As a sandbox game focused on giving players as much freedom as possible, Minecraft has always supported players tweaking the game to their liking.
One of the main ways to achieve this is by installing custom resource packs featuring new textures for items and blocks that’ll completely change the game’s visual identity.
There’s no lack of magical texture packs for fans of fantasy novels and video games. If you want your game to look like Lord of the Rings, you have many options at your disposal.
Choosing the best texture pack from over 10+ years of uploads can be challenging.
Let me point you in the right direction with these must-try fantasy texture packs.
Suppose you like the soul of vanilla Minecraft, and you don’t want to lose it in search of fantasy charm.
In that case, you should try out Pixel Perfection – a simple resource pack transforming virtually everything in a way that respects Notch’s original vision.
Some textures like Cobblestone and Netherrack look miles better than vanilla. It’s an excellent, low-profile visual enhancement everyone should try.
The world of fantasy – especially medieval fantasy – tends to be rough and rustic.
Ancient wizards live in basic huts in the forests, brave knights spend most of their time in encampments and run-down inns, and everything is made by hand.
Ovo’s Rustic resource pack focuses on extending this “rough and handmade” characteristic throughout the world of Minecraft.
Sometimes, you almost feel as if you could run your hand over the bumps and imperfections in the stone and bricks around you. It’s pretty immersive and great for fantasy worlds.
Released in 2020, Minecraft Dungeons was a different take on the Minecraft experience inspired by classic dungeon crawler RPGs.
Dungeons Textures brings some of this dungeoneering charm to Minecraft by changing the look of the vanilla terrain and mobs to match their Minecraft Dungeons counterpart.
You’ll also get a flashy new health bar for bosses like the Ender Dragon or the Wither.
To complete the package, it injects the music from Minecraft Dungeons into the base game, matching the vibe of a fantasy RPG adventure.
Check out the Legendary Resource Pack for something completely new.
This collection of new textures and resources thoroughly improves the look and feel of Minecraft in a fantasy direction, but without losing the game’s blocky charm.
It features new high-quality textures, enhanced models, a custom GUI, and even a custom font.
You’ll also notice the natural world has changed, with color-swapped biomes and more detailed vegetation.
Fairy tales and other fantasy media can go one of two ways.
They’re either dark and grim, making you grateful you don’t live in a magical world, or bright and whimsical, so you want to jump right into the story and experience it yourself.
Dragon Dance Renaissance gives Minecraft a colorful look matching the latter. The clean lines and vivid colors make it even a bit cartoony – which fits the fantasy genre just fine.
One thing to remember is that it’s a 64x resource pack, meaning the textures are all higher resolution. It’ll require higher specs on your rig unless you’re willing to part with some FPS.
We’re taking a little break from full-fledged resource packs to meet some adorable new critters.
The Pet Dragons mod re-textures (or re-models) Wolves to look like awesome European-style dragons. Not only do they make great pets, but you’ll find entire packs of them roaming the forests.
This can add a ton to the fantasy vibes of your game, even if you don’t choose to adopt one.
You don’t have to be a Targaryen dragonrider to appreciate the beauty of a pack of small dragons hunting in the forest or standing atop a cliff howling at the moon.
One of the most essential parts of getting fantasy media right is nailing the costume design.
People’s clothing reflects the world around them, whether it’s magical robes or sturdy armor meant to withstand orcs and wyverns.
Stoneborn helps you bring fantastical fashion design into Minecraft with a collection of armor and gear re-textures.
It’s all inspired by dwarves, so don’t expect glorious jousting armor fitted with a thousand rubies. It’s all rustic and practical – though the high-level weapons are fairly flashy.
So far, we’ve mainly focused on bright and cheery texture packs.
But medieval fantasy is much more than just fun magic and beautiful landscapes.
Conquest is a deliciously moody resource pack that’ll give your Minecraft biomes a darker, realistic look. Walking into a forest or a cave now feels like entering a beastly den.
Part of why biomes feel like they’re about to swallow you is how distinct they look from one another. That’s because many blocks transform to blend into the biome they’re placed in.
Other notable features include weapons and armor changing their appearance depending on the name you give them at an Anvil.
The pack is also fine-tuned to make villages and castles look decidedly medieval.
It’s a must-try if The Witcher III is your idea of a great fantasy setting.
Fans of Western RPGs like The Elder Scrolls series will love Mythic – a 32×32 texture pack focused on making your Minecraft adventures feel even more like an epic fantasy journey.
Two things I love about this resource pack are the weapons and armor. They’re detailed and badass, with menacing designs that suggest this fantasy world is darker than it looks.
Man-made indoor spaces are some of the best places to be while running this texture pack. Something about how one block seamlessly connects to the next makes everything more believable.
Just one thing: avoid the Wither at all costs.
If that thing was scary in vanilla Minecraft, I lack the words to describe it with the Mythic pack. It’s pure, eldritch horror.
Nelson Chitty is a Venezuelan expat living in Argentina. He’s a writer and translator passionate about history and foreign cultures. His ideal weekend is spent between leisurely playing games of Civilization VI and looking for the next seinen anime to marathon.
