Updated 4/12/16: We've revamped our list of mods and broken it into pages sorted by mod type!
Stardew Valley is still waiting on official Steam Workshop support, but its modding community has come leaps and bounds since the game launched in February. There's already a variety of mods out there that do everything from changing what your dog or cat looks like to making fishing easier to adding items and adjusting game balance. Most of these mods were found either at Stardewmods.com or on the official Stardew Valley Mod forum, both of which are getting more amazing mods everyday
An important thing to note before jumping in is that Stardew Valley developer Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone is still actively updating the game. Since there isn't any official mod support (yet) there's a chance that mods will break or need to be reinstalled after updates, and it's advisable to back-up any files you are going to modify before doing so in case you need to revert the changes. I'd also recommend you back-up your save data, which can be found by default at C:\Users\[USERNAME]\AppData\Roaming\StardewValley\Saves in case one of these mods introduces a nasty bug of some kind, just to be safe.
- Page 1: How to install Stardew Valley mods, SMAPI, and SDVMM
- Page 2: Visual and aesthetic mods
- Page 3: Pet and horse replacements
- Page 4: Gameplay mods and additions
- Page 5: Cheats, music, and other mods
How to install Stardew Valley mods
Most of these mods are simple modifications to the game's XNB files. That means all you need to do to install them is download the modified XNB, find the corresponding XNB file in the Stardew Valley 'Content' folder—default location is "C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Stardew Valley\Content", and the XNB you are looking for may be in a subfolder within the 'Content' folder—and then replace the original XNB with the one you downloaded. Though, like I said, you should make a back-up of the original in case you want to remove the mod.
Stardew Modding API (SMAPI)
Mods that make more complex changes may require the "Stardew Modding API", or SMAPI for short. This is a community-made API that is frequently being updated and allows you to use DLL mods. It's a slightly bigger hassle to install these mods than the XNB ones—as you first need to install SMAPI and then download DLL mods to place into SMAPI's mod folder—but it also allows those mods to make much deeper changes to the game. You can download SMAPI on the Stardew Valley modding forum, and I'll be sure to mark which mods require it to be used.
Stardew Valley ModManager (SDVMM)
There's also a great community-made ModManager tool created by modder yuuki called SDVMM. This will help you install and update SMAPI, as well as keep track of all of your mods. It allows you to easily activate and deactivate specific mods without having to remove the files completely, giving you more flexibility if you want to try something on this list out but potentially not keep the mod forever. However SDVMM hasn't been updated in a while, so there's no guarantee it will remain functional.
Now then, let's get to the mods!
Visual and aesthetic mods
Anime Portraits
Modder toonyoza has taken on the rather large task of recreating each character's in-game portrait with a version that's anime-styled. It's a pretty big undertaking considering they have to both match and modify the game's current art style for the many different poses of dozens of characters. The custom portraits are very well made and do a nice job of subtly changing Stardew Valley's tone.
New and improved Hairstyles
This mod adds a few new hairstyles to the game, not that it was lacking before. But slightly more interesting, it also goes through some of the older hairstyles and modifies the pixel art. Modder Spriter described some of the old hair as "very flat and small in proportion to the head," and these adjustments aim to fix those problems where applicable.
Pokemon retextures
This isn't one Pokemon mod, per se, but rather a huge collection of Pokemon retextures that change farm animals, enemies, and even people into Pokemon. While turning Leah into a Gardevoir (which you could then marry...) may not appeal to you, the animal and monster retextures are pretty fantastic and worth looking through to see if any appeal to you. You can also change furniture, paintings, and locations around town to be Pokemon themed.
Yoda Wizard
This is definitely one of my favorite mods to appear since we updated the list. While the portrait is a little bit blurry, the pixel sprite for Yoda is dead on. Yoda will replace the Wizard character, filling in for him whenver you visit. And not just in look, because he'll also start speaking in Yoda style dialogue. Jedi, Wizard, same thing right?
Kitchen Black Retexture
This was one of the very few mods I found that changed the appearance of your farmhouse, and I thought it looked great. Giving the kitchen a more modern feel won't appeal to everyone, especially in a game about being a rural farmer, but it is a nice twist on a rarely modded part of the game.
Kitty Scarecrow Replacements
Why guard your crops with boring old scarecrows when you can leave your farm under the watchful eyes of an army of cats? This mod changes all of the scarecrows and rarecrows in the game into different breeds of cat, each proudly sitting atop a pedestal from which it will frighten away birds. There's no difference other than the visual change, and that's fine. These little guys are adorable enough to warrant their own mod in my book.
Lightsaber swords
They don't glow, but they get the job done. Stardew Valley's base swords aren't exactly the most interesting looking things in the game, so you might as well lean into it and just turn them into lightsabers. There's a different color for the first six levels of sword, and then the next six repeat those colors with little Kylo Ren-style cross pieces near the handle. Pair this with the Yoda Wizard above and the BB-8 pet on the next page and you've got the makings of a full conversion.
