How to start playing
It takes 10–15 minutes, most of it downloading. The launcher downloads Minecraft 1.21.11, the mods, and the settings on its own — nothing to install by hand.
1. Download the launcher
The launcher is at launcher.windlands.su.
| System | What to download |
|---|---|
| Windows 10/11 (64-bit) | Windlands.exe for Windows |
| macOS (Apple M1 or newer) | Windlands.app for macOS |
| Linux (64-bit) | the Linux build |
2. Install and launch
Windows. Run the downloaded file. If Windows shows a blue "Windows protected your PC" screen, click "More info" → "Run anyway". This screen appears for any program without a paid code-signing certificate.
macOS. Drag Windlands.app into the Applications folder. On first launch, macOS will say the developer can't be verified:
- macOS 14 and earlier: right-click
Windlands.app→ "Open" → "Open"; - macOS 15 and newer: try to open it, then go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click "Open Anyway".
Linux. Make the file executable (chmod +x) and run it.
3. Create an account
In the launcher, click "Sign Up" and enter a username, email, and password. Your username becomes your in-game nickname.
If sign-up from the launcher doesn't work, create an account on windlands.su and log into the launcher with the same credentials.
4. Log in and hit "Play"
Select the Windlands Rebirth profile and click "Play". The first launch takes longer than usual: it downloads the game and around a hundred mods. After that, the launcher only fetches updates.
Once the game loads, it connects to the server on its own.
5. Tune the graphics for your PC
In-game, press O to open the settings board. In the "Graphics" section:
| Preset | Who it's for |
|---|---|
| Low-end PC | old laptops and every Mac (turns on automatically on Mac) |
| Low | weaker graphics cards |
| Medium | most computers, the default |
| High | a strong graphics card: long-distance rendering and shaders |
If pressing O opens the Iris shader screen instead of the settings board, go to "Settings → Controls" and remove the O binding from Iris.
Complementary Shaders aren't bundled with the build: you can download them with a button in the same "Graphics" section.
System requirements
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Graphics card | OpenGL 4.1 support | GTX 1060 / RX 580 or better |
| Disk space | 6 GB | 10 GB (with long-distance rendering cache) |
| Internet | stable, 10 Mbps+ for the first download | — |
Long-distance rendering (Voxy) doesn't work on Mac: macOS only supports OpenGL 4.1. You can still play — distant mountains just won't be visible.
Something not working?
- Launcher won't start on Mac: see step 2. If that doesn't help, open Terminal and run
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Windlands.app. - New skin didn't apply: log out of your account in the launcher and log back in.
- Game froze while loading: check your free disk space and restart the launcher — it will fetch whatever's missing.
- Nothing helped: open a ticket on Discord with a screenshot of the error.
Result: the game is installed, and you're on the server. Next up: First steps · Controls and keybinds · FAQ