Modding:Player Guide/Getting Started

Now that you know the basics of moddings, here's how to get started!

Getting started

Install SMAPI

First you'll need to install the mod loader, SMAPI. Click the right link for more info:

• Instructions for Linux
• Instructions for Mac
• Instructions for Windows

Find mods

Next you need to choose the mods you want. See the most popular mods or these recommendations for a first playthrough. You can also search for mods here:

site	description
Nexus Mods	Most mods are released here. (Registering an account is free, just don't choose a package when you register.)
Chucklefish mods	Some mods are released here (most are also on Nexus).
ModDrop	Pretty new. Not many mods yet, but you can install those it has very quickly through their (Windows-only) client.
Stardew Valley forums	Some mods are posted directly in the forums. Some hidden gems are only here, but finding them can be a challenge.

Before you download a mod...

• Does it work with the latest version of the game? (SMAPI will automatically disable most incompatible SMAPI mods, but you're on your own with XNB mods. Try checking the mod description or comments.)
• Don't download from stardewvalleymods.net. (Mods here are usually outdated, since the site republishes mods without permission for ad revenue.)

Find your game folder

Next you'll need to open your game folder (the one containing Stardew Valley's .exe file). Here's where to find it:

Platform	Path
Windows	GOG: C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\GalaxyClient\Games\Stardew Valley Steam: C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\StardewValley
Linux	GOG: ~/GOGGames/StardewValley/game Steam: ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Stardew Valley
Mac	GOG: /Applications/Stardew Valley.app/Contents/MacOS Steam: ~/Library/ApplicationSupport/Steam/steamapps/common/StardewValley/Contents/MacOS On Mac, the Content folder is stored separately: GOG: /Applications/Stardew Valley.app/Resources/Content Steam: ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Stardew Valley/Resources/Content

Not there? Here are some other ways to find it:

more options

Option 2: find it through SMAPI Launch SMAPI. Enter this command in the SMAPI console (the second window that opens with the game): show_game_files Option 3: find it through Steam Open the Steam client. Right-click on Stardew Valley. Click Properties. Click the Local Files tab. Click the Browse Local Files... button to open the game folder. Option 4: find it through GOG Galaxy Open the GOG Galaxy client. In the game sidebar, right-click on Stardew Valley. Choose Manage Installation > Show Folder to open the game folder.

Install mods

To install a mod, just unzip it into the Mods folder in your game folder. Make sure each mod has its own subfolder. For example, if you have a PineapplesEverywhere mod, you should have a file structure like this:

Stardew Valley/
   Mods/
      PineapplesEverywhere/
         PineapplesEverywhere.dll
         manifest.json

Configure mods

Some mods have a config.json file in their mod folder. It might be created the first time you launch the game with that mod. This file lets you customise the mod settings.

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; basically make sure your values are surrounded by quotes (like "value"). You can use this JSON validator to make sure the format is correct.

Manage mods

• To update a mod, download the latest version and copy the new files into the existing folder. That should replace the older files, but keep any config or data files it generated for you.
• To remove a mod, just remove it from the Mods folder.

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, but see Modding:Using XNB mods if you're still interested.