The 14 best Stardew Valley mods to shake up your playthrough

Although it was released in 2016, Stardew ValleyThe game is going strong. Mods can make even the most well-designed games more fun. Mods can be used to change the look of a game. This is something that new players might prefer, or those who have played for hundreds of hours may want to expand their experience. Either way, we’ve gathered some of the best Stardew ValleyMods can give you tons more options to play your next game.

First, you’ll need to get set up for modding. Although these mods were designed for PCs and Macs alike, the Steam Deck as well as Android versions can also be used. StardewSome mods may also be supported. You’ll need an additional piece of software, called SMAPI, which can be downloaded from Nexus Mods. You can also find detailed instructions on how to install and use it at the Stardew Valley Wiki.

For quite a few mods, you’ll also need to have Content Patcher, so it’s worth setting that up at the same time. Unzip the Mods folder, which was automatically created by SMAPI.

Congratulations! You’re ready to dive into the wonderful world ofStardew modding.

Villager sprites from Stardew Valley wearing different outfits, thanks to the Seasonal Outfits mod.

There are many Stardew ValleyMods make minor changes to the game’s appearance. Seasonal Outfits, for example, is a common mod. Its subtitle is “Slightly Cuter Aesthetic,” so it’s not here to overhaul anything, but it does tweak NPC sprites so that they have different clothes depending on the weather, as well as giving them special looks for the Flower Dance and Spirit’s Eve festivals. It’s a great place to start if you want to give the game a bit more variety without changing it too much.

A screenshot from Stardew Valley that has been recolored so that the hues are in an earthier palette. The Earthy Recolor mod has been used.

Bright colors are the foundation of all things Stardew ValleyWhile they are cheerful, mods that change the color of the game give you tons more options and seasonal moods. DaisyNiko’s Earthy Recolour brings the whole game down into a more muted, grounded palette that’s easier on the eyes. This also makes the digging spot grow a clover, instead of the weird worms that are in the base game. It’s a great touch.

A Stardew Valley farm where the trees are in pastel pink hues and grasses have wildflowers in them. The game has been modded with Stardew Foliage Redone.

You can make a dramatic visual change by swapping out the entire flora/fauna to create pastel versions. I’m a huge fan of the spring look, with multiple shades of blossom trees — and the giant, house-sized mushrooms.

A screenshot from Stardew Valley where Alex is speaking. Alex’s portrait, thanks to the Anime Portraits mod, has been redone in an anime style.

If the standard pixel faces of the bachelors and bachelorettes of Pelican Town aren’t quite your style, it’s anime portraits to the rescue. This popular mod from OhoDavi makes Alex appear like a protagonist in a manga and Hayley as a girl with magical powers. There are many other choices to fit your individual tastes.

A patchwork image of Stardew Valley characters modded using Diverse Stardew Valley to be a more inclusive range of races.

Given how much representation this mod adds to the game, it’s arguably more than just an aesthetic change. While it doesn’t directly affect gameplay, the mod makes Pelican Town more accessible by adding NPC mods that allow for more character types, disabilities and other body types. Diverse Stardew Valley offers additional outfit options, including seasonal and festival changes as well as maternity clothing.

A series of alpaca sprites in the style of Stardew Valley. The options come from the New Barn Animals mod.

There’s a lot to do in Stardew Valley —There could be even more. For example, this mod increases the number of animals that you can have on your farm. It not only gives cows, sheep and goats new personalities, but it also offers a few new possibilities for barn management. These won’t act any differently, but you’ll still be able to achieve your dreams of becoming an alpaca or deer farmer.

A screenshot from Stardew Valley with the Love of Cooking Mod installed. A Farmer’s Lunch inside a page of a cookbook is displayed.

The mod has been completely redesigned Stardew’s kitchen-related details. You’ll receive Grandpa’s old cookbook in the mail, and as you might expect, it will have a bunch of recipes inside. These recipes are totally reworked from the base game, to make sure they’re all worthwhile in terms of buffs and perks. But the mod adds a lot more than that, too, including Cooking as a skill you can improve, a new frying pan tool you can upgrade, fresh crops, and even the ability to burn your food — although you can turn that feature off if you like!

