Minecraft wiki entry for Creating_Forge_mods, associated text: Mods (short for 'modifications') can modify or add items, blocks, entities, and much more. Presumably, you already have an idea for a mod you want to create. If you simply want to add custom advancements, functions, loot tables, structures, recipes or tags to your game, look into how to make a Data pack, which does not require programming. Or look into how to make a resource pack if you simply want to customize textures (colors and designs), models, music, sounds, languages, splashes, fonts, or the end poem. Or perhaps you want to 'fork' a favorite mod to update for newer versions of Minecraft. In any case, this guide will eventually cover only the most basic elements of creating an item and creating an entity (a moving thing like a villager, sheep, zombie, etc.), and distributing the resulting mod package.