Minecraft, the beloved sandbox game known for its endless creativity and exploration, offers a variety of mods to enhance gameplay. Among the most popular are zombie apocalypse mods, which transform the blocky world into a dangerous wasteland overrun by the undead. Let's delve into the top 15 zombie apocalypse mods for Minecraft, each offering its unique twist on survival amidst the zombie horde.

1. The Foundation 

After installing the necessary Java, Forge or Fabric should be the first services installed, as this adds the foundational coding needed for mods to be read by Minecraft. 

• Fabric has an active modding community. 
• Sodium, Lithium, and Iris Shaders should follow Fabric.
• Important bug fixes include Memory Leak Fix, Dynamic FPS, LazyDFU, and BetterF3, all listed on the community page.

2. Iris Shaders

Even during a survival adventure, different graphics allow for a unique experience. 

• Seus includes ray tracing, new lighting, new water graphics, and an overall gorgeous experience. 
• For texture packs, my favorite is Mizuno’s 16-bit because it resembles traditional Minecraft but with a modern update. 

3. Xaero's Minimap

Xaero's minimap is a seamless addition to the game with detailed location coordinates and customizable graphics.

• Visually view where all the enemies are on the map.
• The map displays all surrounding entities as dots with icons.
• The player can create waypoints. 

4. The Hordes

Night hordes of monsters will attack your base in waves from midnight until morning.

• Players (and horses) can be infected after a zombie bite.
• Players spawn a zombie player in their place.
• This infection can be cured with a golden apple with the default settings but can be configured to be any consumable item. 

5. First Aid

This mod allows healing by using bandages or plaster. 

• Disables vanilla health regeneration by default.
• When you right-click the items in your inventory, a GUI appears where you can choose to apply the bandages.

6. Traveler’s Backpack

This mod adds backpacks to the game with 

• The player has more slots and customizable designs representing various creatures and items. 
• Adventurers can also use the crafting companion and a sleeping bag that won't remove the original spawn point. 
• The player can upgrade their backpack using the smiting table. 

7. Tree Falling

This may be a simple mod but the player will survive better by gathering more wood at once. 

• This mod allows the player to break down the whole tree simultaneously.
• Gather more wood at once for building and crafting.
• No more floating tree bushes. 

8. Jerky

Rotten flesh can now be made into jerky with a smoker.

• A simple mod where all the player has to do is drop the flesh into a smoker and the result will be cooked jerky. 
   

9. Zombies Reworked

This mod overhauls the zombies for the apocalyptic Minecraft game.

• Players can turn into zombies now when villagers turn into zombie villagers.
• Zombies can use items and perform unusual actions.
• Zombies can perform small leaps at the player and hang out in groups.

10. Multiplayer Collection  

In a zombie apocalypse, you wouldn't want to play alone, and you’ll need these multiplayer fixes and immersive features.

• Controlify or MidnightControls allows for better controller usage.
• Simple Voice Mod and Plasmo Voice allow for better voice control. 
• One Bed allows all players in one map to sleep at night in one bed. 

11. Quick Cure

This mod lets the player cure zombie villagers instantaneously.

• All the player needs to do is offer a golden apple and a potion of weakness.

12. Plants vs Zombies

Spice up gameplay with this PvZ mod.

• The plants are usable items, weapons, and armor rather than mobs.
• Over a dozen new zombies.

13. Guns & Weapons

Adds various guns and bullets that can be crafted or traded with a villager.

• Adds the Gun Seller, available by placing an Enchanting Table as a workstation. 
• Defeat mobs easily using your new weapons!

14. Horse Spawn

The Zombie Horse Spawn allows zombie horses to spawn.

• Whenever a zombie spawns, there is a chance a horse will spawn too.
• The configuration allows the horse to be destroyed in the sunlight. 

15. Zombie Plague 2

The player now has to deal with smart and powerful zombies. 

• Zombies can now dig blocks, throw garbage, and more. 
• Food, drinks, and medicine to survive. 
• New weapons are added with this mod. ​​​

Whether you're looking for intense survival challenges, immersive storytelling, or action-packed gameplay, these 15 zombie apocalypse mods for Minecraft offer something for every player. So gather your supplies, sharpen your skills, and prepare to face the undead horde in the blocky world of Minecraft. Survival awaits!