Set up Traverse Reforged on Minecraft

Traverse Reforged is the Forge port of Traverse, a biome mod that adds new biomes with a vanilla feel, such as autumnal woods, coniferous forests and lush swamps. It is listed on CurseForge, not Modrinth. The Fabric original is a separate project called Traverse.

Checked against Traverse Reforged 7.0.12 on Forge 1.20.1, October 2026.

Pick the right server version

The newest file on CurseForge is traverse-forge-7.0.12.jar for Forge 1.20.1, uploaded on 18 May 2025 and labelled Beta. It is the only 1.20.1 file, so the Install button takes it even though it is a Beta. The newest file labelled Release is 6.2.5 for Forge 1.19.2, from 5 May 2025. There is also a Release for Forge 1.18.2 (5.1.5.1). The 1.20.1 jar asks for Forge 47.1.0 or newer, so it will not load on Paper, Purpur or Fabric.

To run the 1.20.1 build, open JAR Manager under More, choose Forge under Server software and 1.20.1 under Minecraft version, then press Apply change. The panel picks Java 17 for you. Change your Minecraft version or mod loader has the full steps. Switching reinstalls the server and keeps your world, but make a backup first in the Backups tab.

If your server runs Fabric, use Traverse from Modrinth instead. Its page says it needs Fabric API.

What it needs

Version 7.0.12 carries the libraries it uses inside the jar (Biolith and the Terraform API mods), so there is nothing else to install. The jar's mods.toml marks both its Forge and Minecraft dependencies for both sides. It adds blocks as well as biomes, so every player needs Traverse Reforged in their own game, on Forge 1.20.1.

Install it

1. Open Mods under Content and press the CurseForge chip. The Game version filter starts on your server's version.
2. Search for Traverse Reforged and press Install on the result.
3. Restart from the Console tab.

You can also download the jar from the CurseForge page and put it in the mods folder with the File Manager. It is about 6 MB, well under the 100 MB browser upload limit. Manage your server files covers uploads.

Open the Installed view afterwards. Traverse Reforged should be listed with no Failed to load badge.

Players need it too

Each player installs the same jar in their Forge 1.20.1 game. Join a modded server from your launcher covers the player side, and Fix the mismatched mod channel list error explains the refusal when versions differ.

Finding the new biomes

The CurseForge page says the mod does not need a special world mode or custom world type in the server configuration. The jar defines seven biomes: Autumnal Woods, Coniferous Forest, Snowy Coniferous Forest, Desert Shrubland, Flatlands, Lush Swamp and Woodlands. The Traverse wiki has a page on each.

The biomes are part of world generation, and an operator can find one with /locate biome traverse:woodlands. For a world generated with them from the start, open Config Editor under Content, change World folder to a new name, press Save changes and restart. That starts a new world and leaves the old folder on disk.

Turning a biome off

On its first start the mod writes config/traverse/biome.json. The file has a biomes section with a true or false value for each biome. Stop the server, set a biome to false in the File Manager, and start it again. A file the mod cannot read, such as one missing its closing brace, is renamed to biome-invalid-syntax.json and the mod writes a fresh one. A small slip in a value, such as tru, did not trigger that in our check. Find and fix YAML and JSON config errors helps with the syntax.

Common problems

• The server stops at startup: open the Console and read the last lines. A Forge older than 47.1.0 or the wrong Minecraft version is the usual cause. Fix mod and plugin errors on Minecraft covers reading the log.
• The mod is not in the store: make sure the CurseForge chip is selected and the Game version filter matches your server.
• Players cannot join: they are missing the mod or have a different version. Compare file names with the one on the server.