Craft Down Under · Getting started

How to play
on CDU.

Choose a modded Minecraft server, install its pack and connect. Follow the five steps below.

Java Edition on computer Free to join

A voxel scene built from Minecraft blocks: an oak tree, crafting table and path to a Nether portal, beside a Mekanism workshop.

New to modpacks? A pack brings together mods, settings and a specific Minecraft version. Your launcher installs them as one ready-to-play collection, in its own profile.

Step 1 of 5

Choose your server

Choose something you’d like to play: quests, machines, magic or a bit of everything. Browse the full server list for pack details and status, then select your pack here.

From the CDU server list

Loading current packs…

Choose your modpack

Playing with friends? Choose the same pack and the same server address. Otherwise, choose a nearby region where available: AU (Australia), EU (Europe) or US (United States). Numbered regions are separate server choices.

Step 2 of 5

Install the pack

First, a quick equipment check

A Windows, macOS or Linux computer with Minecraft: Java Edition access on your Microsoft account. Bedrock, console and mobile editions cannot join these modpack servers.
An internet connection and enough storage and memory for your chosen pack. Read its download page’s requirements; larger packs ask more of your computer.
Multiplayer allowed on your account. For a child account, a parent or guardian may need to review family settings.

CDU servers are free to join. You don’t need a Realms subscription.

For packs hosted on CurseForge

Install with the CurseForge app

Voxel close-up of a Mekanism enrichment chamber and steel casings beside vanilla copper and a redstone lamp.

Get the official CurseForge app for your operating system. Open Minecraft in the app and complete its modding-folder setup.
Open your pack’s download page from step 1 and choose Install to open it in the app, or find the exact pack under the app’s Browse section.
Install the pack, then check its version in step 3 before pressing Play.

CurseForge sets up Minecraft and Java for its profiles; you don’t need to install vanilla Minecraft first. Keep the pack’s supplied loader. Forge, NeoForge and Fabric are different loaders, not launcher apps.

Official setup guide Official pack installation guide

Using another launcher or an FTB-hosted pack?

Use the platform linked by the pack’s download page. A pack with “FTB” in its name can also be hosted on CurseForge.

FTB App: use Browse, find the pack, choose Install, then select the exact CDU pack version in the installation prompt. See the official FTB installation guide and FTB App download.

Already using Prism? Its Add Instance menu has separate pack providers. Follow Prism’s pack guide; its FTB App Import option requires a pack already installed in FTB App.

If the required release is unavailable in your launcher, use the pack’s official platform or ask CDU before substituting another version.

Step 3 of 5

Match the version

Install the exact pack version listed by CDU. “Latest” may be ahead of the server. The pack’s release number and its Minecraft version are two different things.

Your version checklist · Choose a pack in step 1

Pack release: From the CDU server list; Match this in the launcher’s pack version menu.
Minecraft & loader: Included with the pack; Keep the versions installed by that pack release.

In CurseForge’s My Modpacks, use the arrows button next to the pack’s Play button to change version.
Select CDU’s pack release from the version dropdown, then choose Continue. If keeping an existing installation, choose Update to a separate modpack profile and back up any local worlds before making changes.
Wait for installation to finish. Launch that profile, without adding or updating individual mods.

No version button? If you enabled “Allow content management” in Profile Options, turn it off to use Change Version. If CDU lists no version, or the release is missing, ask support before proceeding.

CurseForge’s version guide, with screenshots →

Step 4 of 5

Copy the address

Use the address for your chosen region, including any port shown after a colon. Copy the whole address without adding https:// or spaces.

Your address will appear here.
Choose a pack and region in step 1, or copy the address from the server list.

Check server status and notices before connecting. A listed address doesn’t guarantee a server is open: it may be restarting, in maintenance or coming soon.

Step 5 of 5

Connect to the server

Press Play on the correct pack profile. If the Minecraft Launcher opens, sign in with the Microsoft account that has Java Edition access and press Play there too. The first load can take a while.

1
Multiplayer → Add Server
Open Multiplayer from the game’s main menu.
2
Name it, then paste the address
Server Name is your own label, such as “CDU”. Paste step 4’s address into Server Address.
3
Done → select your server → Join Server
Next time, launch the same pack and select the saved server.

Minecraft’s official joining guide.

Before you start playing

Read the CDU rules before playing, follow the server’s welcome messages, and visit our guides when you need a hand.

Troubleshooting

Having trouble joining?

Start with the message you see. You don’t need to rebuild a pack by hand.

Wrong version, missing mods or mismatched mod list

Refresh the server details and compare the full pack release, not just the Minecraft version. Launch the matching, unmodified profile. If you changed mods, install that release in a separate clean profile; keep your old profile and worlds.

When to ask for help: The exact, clean release still fails, or the required version isn’t available? Send CDU the mismatch message and your pack version.

Invalid session, failed login or Play Demo

Close Minecraft, sign out and back in through your launcher’s Microsoft sign-in, then launch the pack again. Check you’re using the account with Java Edition access. If Multiplayer is disabled, review family multiplayer permissions with the account organiser.

When to ask for help: If the account also fails in the official Minecraft Launcher, use Minecraft account support. CDU cannot change account ownership or family permissions.

Unknown host, connection refused or timed out

Copy the address again from the current server list. Check your internet connection and the server’s status and notices. A restart or maintenance window may need time; try again once the server is available.

When to ask for help: Still failing while the server is available? Tell CDU which address you used, the error and when it happened. Leave firewall and antivirus protection enabled.

The pack crashes or never reaches the menu

Check the pack author’s requirements and installation notes. Memory and Java needs differ by pack: use the launcher’s managed Java where supported and the author’s memory guidance, leaving memory for your operating system.

When to ask for help: If it still crashes, ask for help with the launcher name, pack release and crash report. An exit code alone usually isn’t enough to identify the cause.

Need help joining?

Include the pack and version, region/address, launcher and exact error. Share logs only through the support route staff request; check them for personal information or tokens first. Never share passwords or sign-in codes.

Get help in Discord →

Minecraft account & connection support CurseForge Java & memory settings Community rules