- Page 1: How to install Stardew Valley mods, SMAPI, and SDVMM
- Page 2: Visual and aesthetic mods
- Page 3: Pet and horse replacements
- Page 4: Gameplay mods and additions
- Page 5: Cheats, music, and other mods
Pet and horse replacements
BB-8 dog/cat
From the same modder that brought you lightsaber swords and a Yoda Wizard on the previous page comes a mod that changes your cat or dog into BB-8. I don't really think I need to say more, because this is probably one of the greatest things ever to be modded in to Stardew Valley. It's hard to make a spherical robot out of small squares, but JG Mods manages it pretty well.
Pet Replacements
Modder WildSpirits has started a series recolors for Stardew's three pets: the cat, dog, and horse. This is a very light-touch mod, specifically aimed at adding new breeds of each animal to the game, and you can download whichever specific ones you would like while skipping the alternatives. Pet Replacements currently has Border Collie and Pug skins for the dog, Calico and Siamese skins for the cat, and Painted and Blue Roan skins for the horse. More are on the way, and other breeds like this Shiba Inu have already been made by different modders, but this definitely a mod pack to keep an eye on as it grows.
Annoying Dog from Undertale
Modder FinalMantasyX has entirely swapped the pixel sprite for the regular dog with the Annoying Dog from Undertale. It's a brilliant little mix of pixelated indie hits, and an oddly appropriate reskin for one of Stardew Valley's pets. As of now, the game's cat and/or dog have no impact on gameplay, and generally just run around getting in your way—most notably the they can do so when you are trying to place a building for construction, allowing the Annoying Dog to remain true to its name in Stardew Valley as well. Next up, running around my farm with this song playing on a loop.
Skeletal-Undead Horse
If you want to make sure your lovable horse companion is way more unsettling than ever intended, modder Giambro has got you covered. Ride around town on a skeletal demon horse instead of the boring old living kind. It even breathes fire when you leave it sitting in the stable!
Chocobo horse
The cat and dog aren't the only ones that get pop culture replacements, as modder NachoDevs has replaced the horse with a chocobo from Final Fantasy. Once again, this is just a visual replacement, and unfortunately this song won't play automatically as you ride around town, but you can be sure I'll be whistling it the whole time I'm riding mine.
Tractor horse
And finally, why ride an animal to get around anyway? That seems pretty old fashioned when you think about it, so don't think about it and instead cruise around your farm in a tractor. Sure, you're still putting it to sleep in the stable you built for a horse, but who cares when you can ride around town in luxury. This tractor mod is pretty hilarious, but it also manages to fit into Stardew's style pretty well, which is an achievement seeing as modder Pewtershmitz had to make it from scratch.
- Page 1: How to install Stardew Valley mods, SMAPI, and SDVMM
- Page 2: Visual and aesthetic mods
- Page 3: Pet and horse replacements
- Page 4: Gameplay mods and additions
- Page 5: Cheats, music, and other mods
Gameplay mods and additions
Easier Fishing
One of the most common complaints I've seen about Stardew Valley is that the fishing is too hard. I can understand the sentiment, and so can modder steffjes who decided to lower the difficulty on the mini-game. The mod doesn't make fishing mean nothing, but steffjes has adjusted the game to make fish move up and down on the meter less frequently, along with smoothing their movement out so they are easier to track, letting you still enjoy fishing without ripping your hair out. Not a necessary mod if you don't have trouble fishing, but most likely a vital one for many players out there.
It's worth mentioning that steffjes has also made a Harder Fishing mod for you sadists out there.
Items show sell price in your inventory
Download here (requires SMAPI)
This is one of those mods I could see quickly getting added to the base game. Modder CJB has made it so items tell you exactly how much they will sell for while they're still in your backpack. This can be helpful when your inventory is reaching its capacity and you aren't sure what to throw out. Now you can be a cold, calculating number cruncher and lose whatever makes you the least money. It would also be helpful while fishing with a full inventory, as you could then choose to eat the cheapest fish to make room for rarer catches. It's a small feature that makes a world of difference.
TimeSpeed Mod - Configurable Day Lengths
Download here (requires SMAPI)
Sometimes the stress of Stardew Valley's clock can be too much. How can you possibly water and harvest all of your crops, give gifts to the special someone, and go hunting slimes in the mines when the day goes by so quick? Modder cantorsdust agreed, creating a mod that let's you adjust the amount of seconds each 10 minute block of game time takes. By default, the TimeSpeed Mod doubles the length of a day, but you can go in and manually adjust how much longer (or shorter) it should be. For reference, a day in Stardew Valley (from 6am to 2am) takes 14 minutes not including pauses. Adding just one second to each 10 minute block of game time extends the length of the whole day by two full minutes.
There used to be a separate mod on this list that would freeze time while you were indoors (similar to how Harvest Moon's clock worked) which is now automatically included in this mod. You can turn it on our off in the config file.
