We can – with the right texture pack. Texture and resource packs can completely transform the vibes of the world of Minecraft by changing how the surface of blocks and objects looks. It’s still the same 3D environment, but with a whole new personality. Some creators have made it their sole focus to make Minecraft look simple and clean – maybe even gaining some FPS. Let me show you some of my favorites!
10. F8thful
Check Out This Pack People often chase after high-definition texture packs that’ll make Minecraft closer to a AAA game in the 2020s. Me? I’d rather look for novelty in the opposite direction. F8thful is a vanilla-inspired texture pack that downscales each individual texture rather than upscaling it. Instead of 32×32 or 64×64, you’re getting 8×8 textures – and they’re beautiful. It definitely changes the game’s vibes to something more playful and surreal.
9. Faithless
Check Out This Pack With a similar name but absolutely no relation to the previous mod comes Faithless – a 16×16 resource pack that changes Minecraft’s visual identity while keeping things simple. This resource pack is born from a desire to make Minecraft accessible to everyone regardless of disabilities such as color blindness, dyslexia, or hearing impairments. Its creator ensured every texture was easily recognizable without relying on problematic colors or text. Everything has thick outlines that make shapes pop out, giving it a slightly cartoonish vibe. There’s something about the whole project that feels like an artsy indie game, and I love it.
8. Dandelion
Check Out This Pack Proving you don’t have to reduce the resolution to make things simple and clean comes Dandelion – a cozy texture pack that makes Minecraft feel like the world in a children’s book. Instead of chasing realism, Dandelion places its bets on stylizing the environment. Everything has beautiful, distinct colors, and objects seem simplified and idealized at the same time. Using simple swirly shapes in nature and some other strategic places reminds me of Disney’s Hercules – and that’s always a good thing!
7. Quadral
Check Out This Pack Created for the 2014 Simple Pack Showdown 2 texture competition on the Minecraft Forum, Quadral is a simple 16×16 pack focusing on simple textures that pop out. The best way I can describe the results is that it makes Minecraft look like a 2D Zelda, such as A Link to the Past (1991) on the SNES, or The Minish Cap (2004) on the GBA. The incredibly distinct textures on tree bark, leaves, and the natural world, in general, are sublime. There’s something to love on each and every surface. I can’t get enough of the somewhat rectangular ore veins, either. They’re a highlight, so give this pack a chance if you spend a lot of time in the mines.
6. Nitro PVP Pack
Check Out This Pack If you’re big into the PvP aspect of Minecraft multiplayer, you’ll want to keep your game running at the highest FPS your machine can muster. The Nitro PVP Pack is built with 8×8 textures to help low-end PC users have a fighting chance against the technologically blessed. It’s bright, colorful, and stylish – focusing on creating a dynamic PvP atmosphere without straining your system’s resources. Even if you’re on single-player, it’s still worth a try. I recommend it to anyone who has trouble seeing ore down in the mines. You’ll see why.
5. Fourté
Check Out This Pack If you thought 8×8 textures were barebones, wait until you try Fourté. As its name suggests, Fourté is a 4×4 texture pack – a somewhat ridiculous proposition that works thanks to the creator’s good taste in color palettes and great creative vision. This pack uses only 42 colors (many pastels) in a 4×4 grid pattern to create a wholesome, relaxing environment reminiscent of Sonic the Hedgehog’s Green Hill Zone. Flowers and bushes are almost conceptual at this point. It’s kind of hilarious, but it looks surprisingly good!
4. Perch! – A Tiny RPG Experience
Check Out This Pack I’m enamored with old-school RPGs on 8bit and 16bit systems. Dealing with endless random encounters and finding a safe spot to save my game is annoying, but the charm of these low-res worlds more than makes up for it. Perch! brings this low-res fantasy charm to Minecraft with 8×8 textures that mimic the vibe of these adventures of old. Even the HUD and your items get low-res makeovers to match the world around them! This is an absolute godsend for low-end PC players, but any fantasy RPG fan should try it out, too.
3. Pollachius
Check Out This Pack Fans of Tetris and Lumines can’t go wrong with Pollachius. This 8×8 resource pack recreates the world of Minecraft using only colorful beveled blocks. It’s like everything is made out of oddly-colored chocolate bars! Walking through this boxy wonderland, I can’t help but feel like I’m a LEGO figure in someone’s LEGO project. If you want to take simplicity to the extreme, check out Plana Pollachius.
2. Bare Bones
Check Out This Pack Bare Bones is the epitome of simplicity. It takes the vanilla textures as a basis and reduces detail to the bare minimum. Nothing that doesn’t absolutely need it has any detail at all. This is especially noticeable in forest biomes, where solid-green blocks representing tree leaves dominate the landscape. It’s actually pretty similar to the style used by official Minecraft trailers, so if you like those, you’ll love this.
1. Rodrigo’s Pack
Check Out This Pack Even though it’s 8×8 and cartoonishly colorful, Rodrigo’s Pack manages to create some of the most immersive environments. The textures work together beautifully – and at no extra cost to your FPS. The extremely simple, perfectly straight grid-like patterns in this mod make the world of Minecraft look like a diorama or a work of voxel art. It makes Minecraft feel safe and cheerful like a child’s dream.
