Enhance Your Stardew Valley Experience: A Guide to Modding
While the latest Stardew Valley update is exciting, the modding community has long offered players ways to expand their gameplay. From enriching NPC storylines to adding cosmetic items, modding unlocks creative possibilities. Here's how to get started modding Stardew Valley on Windows.
Modding Stardew Valley on Windows: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step One: Safeguarding Your Farm – Backing Up Your Save
This is highly recommended, especially for established farms. Losing hours of progress is disheartening!
To back up your save:
- Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
- Type
%appdata%and press Enter. - Navigate to the
Stardew Valleyfolder, then theSavesfolder. - Copy the contents to a secure location on your PC. (New games can skip this step.)
Step Two: Installing SMAPI – The Mod Loader
SMAPI is essential; it integrates mods into your game. Download it directly from the official SMAPI website.
Remember: SMAPI is a loader, not a mod. Extract the downloaded ZIP file to your desktop or downloads folder – not the mods folder. Run SMAPI and select "Install on Windows," following the on-screen instructions.
Step Three: Game Client Configuration (Optional)
If using Steam, GOG Galaxy, or the Xbox app, you might need extra steps to maintain playtime tracking and achievements. Refer to the SMAPI documentation for detailed instructions.
Step Four: Installing Mods – The Fun Part!
Nexus Mods is a popular source for Stardew Valley mods. Download mods (typically ZIP files), extract them, and place the extracted folders into the Mods folder automatically created by SMAPI. The Mods folder 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
With thousands of mods available, your Stardew Valley experience can be endlessly customized.
Stardew Valley is available now.
