Install the MineColonies mod on your server

MineColonies is a colony simulator where you build your own town and staff it with NPC workers such as builders, farmers and miners. Each type of worker has its own type of hut. The mod relies on several helper mods, so most of the work on a server is installing the whole set in one go. Players need the same mods in their own game.

Checked against MineColonies 1.1.1403 on NeoForge 1.21.1, October 2026. The Forge 1.20.1 build is 1.1.1301.

What it needs

The newest MineColonies releases are for NeoForge 1.21.1 and Forge 1.20.1. As a mod it can't run on Paper or Purpur. Minecraft 1.21.1 runs on Java 21 and 1.20.1 on Java 17, and the panel picks the right one for you.

CurseForge lists five required mods: Structurize, BlockUI, Domum Ornamentum, TownTalk and Multi-Piston. The NeoForge 1.21.1 jar itself declares Structurize, BlockUI and Domum Ornamentum as required. The jar is about 78 MB.

Open Content in the panel menu and look for Mods. If the tab says Plugins or is missing, open JAR Manager under More, choose NeoForge under Server software, pick 1.21.1 as the Minecraft version and press Apply change. Leave Take a backup first ticked in the "Reinstall server?" window and confirm with Confirm & reinstall. Change your Minecraft version or mod loader has the full steps.

Install MineColonies and its helpers

1. Open Mods and keep the Store view. In the source chip row at the top of the tab, choose CurseForge. The Modrinth listing for MineColonies has a single Forge 1.18.2 build from 2023, so it has nothing for current servers.
2. Search for MineColonies. The Game version filter starts on your server's version. Press Install on the result named exactly MineColonies. Results such as Better With Minecolonies are separate mods.
3. A window titled "Needs 5 more add-ons" lists the helpers CurseForge marks as required. Press Install all, which shows the total count in brackets.
4. Restart from the Console tab. The install message says "Restart the server to load them".

Open the Installed view to check. You should see MineColonies and the five helpers, none with a Failed to load badge. A Needs badge names a helper that is missing.

Players need the same mods

Modrinth marks MineColonies as required on both client and server, and the jar lists its main dependencies for both sides. Every player installs MineColonies plus the same helpers through their launcher, on NeoForge 1.21.1. Join a modded server from your launcher covers it. If the lists differ, the refusal is explained in Fix the mismatched mod channel list error.

Protection and settings

Colony protection starts once a Town Hall is placed. By default only the colony owner can place or break blocks inside it, and the owner adds other players in the Permissions section of the Town Hall screen.

The server settings are in minecolonies-server.toml. The project's wiki lists it in the config folder and in the world's serverconfig folder, so open both in File Manager after the first start. The keys are all lower case. Options worth knowing:

• enablecolonyprotection is true by default.
• maxcitizenpercolony is 250 by default, within 25 to 500.
• forceloadcolony is true by default and keeps a colony loaded while its owner or an officer has part of it loaded.
• canplayerusertpcommand is false by default.
• permissioneventbypassminpermlevel is 2 by default. The wiki says it disables colony permissions for a player who has that permission level, and the mod's code applies the bypass only while that player is in creative mode, so test protection with an account that isn't an operator.

Edit the file while the server is stopped, then start it again.

Commands

Run these in game:

• /mc colony list shows every colony with its ID, name and coordinates.
• /mc colony info <colony ID> shows the mayor, citizens and coordinates.
• /mc backup makes a backup of all colony data and needs operator rights.

Common problems

• The server stops at startup: open Console and read the last lines, then look in the Installed view for a Needs badge. Fix mod and plugin errors on Minecraft covers reading the log.
• A helper is missing: if you installed with Install MineColonies only, open Mods, search CurseForge for the name in the Needs badge and install it.
• Slow ticks: Why is my server lagging? Find the cause lists the usual causes, and How much RAM does a Minecraft server need helps you size the plan.