How To Mod Stardew Valley

Enhance your Stardew Valley experience with mods! This guide details how to easily add modifications to your game, expanding gameplay and adding cosmetic features. Let's get started.

Modding Stardew Valley on Windows:

Step One: Backup Your Save (Recommended)

Protecting your progress is crucial. If you have an existing save file with significant playtime, back it up before proceeding. This is easily done:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type %appdata% and press Enter.
3. Navigate to the Stardew Valley folder, then the Saves folder.
4. Copy the contents to a safe location on your computer. New games don't require this step.

Step Two: Install SMAPI

SMAPI is the essential mod loader. Download it directly from the official SMAPI website. Remember: SMAPI is not a mod, but the tool that enables mods.

1. Extract the downloaded SMAPI ZIP file to a convenient location (desktop or downloads folder is suitable). Do not extract it into the Stardew Valley Mods folder.
2. Run the SMAPI installer and select "Install on Windows."
3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Step Three: Game Client Configuration (If Necessary)

If you play Stardew Valley through Steam, GOG Galaxy, or the Xbox app, you might need extra steps to maintain achievement tracking and playtime recording. Refer to the SMAPI documentation for detailed instructions on configuring your specific game client.

Step Four: Installing Mods

Now for the fun part!

Nexus Mods offers a vast library of Stardew Valley mods.

1. Download mods (usually as ZIP files) from Nexus Mods or other reputable sources.

2. Extract the downloaded ZIP files.

3. Place the extracted mod folders into the Stardew Valley Mods folder. The location varies depending on your game client:

   • Steam: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Stardew Valley
   • GOG Galaxy: C:\Program Files (x86)\GOG Galaxy\Games\Stardew Valley
   • Xbox App: C:\XboxGames\Stardew Valley

That's it! With thousands of mods available, explore and enhance your Stardew Valley adventure.

Stardew Valley is available now.