Installing Immersive Engineering is straightforward once your Minecraft version and mod loader match the release you download. This guide walks through the setup without requiring any third-party launcher or special installer.
Check your game version
Start with the Minecraft Java Edition version you want to play. Immersive Engineering is published for multiple game versions, but a file for one Minecraft release is not interchangeable with another. Your launcher profile, mod loader and the Immersive Engineering JAR all need to correspond.
Install Forge or NeoForge
For Minecraft 1.21.1, use the compatible NeoForge loader. Published 1.20.1 builds instead use Forge. Install the loader from its project source, complete the setup, and launch the loader profile once if necessary so the game directory is prepared.
Download the correct JAR and dependencies
Open the mod’s release list and read the game version, loader and any listed dependency requirements. Save the JAR without unzipping it. The 1.21.1 NeoForge file is the release highlighted on this website.
Add the file to your mods folder
Locate the Minecraft game directory for the launcher profile. In a standard Java installation, place the mod JAR in the mods folder; create that folder only if the correct profile does not already have one. If you use a modpack launcher, open its specific instance folder instead of assuming the default installation path.
Launch and verify installation
Start the game using the loader profile and check the installed-mods list or game log to confirm it loaded. If Minecraft crashes, double-check the version trio—Minecraft, loader and JAR—before adding other mods. Do not mix Forge and NeoForge files in one installation.
For release-specific details, consult the published Immersive Engineering files before installing or updating your game.