You will need Json assets to use this mod. This requires some additional bits. But all the details and instructions are laid out on Nexus, and it’s worth a bit of extra effort, because having Json Assets will unlock a lot of content packs. According to its page, it “currently supports crafting recipes, crops (including giant crops), fruit trees, big craftables, hats, weapons, clothing, and boots.” So once you get started there’s a lot you can do with it!

A Stardew Valley player catching a goldfish, as part of the More New Fish mod.

If you’re one of the people who enjoys fishing in StardewYou don’t have to be like me and find it impossible. More New Fish can help you. There are 140 new fish that can be caught with it, including clownfish and rays. This compatible mod allows you to catch goldfish and koi, and then put them into a tank at your home. There are a couple of added quests for the later game, too, so you won’t get bored of fishing any time soon. (Also, I’m in awe of your skill.)

A Stardew Valley screenshot where a farmer and two NPCs are sharing a bed, thanks to the Free Love mod.

Can’t decide whether to romance Shane or Abigail? Do you want to build a large polycule? Do you just want to be with your NPC roommate? You can do all this with free love, and it’s all in the name to build deeper relationships between you farmer and your townpeople. It’s based on, but supersedes, the earlier Multiple Spouses mod, which did more than it said on the tin — it also added important features like “Lets you kiss all of your spouses as many times per day as you like, because seriously.” So true.

A screenshot from an Artisan Valley modded version of Stardew Valley where a player stands surrounded by tons of artisan items.

Artisan Valley has added more than 200 items StardewAlong with 20 machines for making them, All in all, it’s a huge expansion to the crafting system that should keep things fresh for a long time. It’s also one of the Json Assets mods, so you can use it alongside all the new fruits, veggies, trees, flowers, recipes, and so on that are part of that project. They are all available here.

We will be able to discuss the larger, more complete expansions that are available. Stardew Valley, it’s worth mentioning that many of the most popular mods are much more humble — and no less worthwhile. The most requested mods are quality-of-life. They include the ability keep grass healthy over the winter and a larger backpack. Real-time NPC locations can also be marked on the Nexus map. Some are more complex, such as the Lookup Anything Mod, which can give you an incredible amount of information. Others skip the fishing minigame. That one deserves a personal thanks. If there’s any kind of annoyance you face while playing the vanilla game, it’s worth taking a moment to search whether someone has fixed it. Most likely they have.

A screenshot from the Stardew Valley Expanded mod which lets players pet the dog next to Alex’s house.

Eventually, you’ll run out of things to do in Stardew. You’ll have completed the Community Center, befriended all of your neighbors, and have two happy kids and millions in gold. Stardew Valley Expanded can make that happen. This mod adds a whole town’s worth of NPCs, locations to explore, events, quests, crops, and yes, even fish. Modder FlashShifter stated that the mod was created to recreate the feel of Stardew’s best moments by creating more of them for the experienced player, and the popularity of this mod certainly suggests that they succeeded. Stardew Val Expanded is compatible with many other mods. For example, the anime portrait mod listed earlier also affects Expanded’s NPCs.

A cable car going up a hill in Stardew Valley, modded with Ridgeside Village.

Ridgeside Village is another important expansion. It opens up a new community that can be reached by cable car. This means that there are many more NPCs you can make friends with and new events, quests, and items for the endgame. There’s even a chance you might find love up there!

A screenshot from Stardew Valley modded with Deepwoods. The player is standing in front of a pond, in a verdant green area.

Are you at the bottom of these mines? How about the heart? Deepwoods is a late-game area that can be dangerous and procedurally created. You may get lost and be attacked by monsters, but the area is full of secrets and surprises that will reward brave and determined rangers who survive under the trees.

Stardew Valley with the Restauranteer mod. Gus is at the farmer’s house offering the job to cook at the Saloon.

You might prefer to work part-time at Stardrop Saloon if you are looking for a relaxed experience. This allows you to learn about both cooking and relationships. You’ll have the chance to cook a range of different dishes, as well as a way to strengthen your relationship with the locals. It’s also a well-integrated way of learning what your neighbors like, so that you can keep the friendship ball rolling with gifts if you want to. Plus, you’ll be helping Gus out. What’s not to like?

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