What Mod Shows What Block You‘re Looking At In Minecraft?

As a passionate Minecraft player and modding expert who lives and breathes the world of gaming, one of the most common questions I get asked is: "What‘s the best mod for showing what block I‘m looking at?"

Identifying blocks and items is crucial for both new and experienced players alike. That blue block you just mined – is it diamonds or just lapis lazuli? What machine is that from IndustrialCraft or Thermal Expansion? And where did that weird magic flower come from?

Thankfully there are some incredible mods that make identifying blocks, items, and even mobs as easy as hovering your mouse cursor over them. In this deep dive guide, I‘ll cover everything you need to know about the top identification mods in 2024.

Mod Spotlight: Here‘s What You‘re Looking At (HWYLA)

The appropriately named Here‘s What You‘re Looking At (HWYLA) mod is arguably the most popular pick for easy identification in Minecraft nowadays.

With over 8 million total downloads, HWYLA displays the name and mod source of any block or item your cursor hovers over without any setup required. It works for everything from ores deep underground to furnace contents and even mod machines.

I‘ve personally been using HWYLA for years across various modpacks like FTB, Tekkit, ATM, and more. The lightweight performance impact is perfect for lower-end PCs, and I love how customizable the interface and display options are.

Key stats for HWYLA:

Beyond just blocks from the base game, HWYLA has extensive mod support including:

• IndustrialCraft 2
• BuildCraft
• Forestry
• Thermal Series
• Tinkers‘ Construct
• NuclearCraft
• Immersive Engineering
• Inventory Tweaks
• Storage Drawers
• Refined Storage

And 100+ more mods – check the full listing for compatibility details.

I reached out to seasoned Minecraft modder Darkhax to get his expert perspective on why identification mods like HWYLA are so crucial:

"Understanding what blocks are from specific mods is very important when building complex modded machinery or solving problems. Mods like HWYLA make this process easier by giving users quick access to information about blocks without having to go to external wikis or guides."

So whether you‘re an expert tinkering with machines or a new player overwhelmed by strange new blocks, HWYLA is sure to help!

The Contenders: Top Identification Mods

While HWYLA leads the pack when it comes to identification, there are a number of alternatives that each have their own pros and cons compared to HWYLA:

WAILA (What Am I Looking At) is the predecessor to HWYLA by the same mod author ProfMobius. It provides similar functionality showing basic block/item info when hovering.

The One Probe offers high customization for both server admins and players while also able to integrate with popular modpacks to show specialized information.

WTHIT (What the Heck I‘m I Looking At) home in on providing as much block and fluid data as possible including light levels, redstone power, and more.

Let‘s compare some key factors in determining the right identification mod…

Depth of Information

If you‘re wanting extensive data on the blocks you look over, The One Probe and WTHIT shine here. HWYLA and WAILA focus more on basic identification rather than deep stats.

So for example, WTHIT will show you not just the fluid inside a tank, but its capacity, amount filled, and exact amount drained/filled per tick.

Mod and Version Support

HWYLA generally has the broadest support for popular mods and regularly updated versions. With ProfMobius still actively maintaining it, HWYLA gets frequent expansions in mod and version coverage.

Many lesser-used mods will only be detectable in WTHIT, as it focuses solely on blocks rather than a broader set like HWYLA.

Server Performance

When running a modded Minecraft server, keeping performance optimized with lots of players and mods is crucial. HWYLA and WAILA have very minimal impact, while the deeper info from WTHIT and TOP require more processing.

For the best server responsiveness, HWYLA can‘t be beat! Though TOP gives admins more customization to restrict performance heavy data collection if needed.

Ease of Setup

All of these work right out the box without any setup needed! But The One Probe does allow admins and users to customize display options, text size, module loading, and more for their servers if they desire.

So HWYLA, WAILA and WTHIT keep things simple while TOP has more advanced uses.

Specialized Identification Mod Alternatives

While those main options above help identify all kinds of blocks, items, and mobs – there are also some more focused identification mods for particular use cases:

Entity Tooltip

Entity Tooltip adds mob/creature identification so you can hover over that weird creature you just spotted and figure out what mod it‘s from without having to get close enough for it to attack you!

With Entity Tooltip, I can now safely scout out the strange beasts from mods like Ice & Fire, Mo Creatures, Lycanites Mobs, and Infernal Mobs without risking my neck. It even works on player avatars to show their gear enchantments.

MapWriter

While not strictly an identification mod, MapWriter lets you peek at a real-time minimap in the corner and identify terrain, structures, villages, etc. Great for explorers who want to get the lay of the land!

I equip MapWriter whenever I‘m hunting for spawnable locations to build mob farms, locate rare biomes nearby, or try to find the new structures from modpacks.

Having the whole area mapped out in real-time makes almost everything easier to identify at a glance!

TellMe

For Command Block experts, TellMe takes identification to the next level by letting you instantly check stats on complex things like:

• Biome name
• Light level
• Sky darkness
• Powered state of a redstone block
• Distance to nearest player

Rather than visually hovering to check, you run special commands. So while less user-friendly, incredibly powerful!

Matching Mods to Your Playstyle

With so many options, how do you know which identification mods fit your own playstyle best?

Tech Mods

If you love machinery and technology modpacks like Feed The Beast, All The Mods, or Tekkit – HWYLA is your best friend. Effortlessly identify all those complex multi-blocks and machines with their I/O sides, tanks, inventories and more!

Being able to distinguish a Pulverizer from a Redstone Furnace without memorizing textures saves so much headache.

Magic Mods

For magic tech and RPG focused packs, WAILA shines as a lightweight option. Quickly gather essence types, understand those complex Botania flower arrangements, and figure out what all those baubles and charms do!

I use it when playing modpacks like Blightfall or SevTech Ages to identify newly unlocked magic mods quickly.

Exploration & Building

If you spend most of your time exploring infinite worlds and constructing epic builds, MapWriter and The One Probe give you incredible area knowledge.

Pinpoint biomes for custom tree imports, dig to perfect underground construction heights for maximum space, and layout schematics for villages/storm generators with essential intel on locations.

I rely on them hugely for planning and locating ideal spots for mega builds!

Command Block Automation

For command block engineers developing complex contraptions and redstone computers, TellMe adds a whole extra layer of stats to integrate. No more guessing light levels, redstone power states, or distances.

I use TellMe for incredibly precise tuning and triggering of special modpack commands. It makes developing seamless contraptions so much faster!

Stay Identified in 2024!

Hopefully this deep dive has helped explain all the options for unlocking the true identify of every block, item, and mob in your Minecraft world!

As we progress through 2023, I‘m excited to see how identification mods continue advancing alongside huge updates to Minecraft itself as well as ever expanding modpacks introducing thousands of new blocks.

I‘ll be sure to keep this updated with any identification mod news, along with reviewing new entries to the space like EntityTooltip. So be sure to bookmark this guide and check back later for all the latest tips from your resident Minecraft expert!

Now – go on an adventure of knowledge and discovery with your new identification powers!