How to Install and Start MineColonies in Minecraft

What MineColonies Adds

MineColonies turns Minecraft settlement building into a full town management system. Instead of placing every block yourself while vanilla villagers stare into walls, you can found a colony, assign jobs, place working buildings, and grow a functional community with builders, guards, homes, supply chains, and upgrade paths.

The mod supports many Minecraft versions, beginning around 1.10 and continuing through modern releases. It is owned by H3lay and authored by someaddon, and it has earned millions of downloads on CurseForge. Once installed, your goal is simple on paper: start a colony, give citizens work, protect them from raids, and slowly automate the chores that would otherwise eat your whole evening.

Download MineColonies

1. Open the MineColonies page on CurseForge.
2. Select Files near the top of the page to view available downloads.

1. Scroll to Recent Files, then choose View All.
2. Find the newest file that matches the Minecraft version you want to use.

1. Click Download to save the `.jar` file.

Get the Required Dependencies

MineColonies usually needs one or more dependency mods. Do not skip this part, because Minecraft is not shy about crashing when required files are missing.

1. Return to the MineColonies file page for the version you downloaded.
2. Check the changelog or relations area for required dependency names and version numbers.

1. Open each dependency's CurseForge page.
2. Use Files and View All just like you did for MineColonies.
3. Download the exact dependency versions listed for your Minecraft version.

Keep MineColonies and every required dependency together. You will need to upload or copy all of them into the same `mods` folder.

Install MineColonies on a Server

Before changing files, stop the server from your control panel. This prevents the server from loading a half-updated mod folder.

1. Open the HolyHosting control panel and stop your Minecraft server.
2. Find the game version or server type selector.

1. Choose the Forge version that matches the Minecraft version used by your MineColonies file.
2. Follow the setup prompts, then choose the option to restart later if prompted.

1. Open file access for the server.
2. Locate the `mods` folder. If it does not exist, create it using the exact name `mods`.
3. Upload MineColonies and every required dependency `.jar` file into that folder.

After the upload finishes, return to the main server page and start the server. If the Forge version, MineColonies file, and dependencies all match, the mod should load during startup.

Install MineColonies on Your Client

Every player joining the server also needs Forge, MineColonies, and the same required dependencies installed locally.

1. Visit the official Forge download page.
2. Install Forge for the same Minecraft version used by the server.
3. Open the Minecraft Launcher.
4. Go to Installations and find the Forge profile.
5. Hover over the profile, then click the folder icon to open the Minecraft directory.

1. Open or create the `mods` folder.
2. Place MineColonies and all dependency `.jar` files inside it.

Start Minecraft using the Forge profile. If the client and server mod files match, you should be able to join without version mismatch errors.

First Steps in a New Colony

When you first spawn, MineColonies does not immediately cover the world in buildings. You need to place a supply structure first, collect the starter tools, and then create the colony.

Place a Supply Camp or Supply Ship

Craft either a Supply Camp or a Supply Ship. Both provide the starter items you need. The camp is best for flat land, while the ship is intended for water. Pick whichever fits your starting location.

Use the Placement Menu

Right-click with the supply item to open the placement interface. From this menu, you can change the building style, move the preview, rotate the structure, and line it up before confirming placement.

If the preview is hard to see, press Escape to close the menu, adjust your position, then right-click the item again. When the placement looks correct, press the green confirmation button.

Collect the Starter Tools

After the supply camp or ship appears, go inside and find the chest. Take the Build Tool and Town Hall item. These are the core tools for founding the settlement and placing future buildings.

Choose your town location carefully. You will want room for houses, work buildings, roads, guards, farms, and whatever ambitious layout seems reasonable until your builder asks for sixteen stacks of materials.

Place the Town Hall

Hold the build tool and open its menu. Select Town Hall in the building menu, then choose the style or palette you want. You can also preview different upgrade levels before placing the block.

Position the Town Hall preview, rotate it as needed, then confirm placement with the green button.

Create the Colony

The full Town Hall structure does not appear instantly. Instead, the Town Hall block is placed first. Right-click that block and choose Create Colony. After a short wait, your first citizens should spawn nearby.

Those initial citizens are the start of your workforce, but they still need buildings and resources before they become useful.

Build the Builder's Hut

The Builder's Hut should be one of your first real buildings. Craft and place the hut block, then use its interface to assign a worker and start the build process. The builder is required for constructing the Town Hall and most other colony structures.

Early on, expect to provide tools, food, blocks, and other materials manually. As the colony expands, you can add more houses for population, more job buildings for production, and guards to help defend against raids.

What to Do Next

Once the Builder's Hut is running, check the MineColonies wiki for the full list of available huts and jobs. Expanding too fast can create bottlenecks, so focus on housing, builders, resource production, and defense before decorating every corner of town.

MineColonies rewards planning. Give citizens the buildings and items they need, upgrade important huts, and your small outpost can become a busy automated settlement instead of a pile of unfinished blueprints.