Alex Caves Mod and Minecraft 1.21.1: what's official

At the time of writing, the official Alex's Caves release is built for Minecraft Java 1.20.1. Versions for 1.21.1 exist, but they come from community porters rather than from the mod's developers.

The official release line

The official files listed on the mod's CurseForge page are all for Minecraft 1.20.1. The most recent one we could find when checking in September 2026 was version 2.0.2, uploaded on 26 October 2024. The 2.0 line is also where the sixth biome, the Candy Cavity, joined the original five.

Minecraft updates often change the internal code that mods rely on, so moving a mod of this size to a new version is a substantial job. Until the developers publish a newer build themselves, 1.20.1 remains the official target.

The community ports

Because the source code is public, other developers have ported it forward. Two kinds of project show up on the main mod sites:

• A dedicated 1.21.1 NeoForge port, which describes itself as unofficial, community-maintained and not affiliated with the original developers. It depends on an unofficial port of Citadel.
• A broader continuation project that advertises builds for many Minecraft versions from 1.20.1 upwards on Forge, NeoForge and Fabric, and bundles its own library in place of a separate Citadel download.

We have not tested every build and cannot vouch for them. What we can say is that each project's page states its own dependencies clearly, and those instructions are the ones to follow.

If you use a port

1. Match the exact Minecraft version and loader in the file name.
2. Install the library the port asks for, not the original Citadel, unless the page says otherwise.
3. Never mix a port with the original Alex's Caves jar in the same mods folder.
4. Start with a new world, or a backed-up copy. Worlds created with one build may not load cleanly with another.
5. Report bugs to the port's issue tracker. The original team doesn't maintain these builds.

Which should you pick?

If you don't need 1.21.1 for other mods, the official 1.20.1 release is the most widely used and best-documented route, and most modpacks built around Alex's Caves use it. If your modpack is already on 1.21.1, a port is the practical option; treat it as its own product with its own support.

For loader questions specifically, read the Fabric guide. For the standard install, see how to install on Forge 1.20.1.