmills. But you might not find them spawning as often, as the generation of cities is going to take up larger portions of your world from now on.
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MCA RebornVillagers can be further improved on with Minecraft Comes Alive Reborn, which makes Villages feel like their own management game. You can incorporate taxes, give Villagers professions and even marry them. But in general, it just adds a lot more life to these locations, as you can chat, tell jokes and build relationships. Installing this mod will give you some long-term goals, like building and expanding on a Village, eventually turning it into a safe place for your residents. But keep a close eye on them, as they too can become infected, and if you aren’t quick enough, you might get overrun.
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Hostile VillagesHostile Villages will cause a lot of Villages to be abandoned, and overrun with different hostile mobs. By default, all Villages will be overrun with the mod installed. So in the configuration files, it’s recommended to change it so that Vanilla Villages are allowed to spawn, and so that abandoned Villages are only inhabited by Zombies. I set 50 percent of Villages to spawn abandoned, with them containing Zombies and Zombie Horses.
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Human CompanionsYou can now find other humans residing in your world if you install the Human Companions mod. They live in their own houses, throughout your world in multiple Biomes. When you come across them, you can have them join you by giving them food. They have multiple classes, like being an Archer, Knight, and Axe Guard. When recruited, you can change their armor and weapons to something more powerful. But you can also make them sit down, have them follow you on adventures, attack hostile mobs, patrol an area, and more. So having a Companion should help when it comes to surviving hordes of Zombies.
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NoCube’s Zombie MobsA newer mod is NoCube’s Zombie Mobs. With it installed, Chickens, Cats, Foxes, Wolves, Pigs, Sheep, Cows, Goats, Llamas, Bears, Ocelots, Horses, Donkeys, Mules, Pandas, Dolphins, and Turtles will all have a Zombified version. They’re able to spawn naturally when it’s dark. Or if an animal dies during the night, then they have a 50% chance of rising as its undead version. Some of these animals have their special abilities too, like the Zombie Fox which can steal food from the player’s hand. Or how Zombie Pigs have a chance of exploding when they’re on fire. Zombie Cows can hit players giving them nausea, and launch them into the air. But all these mobs can be cured by throwing a Splash Potion of Weakness on them, giving them a Golden Apple, and waiting one hundred seconds.
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Bad MobsIf you want to stop mobs like Creepers, Skeletons, and Spiders from spawning in your world, then you’re going to want to install Bad Mobs. Through the mods configuration files, you can choose which mobs are allowed to spawn, and which aren’t. That way, we can make sure the world truly feels like a Zombie Apocalypse.
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Horror ElementsHorror Elements adds a gore and adult theme to the game. There are lots of features included, like blood splattered in different locations, and lots of different bodies, whether they be of Villagers, players, or some different mobs. Some items look like they’ve been used in a ritual, and the mod includes a few explorable structures such as Haunted Churches, Predator Trees, and Destroyed Laboratories. It even includes a new Biome, which is the Horror Forest. Some scenes give the impression that humans are still fighting each other, instead of working together. And lots of locations will contain some Chests which can be looted.
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Simple Flashlight PortThis next mod is going to add a Flashlight, which can be crafted from 6 Iron Ingots, 1 Redstone Block, a Yellow Stained Glass Pane, and a Redstone Comparator. You also need to craft a Redstone Battery from 4 Iron Nuggets, 2 Gold Ingots, 2 Iron Ingots, and a Redstone Block. To charge the Flashlight, place the Battery in your off-hand slot, then hold the Flashlight and right-click to power it. It provides a more immersive way of traveling through the night. And if you’re going for a setup where it’s hard to see at night, this mod’s a must-have.
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First AidFor more realism when it comes to survival, try out the First Aid mod. Instead of having Hearts, you’ll see your health in the top corner, displayed as a character. When taking damage, you’ll now take it to individual limbs instead, which can give different debuffs. Injuring your head might give Nausea, and injuring your feet or legs might give Slowness. You can see your wounds by pressing the ‘H’ key. Natural regeneration is disabled, instead, you’ll need to use items like Plasters and Bandages to heal yourself. And these can be crafted from Wool and String.
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Nightmare Epic SiegeLet’s take a look at some mods that will transform Zombies, with the first being Nightmare Epic Siege. It changes the behaviors of most hostile mobs, but when it comes to Zombies, you’ll find that they can find and follow you from much further. They might spawn with tools, which they can use to knock down walls or dig toward you. Some even have a Flint and Steel and will burn your house down to reach you. Building upwards won’t help either, as Zombies can now build to follow you. So expect this mod to make surviving Zombies a lot harder, and sleeping is also disabled.
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Zombie AwarenessZombie Awareness also makes Zombies smarter. When taking damage, you might spill blood, which leaves a scent that other Zombies will find and follow. Likewise, Zombies can hear lots of different sounds, or see light sources in the distance, and they will come to investigate. There’s one more useful feature that is off by default, and that’s the option for hordes of Zombies to spawn on the surface.
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MrCrayfish’s Gun ModTo fight Zombies, you’re going to want to do something like Mr. Crayfish’s Gun Mod. You can craft Shotguns, Rifles, Pistols, Grenade Launchers, Assault Rifles, and more. These require ammunition but feel nice to use, and they look great in-game. It’s going to combine nicely with Zombie Awareness, as the sounds of your firing will attract other Zombies. And the weapons can be upgraded by giving them different Scopes, Stocks, and Grips. Some throwable weapons exist too, like Grenades and Flash Bangs.
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K-TurretsYou can defend your bases and Villages with a mod like K-Turrets. It includes lots of different Turrets, which can fire Bullets, Bricks, Arrows, and Fire Charges. When loaded up with ammunition, they’ll clear out any hostiles that get too close. Each turret has its own options too, where you can determine which mobs to target and whether it should attack other players. The mod allows you to create Drones as well, which will follow and protect you, so it’s very useful overall.
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MineTrapsVillages and Bases can also be protected with items from the MineTraps mod. Firstly, there are Barbed Wire and Barbed Fences which will damage entities. Although they also look really nice just for decoration. Or you can set up Pitfall traps, which will be triggered when they’re stepped on. If you’re worried about your base being raided by other players, you can try the new Chest which will explode when opened. And there are a few other items, like Toxic Water, Nail Traps, and Obstacles.
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Enhanced CelestialsAnother mod to make nights more difficult is Enhanced Celestials. Each night, there’s a small chance for a Blood Moon Lunar Event to happen. By default, the chance is around 5%. When it does, the Moon will turn red, the number of monsters that spawn will be massively increased, and the player won’t be able to sleep. So it adds a new challenge. There are also Blue Moons and Harvest Moons, which can increase luck and crop yield. So these should also help when it comes to surviving.
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We Got RunnersBringing just a few extra changes to Zombies is We Got Runners. You’ll find that Zombies can sprint at times, which breaks up their repetitive patterns. And occasionally, they’ll also charge and stun the player, if they can get close enough. Changes are brought to Zombies with world-specific events, like if they’re wet, on fire, or equipped with weapons too.
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Rotten CreaturesRotten Creatures introduces some new mobs, which are all of a Zombie theme. These include the Frost Bitten, Undead Miner, Swampy, and Burned, with more coming in the future. They each have their own spawning conditions, and some have effects like being able to slow the player, or set them on fire. And the mobs coming in the future seem to be even more unique and interesting.