Modding:Player Guide/Getting Started - Stardew Valley Wiki (2024)

Do you want to play Stardew Valley with mods? This guide is for you!

Intro

A "mod" is just a package of files which changes Stardew Valley in some way. Mods can add features (like showing NPCs on the map), change game mechanics (like making fences decay more slowly), make cosmetic changes (like making your house look like a hobbit home), and more.

Using mods is easy! You just need to...

1. Install SMAPI. That's the mod loader for Stardew Valley — it launches the game with mod support and lets mods interact directly with the game code. It's safely installed alongside your normal game, and you can uninstall it anytime.
2. Unzip mods into your Mods folder.

See frequent questions below, or keep reading to get started!

Getting started

Install SMAPI

First you'll need to install the mod loader, SMAPI.

See the instructions for:

• Windows;
• macOS;
• Linux;
• Steam Deck (the handheld console);
• or Android.

Find mods

Next you can download the mods you want. Some suggestions:

• most popular mods on Nexus;
• recommendations for a first playthrough;
• recommendations from other players;
• search for mods here:

  site	description
  Nexus Mods	Most mods are released here. An account is required, but it's free; just don't choose a package when you register.
  ModDrop	Many mods are released here.
  Official forums	Some mods are released here, though most are also on Nexus or ModDrop.
  Chucklefish mods	Some older mods are released here, though most are also on Nexus or ModDrop.
  Chucklefish forums	Some older mods are posted directly in the Chucklefish forums. Some hidden gems are only here, but finding them can be a challenge.

Before you download a mod, check if it works with the latest version of the game. For SMAPI mods, see the mod compatibility list; SMAPI will also automatically disable most incompatible SMAPI mods. You're on your own for XNB mods; try checking the mod description or comments for those.

Find your game folder

Next you'll need to open your game folder (the one containing Stardew Valley.exe or StardewValley.exe). Here's where to find it by default:

Not there? Here are some other ways to find it:

Install mods

To install a mod, just unzip it into the Mods folder in your game folder. Make sure each mod has its own subfolder, without trailing numbers. For example, if you have a PineapplesEverywhere mod, you should have a file structure like this:

📁 Stardew Valley/ 📁 Mods/ 📁 PineapplesEverywhere/ 🗎 PineapplesEverywhere.dll 🗎 manifest.json

Tips:

• If you have a lot of mods, you can optionally organize them into subfolders. SMAPI will automatically search inside each folder until it finds one with files.

  📁 Stardew Valley/ 📁 Mods/ 📁 Fruit mods/ 📁 PineapplesEverywhere/ 🗎 PineapplesEverywhere.dll 🗎 manifest.json 📁 ApplesNowhere/ 🗎 ApplesNowhere.dll 🗎 manifest.json

• To disable a folder, just add a dot in front of the folder name (like .disabled mods). If Windows doesn't let you do that, put a dot at the end too and it'll let you (like .disabled mods.).
• Download mods into a folder other than Mods, unzip them there, and then move their folder(s) into Mods. That helps prevent errors related to extra files.
• If you have a folder that looks like PineapplesEverywhere-1234567890, check inside it for the actual mod folder. Folders named like this often have more folders and possibly readme files inside them.

Configure mods

Some mods have a config.json file in their mod folder, which lets you customise the mod settings. The file is usually created the first time you launch the game with that mod installed.

To edit the config.json file, just open it in a text editor. Make sure the game isn't running when you edit it, or your changes might not take effect. See a basic guide to JSON; basically make sure your values are surrounded by quotes (like "value"). You can use this JSON validator to make sure the format is correct.

Update mods

To update a mod, just replace its files with the new versions (making sure to keep generated files like config.json).

More detailed steps:

1. Download the new mod version.
2. Check the mod page for any special update instructions.
3. Unzip it somewhere else (not in your Mods folder).
4. Open the mod's old and new folders, so the manifest.json is visible in both.
5. Copy all the files/subfolders from the new folder into the old folder.

Remove mods

Delete a mod from the Mods folder to uninstall it. Make sure to check the mod page in case it mentions any special uninstall instructions.

XNB mods

XNB mods replace files in your game's Content folder with custom versions. If a mod has some .xnb files and no manifest.json, it's an XNB mod. This is an older type of mod that's no longer recommended, but see Modding:Using XNB mods if you're still interested.

Frequent questions

Which platforms allow mods?

Mod support for each platform:

Almost all mods will work on any supported platform, since SMAPI rewrites them for compatibility.

(For more technical info, see the SMAPI tracking ticket.)

Can mods corrupt my save?

Yes, but it's extremely rare. Only a few mods affect your save file at all. If you avoid those, mods are very unlikely to corrupt your save file. In most cases, you can fix save corruption by undoing the last save.

If you're worried, just back up your save files occasionally. That's strongly recommended even if you don't use mods, since save corruption is almost always caused by the game itself. SMAPI also creates a daily backup of your saves automatically; you can retrieve those from the Mods/SaveBackup folder.

Can I stop using mods later?

Yep. With a few exceptions (see previous question), mods don't directly affect your save file so you can stop using them anytime.

Do mods disable Steam achievements?

Steam achievements work fine, as long as you launch SMAPI through Steam. Make sure you follow the install instructions to configure Steam on Windows (no Steam changes needed on Linux or Mac). If the Steam overlay works, the achievements should work too.

Do mods work in multiplayer?

Yep, but it depends on the mod. Usually each player can have their own mods, and you can mix modded and vanilla players. Some mods don't work (or work poorly) in multiplayer, or affect other players too. Try checking the mod description for details about multiplayer (often under a 'compatibility' header).

Here are some approximate rules for mods that don't specify:

What is SMAPI?

SMAPI is the mod loader for Stardew Valley. It works fine with GOG and Steam achievements, it's compatible with Linux/Mac/Windows and (unofficially) Android, you can uninstall it anytime, and there's a friendly community if you need help. SMAPI is required for most types of Stardew Valley mods.

SMAPI does a lot for you. For example, it will...

1. Load mods into the game and provide APIs they can use. Many types of mods aren't possible without SMAPI.
2. Rewrite mods for crossplatform compatibility, so you can use almost any mod on any platform.
3. Intercept errors. If a mod crashes or causes an error, SMAPI will intercept the error, show the error details in the console window, and in most cases automatically recover the game.
4. Provide update checks. SMAPI automatically alerts you when a new version of a mod is available.
5. Provide compatibility checks. SMAPI automatically detects when a mod is incompatible and disables it before it causes problems.

Where are my...

• Game folder: see Getting Started#Find your game folder.
• SMAPI log: see smapi.io/log (and Modding:Help if you need help with something).
• Save files: see Saves.

Can I have different mod groups?

Yep, SMAPI has built-in support for different mod groups. The instructions may seem complex, but it's easy once you get the hang of it:

For simplicity, you can also just rename the Mods folder to something else.

On Windows only, the ModDrop mod manager also supports up to three 'mod loadouts' which you can switch between.