A in-depth guide to modding stardewvalley designed for beginners.
 
 

What Are Mods?

Originally posted by stardewvalleywiki:
 Mods are packages of files which change 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 much more. 

Intro

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.
 
 
 

What Platforms Support Mods?

PC
 
 
Linux | ✓ Full Support
 
Mac | ✓ Full Support
 
Windows | ✓ Full Support
 
 
Console
 
 
PS4 | X No Support
 
Xbox | X No Support
 
Nintendo Switch | X No Support
 
 
Mobile
 
 
Android | ✓ Partial Support
 
iOS | X No Support
 
 
 

Installing SMAPI [Mod Loader]

Windows:
 
1. Run the game without SMAPI at least once (so it can do first-time setup).
 
2. Download the latest version of SMAPI – [smapi.io] 
 
3. Extract the .zip file somewhere. (Your downloads folder is fine.)
 
4. Double-click install on Windows, and follow the on-screen instructions.
 
5. Configure your game client: see the instructions for Steam, GOG Galaxy, or Xbox app.
 
 
Mac:
 
1. Download the latest version of SMAPI – [smapi.io] 
 
2. Extract the .zip file somewhere (but not in your game folder!).
 
3. Double-click install on Mac.command, and follow the on-screen instructions.
 
 
Linux
 
1. Download the latest version of SMAPI – [smapi.io] 
 
2. Extract the .zip file somewhere (but not in your game folder!).
 
3. Run the install on Linux.sh file, and follow the on-screen instructions.
 
 
Android
 
1. Download the latest installer APK file – [github.com]  (the file under “Assets” that ends with .apk).
 
2. Install the APK on your phone.
 
3. Run the new app to install SMAPI. This may take a while depending on your device
 
3. When it’s done, you can safely uninstall the installer app.
 
4. Launch the game normally to play with mods
 
 
 

Updating SMAPI

Updating is easy; all you have to do is reinstall SMAPI and the install will clean up the old version.
 
 
 

Where Do I Get Mods?

Nexus Mods – [nexusmods.com] 
 
Most mods are released here.
 
An account is required, but it’s free; just don’t choose a package when you register. You can use their Vortex client (Windows only) to install/manage your mods, or download them manually.
 
 
Mod Drop – [moddrop.com] 
 
Many mods are released here.
 
You can use their ModDrop client (Windows only) to install/manage/auto-update your mods, or download mods directly from the website without registration needed.
 
 
Chuckle Fish Mods – [playstarbound.com] 
 
Some older mods are released here, though most are also on Nexus or ModDrop.
 
 
Official Forums – [stardewvalley.net] 
 
Some mods are released here, though most are also on Nexus or ModDrop.
 
 
Chuckle Fish Forums – [playstarbound.com] 
 
Some older mods are posted directly in the Chucklefish forums. Some hidden gems are only here, but finding them can be a challenge.
 
 
 

Installing Your New Mods Part 1

First Find your game folder
 
 
Windows
 
 
GOG:
 
C:\Program Files (x86)\GOG Galaxy\Games\Stardew Valley or
 
C:\GOG Games\Stardew Valley
 
Steam:
 
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Stardew Valley
 
Xbox App:
 
C:\Program Files\ModifiableWindowsApps\Stardew Valley
 
 
Mac
 
 
GOG:
 
/Applications/Stardew Valley.app/Contents/MacOS/ – [Valley.app] 
 
Steam
 
~/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/Stardew Valley/Contents/MacOS/
 
 
Linux
 
 
Steam:
 
~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Stardew Valley
 
GOG:
 
~/GOGGames/StardewValley/game
 
 
Android
 
 
/storage/emulated/0/StardewValley/Mods
 
(Usually file manager apps show StardewValley in the root)
 
 
Not there? Here are some other ways to find it:
 
 
Option 1: find it through SMAPI
 
1. Launch SMAPI.
 
2. Enter this command in the SMAPI console (the second window that opens with the game):
 

 show_game_files 

 
 
Option 2: find it through Steam
 
1. Open the Steam client.
 
2. Right-click on Stardew Valley.
 
3. Click Properties.
 
4. Click the Local Files tab.
 
5. Click the Browse Local Files… button to open the game folder.
 
 
Option 3: find it through GOG Galaxy
 
1. Open the GOG Galaxy client.
 
2. In the game sidebar, right-click on Stardew Valley.
 
3. Choose Manage Installation > Show Folder to open the game folder.
 
 
Option 4: finding it through Xbox Gamepa*s
 
1. Open the Xbox game client.
 
2. On the main page for the game, click the … button.
 
3. Select Open Mods Folder
 
 
 

Installing Your New Mods Part 2

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 organise 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; – [w3schools.com]  basically make sure your values are surrounded by quotes (like “value”). You can use this JSON validator – [curiousconcept.com]  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.
 
 
 

Frequent Questions

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. – [stardewvalleywiki.com] 
 
 
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 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).
 
 
Thanks To:
 
 
Stardewvalley for suppling some of the information used here.
 
 

 
 
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