How To Mod Stardew Valley: Detailed Guide

Mods will provide a smoother first playthrough for whichever video game you try out. They will even freshen up things and add variety for returning players. The only problem is that most games do not directly support or have a way to manage the mods, making it difficult to do it by yourself. So you have been wondering how to mod Stardew Valley and gotten bewildered or frustrated, and you are in the right place.

This guide will illustrate how to install Stardew Valley mods and provide the best Stardew Valley mods you could install. Let’s dive in!

How To Install Stardew Valley Mods

The process of modding Stardew Valley is not too demanding. You need to follow only two simple steps before downloading and installing the mods. First, install SMAPI and Content Patcher; this way, your modes will work precisely with the game file and be fully supported.

First, you need to understand that there are two main types of mods in Stardew Valley: mods that need the ‘Stardew Modding API’, or SMAPI for short, to install and mods that supersede existing XNB files in the content folder. As we have stated, to learn how to mod Stardew valley mods, you start by downloading the tools that allow the modes to run or operate in the game.

In the Stardew Valley case, you will need a SMAPI console and Content patcher. These modes can easily be downloaded via Nexus Mods. The trick is to make sure that you download the latest version of both the SMAPI and Content Patcher. Note that some older versions could cause stability problems with the Stardew Valley. So let’s first understand the mods better:

a) Content Patcher

Content patcher is a mod for the SMAPI that permits you to download and install content packs that will change the visual or reskin assets like XNB mods. The amazing bit is that you will not need to alter or change the XNB files manually.

The content pitcher is one of the most reliable ways of installing mods than replacing XNB files, which can automatically be updated, installed, and installed via SMAPI.

b) SMAPI

If you are downloading and installing mods that will make major changes in the game, like changing game mechanics, you will require to install the SMAPI. SMAPI is an open-source project maintained by the Stardew valley modding-friendly community, allowing for the installation of DLL files.

SMAPI establishes the game with mod support and lets mods interact directly with your game code. It also creates a StardewModdingAPI” file into the game folder. When you have installed the SMAPI, you will need to place your files into the SMAPI mod folder, and you are set.

SMAPI will also help manage your saved files by scanning when your mods have received updates. It can also rewrite any installed mods if an official Stardew valley mods update changes any part of your game. Plus, it has built-in support for different mod groups. The SMAPI is safely installed alongside the standard Stardew Valley game and can be uninstalled anytime. Unzip mods into the Stardew Valley Mods folder.

Most Stardew Valley players on gaming PC have bought the game and run it through the steam. The basic steps you will follow to install mods for steam are:

Navigate to Nexus Mods’ Stardew Valley page via your game folder

Download and install the newest versions of SMAPI and Content Patcher

Open the Stardew Valley folder in Windows on your PC

Install SMAPI into the Stardew Valley folder, the mod loader for Stardew Valley.

Unlock the SMAPI folder, then open the installer, and install. Ensure that you do not shut the window.

When the SMAPI folder is installed, copy the destination and command listed in the installer to the clipboard. It will look something like: “C:Program Files (x86)SteamsteamappscommonStardew ValleyStardewModdingAPI.exe” %command%

Then Open Steam Library, right-click Stardew Valley, and choose properties

On the “General” tab, paste the destination and command from the installer into Launch Options

Then go back to the Stardew Valley folder, find the newly added Mods folder

Remove Content Patcher into Mods folder and then extract downloaded mods into the Mods folder. Ensure that you keep each mod in its folder. To access the mod folder you will go to: Program Files (x84) > Steam > steamapps > common > Stardew Valley > Mods Finding Your Files.

Best Stardew Valley mods

Now that you understand how to install mods to stardew valley, we can go ahead and look at the best stardew valley mods. There are thousands of Stardew Valley mods that you could choose from. Nevertheless, you can not install all of them; therefore, you will need to pick the one that fits you best based on your playstyle.

Here are ten of the best Stardew Valley mods that herald the creativity of the modding scene provide visual overhauls and gameplay changes.

1. Gift Taste Helper

The gift taste helper can be downloaded and installed via Tyler, Tstaple, or Nexus mods. This Stardew Valley mod display makes gifting more straightforward. The Gift Taste Helper is a perfect mod if you have been trying to level up a relationship. If you want to merry or get specific gifts, search “stardew valley gift guide” agitatedly in hopes of getting to the center of it.

This stardew valley mod shows a character’s favorite gifts on their birthday or social page whenever you have them. In this case, you will not need to worry anymore whether a character like Shane likes pumpkin or not.

2. Stardew Valley Expanded

Stardew Valley Expanded mod is another fantastic option you could download and install. It is a large mod that brings a fantastic deal of new content to your game. This mod does not revolutionize Stardew Valley, but it adds a new layer of everything already there.

If you have played stardew valley before using this mod, you will notice that it allows you to make friends with NPCs like Marlon and romance the Wizard. Additionally, it adds a turn of new villagers to Pelican Town.

Downloading and installing this Stardew Valley Expanded mod is simple and direct, just like any other mod. You will need to install SMAPI first, then add the mod to the mods folder in the Stardew Valley game files. When you have done that, you can find Stardew Valley Expanded mod on Nexus mods.

