Better forest is a Vintage Story mod by Pafnutiy. Better forest reshapes vanilla trees and improves forest generation with richer bioregional variety, without adding blocks or client-side requirements.
Why this mod is worth installing
Choose it for a more varied vanilla-style wilderness, especially if standard forests feel repetitive or cold and hot regions lack character. It is particularly convenient for servers because the mod works server-side.
What Better forest adds
Better forest keeps the original tree species but changes how their shapes appear in the world. Pine, larch, birch, oak, acacia, redwood pine, juniper and kapok can receive more distinctive silhouettes, including compact, tall and broad variants.
Forest generation is adjusted by bioregion, climate and elevation, so vegetation can feel less uniform across the map. Cold areas can gain more varied conifer stands, while warmer zones can produce denser, more jungle-like growth and larger trees.
The mod does not introduce new blocks or tree species, helping it preserve a vanilla+ look and avoid the performance and leftover-block concerns associated with large tree additions. It is server-side, so connected players do not need a separate client installation.
When used in an existing world, its generation changes apply to newly created chunks. Existing terrain remains as it was unless chunks are deliberately regenerated, which can remove structures in the affected area.
Bioregions
A bioregion view illustrating how forest generation is distributed across different environmental zones.
Acacia curve
A curved acacia form showing one of the mod’s alternative vanilla tree silhouettes.
Bush acacia
A compact bush-like acacia variant suited to denser vegetation.
Dead tree
An aged wood tree shape that gives the forest a more weathered appearance.
Shrub and double birch
A vegetation example combining shrub generation with a fuller double-birch form.
Dwarf pine
A short, compact pine variant for more varied conifer stands.
Dwarf larch
A low-growing larch shape that breaks up uniform larch forests.
Forest oak
A forest-grown oak variant with a distinct crown and woodland profile.
Italian pine
A pine shape with a broad, recognizable crown inspired by Italian pine forms.
Japanese oak
A Japanese oak variant demonstrating a different oak silhouette in a warm forest setting.
Juniper
A juniper-like conifer form adding a lower and more irregular profile.
Karelian birch
A Karelian birch variant with a distinctive shape among ordinary birch growth.
Normal redwood pine
A redwood pine example showing the species’ taller forest profile.
Field oak
A field oak form suited to more open terrain and spacious vegetation.
Northern pine
A northern pine variant representing colder-region conifer generation.
Where to download Better forest
The official Vintage Story Mod DB page is the right place to get the current release through the in-game mod manager.