It takes a special type of game to remain popular for years after its initial release. Games like Stardew Valley are able to pull it off by sparking so much joy with its base content that it inspires players to contribute more to it themselves after mastering all the tips and tricks. Sure, playing with friends can extend a game's life, but the best mods are what make it almost endless. However, the world of modding can be intimidating for newcomers who aren't used to manipulating game files. Thankfully, the process isn't all that hard if you follow our simple guide.
How to mod Stardew Valley
While there may be ways to mod Stardew Valley on consoles, they would require a lot of technical knowledge and possibly even voiding your console's warranty through jailbreaking, so we will not be going over those methods. Instead, we will focus on modding the PC version of the game, which is far easier and legal.
Step 1: Install SMAPI via the official website here.
SMAPI is a mod loader made specifically for Stardew Valley that is compatible with both the GOG and Steam versions of the game. It is a free software that allows your mods to interact directly with the base game's code. Make sure you download the correct version based on your OS, either Windows, Mac, Linux, Steam Deck, or Android.
Step 2: Extract the ZIP file once it has downloaded and save it to a location on your computer you can access later.
Step 3: Inside that folder, run the Install on Windows.bat file for Windows users. Users will see the appropriate OS name based on the version they downloaded.
Step 4: Follow the instructions to complete the installation.
Step 5: Now that SMAPI is set up, you will need some mods to run. We suggest sticking to Nexus Mods as a reliable and safe source for finding mods.
Step 6: Find a mod you wish to run and download the files.
Step 7: Go back to where you saved SMAPI and open the Mods folder.
Step 8: Copy the mod files you downloaded and paste them into this folder.
Step 9: To play Stardew Valley with these mods, launch the game through SMAPI by double-clicking on the StardewModdingAPI.exe file.
Step 10: Stardew Valley will now start running like normal with whatever mod you have placed in the folder active.
If you ever want to remove a mod, all you need to do is go back to the Mods folder and delete the files inside.