It’s necessary to note that the Stardew Valley Expanded does not need other mods to be installed. Additionally, it can be highlighted by several other optional mods. You can also find a full guide on downloading and installing the Stardew Valley Expanded mods in the Stardew Valley Expanded installation guide.

3. Lookup Anything

Lookup anything is another amazing mod you can download if you are looking for the best stardew valley mod. You can download this mod from Pathoschild or Nexus Mods. The lookup Anything mod is pretty straightforward, and it tells you everything about anything you need to know.

For instance, if you want to know how many points you are left with until your next friendship or which materials an enemy can drop, this is the right mod for you. The amazing thing about it is that it is simple to hover over what you would like to know about. Once you have downloaded and installed the mod, you need to press F1, which will pop up on your windows.

4. Experience Bars

Experience Bars is another mod that you can download from Spacechase, Pathoschild, or Nexus Mods. This mod is also pretty easy to use, and it shows you how much time you have until your next level or level up. This mod is a game-changer.

Once downloaded and installed, the Experience Bars mod is usually at the top left side of your screen. It is in a health bar-style format and will indicate how long you have left until you level up.

5. NPC Map Locations

NPC Map Locations is another fantastic mod that you can download from Ohm, Pathoschild, or Nexus Mods. This will help you not to lose a villager again. The NPC Map Locations stardew valley mod displays where the villagers are at all times on the map.

For example, if you are trying to get a character, gift them or speak to them, the NPC Map Locations mod will simplify it.

6. Anime mods

Anime mods are other mods that you can download from OhoDavi, or Nexus Mods. For example, Elliot can look like Howl Pendragon, marry-able, or Haley with this mode. Therefore if you like anime, this is the right mod for you.

In the Stardew Valley game, a portrait appears near the dialogue box whenever you are speaking to them. The anime mod changes the pixel art style.

7. Friends Forever

The Friends Forever mod is downloaded from ConcernedApe. With this mod, your friendship hearts will never decline. The most infuriating and frustrating bit about this stardew valley game is friendship deterioration. For instance, if you don’t talk to a villager because you ate too busy maybe mining, your friendship is bound to go down.

These Friends Forever stardew valley mod will generally help stop the friendship from going down by pausing the heart meter decay. This means you will not need to worry anymore about speaking to a villager when you are busy.

8. Elle’s New Barn Animals

Ell’s New Barn Animals mod is another fantastic mod that will come in handy. You can easily download it from Elle, Junimods, or Nexus Mods. This Ell’s New Barn Animals stardew valley mod ensures no more boring animals in the game.

This mod is simple to use and self-explanatory. It brings new animals and types to your game. This means you will not have the basic and plain cows, goats, or pigs in the barn. With the mod, you can purchase alpacas or deer and have all animals in different colors.

9. Loved Labels pet and livestock mod

The Loved Labels pet and livestock stardew valley mod are some of the most amazing features you can get if you have a hard time identifying the livestock. When playing stardew valley, one of the most annoying things is the daily caregiving of pets and livestock. So it became an annoying fact that you will have to identify the animals.

The Loved Labels Stardew Valley mod helps fix that up. It will pop up something that will indicate if you have interacted with a certain animal that day. This takes the stress of wondering which animal you need to take care of.

The best part is that the Loved Labels mod is easier to use than other Stardew Valley mods.

10. Attractive Standard Farm

Another amazing mod that you can download and install is the Attractive Standard Farm mod. This mod allows you to design and redesign your standard farm. However, this mod focuses on the farm being cute or attractive rather than being efficient.

The mod will provide lots of fields designs that come in different sizes, some nooks for tucking buildings, and a few pounds. This mod is for a gamer who loves their piece of land and is not worried about their profits as much.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is SMAPI safe?

SMPI is entirely safe for gamers. This SMAPI is originally a BAT file, and it can act as a mod loader that serves as an API. This allows the Stardew valley mods to be downloaded and installed into your PC for gaming. The SMAPI is vitally important for Stardew Valley modding. Again many gameplay mods can not be played without the SMAPI.

2. Is there a Steam Workshop for Stardew Valley?

There is usually no official modding support for Stardew Valley via the Steam Workshop. This is why you will need to download and install the SMAPI before installing any Stardew Valley mods. Given the acceptance of the game and the modding community size, it is not clear why it is not officially supported.

3. Can you get Stardew Valley Expanded on PS4 or Nintendo Switch?

The Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and iOS versions of Stardew Valley do not support Stardew Valley Expanded. Meaning you can not get the Stardew Valley Expanded mode on apple devices or any console. Other than the Pc platform, this mod is also supported by the Android version of Stardew Valley.

4. Do mods work in multiplayer?

A mod is just a package of folders that alters Stardew Valley in a kind of way. The best thing is that the mods can work in multiplayer, but this might vary depending on your mod. Typically each gamer can use their mods, mixing modded and vanilla players.

However, you will find that some modes will not work or perform poorly in multiplayer. In other cases, you might find that some mods are affecting other players. To know if the mods you have will work perfectly, you could check the mod description for more details on the multiplayer functionality.

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