Cave Dweller: The Scariest Mod in Minecraft
Last modified on Aug 9, 2023 in Mods
By Nathan Young
Overview
Enjoying a peaceful day in Minecraft is a beloved experience by millions of players, but can be too predictable for some. Whether you’re collecting the same resources or exploring similar caves, this type of gameplay is normal across all versions of the game. However, as you continue the adventure in Minecraft, there’ll come a time when you hear scary ambient noises. These are primarily encountered in deep cave systems, occasionally invoking terror in players. If you’re wanting to enhance this aspect of the game, then consider using the Cave Dweller mod for Forge. This introduces brand new sounds to give you and others alike a good scare along with a horrific creature that lurks underground. While playing with this mod, you’ll need to constantly check your surroundings and look behind you just in case. Setting this up is easily done, but may confuse some new to the modding scene. Due to this, we’ve created this Apex Hosting guide to show you how to install and use Cave Dweller in Minecraft.
How to Download
There are two versions of the Cave Dweller mod, Normal and Nightmare mode. The latter is what many use, as the terrifying creature spawns more frequently in the Minecraft world. Depending on what you want, make sure to keep this in mind when following the steps below to download it.
- Navigate to Cave Dweller on CurseForge, then click
Files
near the top. - Proceed to locate your desired version of the modification in the list.
- Press the three vertical dots on the right once found, then click
Download File
. - Wait for this to begin downloading and save the file somewhere easily accessible.
- Repeat this process for the GeckoLib dependency mod so everything works.
Client Installation
Before using the Cave Dweller mod in Minecraft, you’ll need to set up Forge on the launcher. This is required to gain mod capabilities, making this important to accomplish. Once you’re finished, follow along below to install the mod on your client to begin using it in Minecraft.
- Open your Minecraft launcher and select
Installations
at the top of your screen. - Locate your previously installed Forge profile, then click its
Folder
icon. - In the newly opened window, find and enter the
mods
directory from the list.
Note: If you don’t see this, create it before proceeding with the installation. - While in this folder, simply drag and drop the downloaded files into it.
- Return to the main launcher, then press the
Play
button on your Forge profile.
Server Installation
At the time of writing this, the Cave Dweller mod is client-sided and has an issue on dedicated Minecraft servers. We’ve experimented with several instances of Forge and other methods to solve this situation but it always resulted in a crash. Due to this, the only feasible way to play is in singleplayer and potentially LAN sessions. In the future, this is likely going to be resolved by the developer. For the time being, avoid using it on your server until a new version of Cave Dweller is released. Otherwise, you may comment on the main CurseForge page to notify the creator about this problem.
Similar to the above section, you’ll need to set up Forge on the server to gain mod support. This can be done by selecting it with the corresponding version in the Game File area, then restarting to generate its required files. When you’re done, follow the instructions below to install Cave Dweller on your Minecraft server.
- Head towards your Apex server panel and click
FTP File Access
near the top left. - Type your
Password
in the text box, then press theLogin
button to gain access. - Find and enter the
mods
directory and at the top left corner clickUpload
. - Afterward, drag and drop the downloaded files in the respective area.
- Wait for them to reach
100%
, thenRestart
the server from the main panel.
Getting Started
Once you and others enter the world, start collecting basic resources to prepare yourself for the incoming horrors that await in caves. This includes gathering food, tools, weapons, armor, torches, along with other necessities. Attempting to do this can be challenging, as you don’t want to venture off too deeply underground. If you do, then there’ll be consequences. Keep this in mind when getting started with the Cave Dweller mod for Minecraft. However, we’ll walk you through everything there is to know about this and some tactics to better survive this terrifying experience.
Survival Preparation
Due to caves being more hostile environments from the mod, you’ll want to find other ways to obtain strong equipment. The most popular method is visiting nearby villages, which may have armor, weapons, tools, and food to take. Otherwise, you can try your luck at a ruined Nether portal structure to hopefully discover powerful items. If you’re having trouble preparing yourself, then consider finding wrecked ships or other buildings for loot.
Alternatively, using cheats or server operator permissions allows you to enter creative mode to do all that.
Exploring Caves
Once you’ve collected some basic gear to get started, you’ll want to explore any type of cave in the world. Whether you’re in a lush area or a mineshaft, these locations and more trigger the cave dweller entity. While doing this, keep in mind that torches and other light sources don’t influence the creature’s spawning. In other words, it’ll only help you navigate through the caves and prevent normal mobs from appearing.
Strange Noises
Deeper into the caves, you’ll begin hearing spooky sounds playing in the background. These resemble the standard ambient noises in vanilla Minecraft but with a distorted twist. Each modded sound will randomly trigger during your gameplay but can increase depending on the situation(s). Essentially, these are warning signs of impending doom from the cave dweller entity. Remember to make sure your sound is turned up in the options, as this can be disabled if there’s no volume.
Getting Chased
At a certain point along your exploration, there’ll come a time when these spooky sounds will be louder than ever. If you hear screaming and other distorted noises that are close, you’re likely being chased by the entity. This will cause anyone to become scared, especially if they didn’t see it coming. Turning around and looking for the entity will be your only move going forward, as its movement speed is ridiculously high.
Battle Strategies
While engaging combat with the cave dweller mob, it’ll be frightening since the entity moves at lightning speed and will inflict lots of damage. It’s encouraged to be near lava so it slowly burns, but players can also build upwards to avoid the creature. Using shields and potions are also good methods to fight it, but may end badly for you without proper equipment. Besides this, water can also help slow down the enemy from racing at your character.
Common Issues
If you’ve attempted to play on your Minecraft server with Cave Dweller installed, then it’ll continue to result in failure. This is due to the mod’s current version, as it’s currently client-sided and won’t work on multiplayer. The issue stems from a class loading error during the server’s restarting phase, making it unplayable. As of right now, the only way to enjoy Cave Dweller in Minecraft is to play singleplayer and possibly LAN sessions. Remember, this situation might be resolved by the developer in the future so you and your friends can try out the mod together.
After setting up Cave Dweller on Minecraft and it crashes your launcher, make sure you’ve installed the GeckoLib dependency modification for the correct Forge version. Remember, this and the other file are supposed to be uploaded into the local mods
folder. However, failing to install Forge on your launcher will also contribute to the overall situation since Cave Dweller won’t even load. Make sure to do this and redo the other involved steps to successfully play the mod. If you’re still having problems, consider allocating more memory to the client to see if that helps. Alternatively, reinstalling Forge with another compatible version can also be beneficial.
Once you’ve successfully installed Cave Dweller in Minecraft, you’ll need to explore caves before experiencing the terrifying entity. However, in cases where you’re unable to find this creature, then consider using the Nightmare version of the mod. This provides you with higher chances to encounter it since the natural spawn rate is increased. However, you can also enable cheats to run the /summon
command to forcibly make the cave dweller entity appear in the world. Otherwise, continue to explore caves and listen for noises to encounter it in-game.
Useful Links
Cave Dweller on CurseForge
GeckoLib on CurseForge
How to Install Forge on Minecraft
Enabling Cheats in Minecraft