What Is TrashCraft and Why It Deserves a Spot in Your Modpack Library
TrashCraft is a personal modpack born from late-night tinkering and a genuine love for tech-heavy Minecraft. Originally assembled for a tight-knit group of friends and local Minecraft clubs, it has grown into a sprawling collection of over 160 mods that blend industrial automation, space exploration, and complex engineering. If you have ever played Hexxit and wished it had more wiring, reactors, and programmable computers, TrashCraft is the answer. The creator describes it as a “techie version of Hexxit,” and that comparison holds up beautifully once you dive into its interconnected systems.
Core Mods That Define the TrashCraft Experience
TrashCraft does not simply throw mods together; it weaves them into a progression where each tech tree feeds into the next. The pack leans heavily on automation, energy management, and off-world colonization. Here are the standout inclusions that shape every playthrough:
- Galacticraft – Build custom rockets, travel to the Moon, Mars, and asteroid belts, and set up oxygen-sealed bases in zero-gravity environments.
- Big Reactors – Construct massive multiblock reactors to generate extreme amounts of RF power, essential for running late-game machinery.
- OpenComputers – Program Lua-based computers and robots to automate tasks, monitor reactor temperatures, or manage complex storage networks.
- Thermal Expansion – The backbone of resource processing, offering pulverizers, furnaces, and dynamic energy conduits that tie everything together.
- EnderIO – Compact conduits, advanced item filters, and the iconic travel anchors make base logistics clean and efficient.
Beyond these headliners, the pack includes dozens of supporting mods for storage (like Refined Storage or Applied Energistics 2), farming, magic-adjacent tech, and quality-of-life tweaks. The result is a sandbox where you can design a fully automated factory, launch a satellite network, and then fly to another planet to start all over again.
From Hexxit Roots to Space Engineers Vibes
Fans of the classic Hexxit modpack will recognize the adventurous spirit, but TrashCraft replaces dungeon crawling with engineering challenges. Instead of looting towers, you are building reactors and programming drones. The creator notes that if you enjoy Space Engineers, you will feel right at home. That comparison makes sense: both games emphasize designing functional systems, managing power grids, and constructing vehicles. In TrashCraft, you can build a fully automated ore processing line on an asteroid, pipe resources back to Earth via ender chests, and control the entire operation from a single computer terminal. The sense of scale and ownership over your creations is immense.
Getting Started with TrashCraft
Because the pack contains over 160 mods, a solid launcher is key to a smooth experience. Many players find that using a modern, flexible launcher makes all the difference. For instance, you can easily install TrashCraft through the foxygame.net launcher, which lets you browse and download modpacks directly from its built-in menu without wrestling with manual file placements. This kind of convenience means you spend less time troubleshooting and more time building your first reactor or plotting a course to Mars.
Once installed, expect a moderate learning curve. The pack does not hold your hand with a quest book, so you will need to rely on JEI (Just Enough Items) for recipes and perhaps a wiki tab for mod documentation. Starting in a standard survival world, your first goal is to establish basic power generation. Thermal Expansion dynamos or a simple Immersive Engineering water wheel can kickstart your energy grid. From there, ore doubling and automated mining become priorities, leading naturally into more advanced systems.
World Upgrade Warning
One critical note from the pack developer: if you are upgrading a world from version 1.x.x to 2.0 or later, do not expect it to work properly. The jump to 2.0 introduced significant changes that break backward compatibility. Always start a fresh world when moving to a major new version to avoid corrupted chunks and missing blocks.
Why TrashCraft Stands Out Among Tech Modpacks
There is no shortage of kitchen-sink tech packs, but TrashCraft carves its niche through a carefully curated mod list that avoids bloat while still offering depth. The inclusion of Galacticraft transforms the endgame from simply building a bigger factory into a multi-planetary expansion. You are not just accumulating resources; you are colonizing new dimensions with unique environmental challenges. The pack also encourages creativity with OpenComputers, allowing players to write custom programs that can outperform traditional redstone contraptions.
Another strength is the community-driven development. The creator actively maintains a GitHub repository for bug reports and suggestions, so issues get addressed. While the pack started as a private project, its public release has attracted a small but dedicated following who appreciate the “techie Hexxit” identity.
Performance and Customization Tips
With 160 mods, performance can be a concern on older hardware. Allocating at least 6–8 GB of RAM is recommended. You can also prune a few client-side mods if needed, but the core tech mods are tightly integrated, so removing major content mods may break recipes. Optifine or similar performance mods can be added manually to boost FPS, though they are not included by default.
Final Thoughts: Is TrashCraft Right for You?
TrashCraft is not a casual pack. It demands a willingness to learn mod mechanics, manage complex energy networks, and occasionally debug a misbehaving computer program. But for players who love the engineering side of Minecraft, it delivers a deeply satisfying progression. The blend of Thermal Expansion, Big Reactors, and Galacticraft creates a natural tech ladder that feels rewarding at every step. The Space Engineers comparison is apt: you will spend hours designing, testing, and optimizing, and every successful launch or automated system feels like a personal victory.
If you are looking for a modpack that pushes beyond traditional factory building and into the stars, TrashCraft is a hidden gem worth exploring. Just remember to start fresh with each major update, and consider using a launcher that simplifies the installation process so you can jump straight into the action.