Horse Whistle (Teleport)
Download here (requires SMAPI)
Another plain and simple fix to an otherwise annoying problem. Press 'V' and your horse will magically teleport to your location, meaning you don't have to worry about leaving him somewhere while you take a different path home. The only thing this mod is missing is an actual whistle sound effect to go along with it, but beggars can't be choosers.
NPC Map Locations
Download here (requires SMAPI)
Finding your friends can be hard, and your loved ones even harder. While each NPC has a set schedule they stick to, it can be hard to learn what that schedule actually is. This mod makes each NPC show up on your minimap, making it simple to find anyone. But my favorite part of it is actually how it lets you limit that, allowing you to set it so the map only updates once a day, excludes certain people, or even only show the people in the area of town you are currently in. Those options make a mod that could feel like cheating blend into the game a little bit smoother.
Speeder's Slower Fence Decay Mod
Download here (requires SMAPI)
Decaying fences is a super strange part of Stardew Valley to me. It's not really explained very well, and can make a meticulously planned out farm quickly look like a mess. This mod slows the process of fences decaying down, making them less likely to break and allowing them to last longer. It's another mod that plays by the game's rules, but shifts the numbers a bit to make things more forgiving—rather than making fences unbreakable.
Instant Geode Blacksmith
Download here (requires SMAPI)
The animation for processing geodes isn't that long, but it can take a frustrating amount of time when you have to crack open a dozen of them at once. This mod simply speeds that process up by getting rid of that animation. You can take a whole stack of geodes and crack them open in seconds. Just make sure you have the inventory space to hold all the things you get from them.
All Crops All Seasons
Download here (requires SMAPI)
This mod messes with a core part of the game's design, and not necessarily for the better, but it's your call. All Crops All Seasons does just what the name would imply. It allows any crops or seeds to be planted and survive in any season, including winter. You could use this to farm all year, or you could just use it to let yourself keep planting that one vegetable you couldn't live without all year. Either way, it gives you options.
Chest Labels
Download here (requires SMAPI)
This mod lets you name and label your chests. If you would like to label your chests, you should be sure to install Chest Labels. If you don't want to label your chests, please move along and pay no attention to Chest Labels.
Stardew Valley Enhanced
While the name might imply more far reaching changes, Stardew Valley Enhanced simply adds a few pathways around the main town to make it easier to traverse. A few extra bridges across the river, and paths to different parts of the map that would otherwise require a more roundabout route. I will say that I don't think new players should use this mod, as it opens up a path to the tide pools even before you rebuild the bridge to access them. If you've already unlocked the tide pools, there's no downside to some easier movement.
- Page 1: How to install Stardew Valley mods, SMAPI, and SDVMM
- Page 2: Visual and aesthetic mods
- Page 3: Pet and horse replacements
- Page 4: Gameplay mods and additions
- Page 5: Cheats, music, and other mods
Cheats and other mods
More Music
A straightforward mod that does its job well. Stardew Valley has roughly two full hours of original music in it already, but much of that is spread across four seasons and different locations, weather conditions, etc. It's not unreasonable to want a few more songs added to your farming routine. Modder Drogean has borrowed seamlessly looping songs from the likes of Undertale, Dropsy, and more to give Stardew Valley a little more variety without feeling too far out of its style. Additionally, the songs have been put over ambient sound tracks, meaning the world won't otherwise feel quiet while they're playing. It's a small touch, but one that makes a big difference.
In-Game Cheat Menu
Download here (requires SMAPI)
This is a very far complex and impressive mod that adds an extensive cheat menu inside the game. You can teleport anywhere, adjust your skill levels on the fly, change the weather, freeze time, give yourself money, increase movement speed, turn on god mode, adjust fishing difficulty, make your watering can never run out, and a whole heck of a lot more—all from within the game. The cheat menu actually has some features of other mods on this list built in, so if you liked the look of some of the mods on the previous page, they may be covered here.
CJB Item Spawner
Download here (requires SMAPI)
This mod—potentially combined with the cheat menu above from the same modder—might be the closest Stardew Valley gets to having a "creative mode" for a while. You can spawn any items you may want directly into your inventory, allowing you to build your dream farm immediately. Flick on the cheat menu's infinite stamina option and freeze time, and you could build the entire thing before the first day even passes. Item spawners are a powerful tool, and hopefully this will lead to some amazing looking farms that would otherwise taking hundreds of hours to create.
Stardew Valley Save Editor
This save editor is a seperate tool, not technically a mod, that allows you to adjust certain variables about your save file without having to dig around in a text editor. Sure, you could use it to cheat money and power into your game, but it also lets you do more difficult things than that. You can rename your farm, change your outfit, and even move farm buildings—all things that were otherwise unchangeable once set. The save editor can be used to cheat your way through the game, but it can also be used to subtly adjust variables that you couldn't control any other way, making it a valuable tool even for those of us using no mods at all.
- Page 1: How to install Stardew Valley mods, SMAPI, and SDVMM
- Page 2: Visual and aesthetic mods
- Page 3: Pet and horse replacements
- Page 4: Gameplay mods and additions
- Page 5: Cheats, music, and other mods
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