Catnip Shaders - Vanilla-Like Shader with Colored Shadows and Fog

Catnip Shaders is designed for players who want a visual upgrade without abandoning the recognizable Minecraft aesthetic. Many shader packs push toward hyper-realism or dramatic lighting that changes the game's character, but Catnip stays close to the original palette while adding meaningful enhancements. It solves the problem of flat, lifeless lighting by introducing soft colored shadows, subtle fog layers, and dynamic light from torches and lava. The result is a world that feels more grounded and atmospheric, yet still unmistakably Minecraft.

This shader is ideal for medium-range hardware and players who prefer a balance between performance and visual fidelity. It works well in survival or creative modes, as the fog and water effects improve depth perception without obscuring gameplay. The addition of blindness and darkness logic means that status effects like Blindness actually darken the screen in a realistic way, and water and lava fog creates a sense of immersion when swimming or exploring caves. If you've tried other shaders and found them too heavy or too alien, Catnip offers a familiar but richer experience.

• Colored Shadows – Shadows take on the color of the light source (e.g., warm from torches, blue from sky), adding subtle realism without breaking the blocky look.
• Dynamic Light – Handheld torches, glowstone, and lava emit real-time light that moves with you, brightening dark caves and mineshafts.
• Fog and Water Effects – Distance fog, water fog, and lava fog improve atmosphere; water surfaces have animated waves for a more organic feel.
• Enhanced Colors – Vivid yet natural color saturation makes biomes pop, while keeping the original block textures intact.
• Status Effect Support – Blindness and darkness effects correctly darken the screen, integrating with vanilla gameplay mechanics.

Requirements and Limitations: Requires a GPU capable of handling OpenGL 4.6 or newer, at least 2 GB VRAM recommended. Performance varies; expect 30-60 fps on mid-range hardware (GTX 1060 or equivalent). The shader is not intended for ultra-realistic rendering—no ray tracing, no volumetric clouds. Shadows may cause slight visual artifacts on very complex builds. Works with Optifine or Iris. Note that the End portal uses code adapted from an external portal shader, but otherwise all code is original to this pack.