It has been five years since lone developer Eric Barone, aka ConcernedApe, released Stardew Valley. At the time, many thought that interest in farming simulator games had gone away given veterans in the genre such as Story of Seasons and Harvest Moon no longer saw the success they once had. However, Stardew Valley continues to prove that given the right game, fans of the genre will deliver, which is why it remains as relevant now as it was in 2016.
While Stardew Valley is great to play, it is no secret that mods also help keep players interested given the fresh experiences they provide. When Stardew Valley was first launched many years ago, mods for the game barely existed, and hunting for them was more trouble than they're worth. However, things have changed drastically since then, so here are the essential mods players should try out in Stardew Valley.
Updated May 25th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: Stardew Valley continues to be one of the greatest Indie creations to ever release, with multiple ports to a variety of consoles and a few developer updates that helped to further expand the already robust game. But those craving more Stardew Valley action can turn to the modding community to get their fix, while developer ConcernedApe works on their next big project in The Haunted Chocolatier. Thankfully, the modding community is just as committed to the quality and continuation of Stardew Valley as its original developer was, with many modders still cranking out new content even today. To showcase even more of the best Stardew Valley mods available to fans, the following list has been updated with even more entries.
Faithful Weapons
Although this mod isn't as game-changing as the other additions found on this list, it's still an incredibly thoughtful upgrade that adds a lot of visual style to an already amazing Indie game. The Faithful Weapons mod is a complete 32x32 upscale of the game's weapon textures from modder herbivoor (with special credit to seitanicbean). The end result is a beautiful re-imagining of the original Stardew Valley weapons, but herbivoor made it a point to try to stay as close to the original designs from developer ConcernedApe as possible.
These visual upgrades may be small in comparison to some of the "game-changing" mods found throughout the modding community but they can really upgrade anyone's Stardew Valley experience for the better.
Adventurer's Guild Expanded
Those that are looking for some additional content for their Stardew Valley adventure will definitely want to snag the Adventurer's Guild Expanded mod from creator SUPERT. This beautifully designed and well-crafted mod upgrades the Adventurer's Guild, adding an all-new wing to it, as well as a handful of NPCs that can be met, befriended, and even romanced. This add-on adventure will take players through the mines and help them uncover the history of monsters in the world of Stardew Valley, even allowing them to befriend their own cute critter to live at home on the farm with them.
There is a ton of content here to unpack and this is a great add-on that can completely upgrade an already extensive part of the Stardew Valley story.
Industrialization for PFM
Stardew Valley is an amazing game for those that want to relax, and this is especially true for players that enjoy doing simple things like farming or decorating their homes. But modders are always finding ways to increase the complexity of games and those that are craving a bit more customization and playability with their farming mechanics will fall in love with the Industrialization mod from creators DraLUSAD and Kazuakisama. This extensive and creative mod brings a new layer of utility and mechanics to the already robust farming system of Stardew Valley by introducing powerful electrically-charged machines that are capable of auto-mining and breaking down materials.
It's a lot of fun and fits quite well with Stardew's aesthetic.
Expanded Mod
As its name suggests, the Expanded Mod is a major expansion of everything in Stardew Valley. Changes are made in character creation right off the bat, and the mod adds a new layout called Grandpa's Farm, which is big farmland complete with new landmarks and shortcuts to surrounding locations. Additionally, the Expanded Mod also overhauls Pelican Town's layout, color scheme, and locations.
One of the most exciting elements of the Expanded Mod is the new cast of characters available in the game. Overall, around 15 new NPCs are in the Expanded Mod, and five are marriage candidates. Created by Nexus Mod user FlashShifter, the Expanded Mod is a must-try for veteran Stardew Valley fans.
Chest Label System
Sometimes it's the small things that can make a big difference. Stardew Valley is a beautifully structured game that features a lot of great little details but there are still some quality-of-life things that are missing which would greatly improve the gameplay for some.
A great example of this is chests and how they operate. Normal chests have no changeable moniker, making it difficult for players who craft a mass abundance of chests for storage. It can be difficult to remember what is inside each chest and those that crave organization will want to keep all of their "like items" together in one container. To remedy this issue (and keep players from having to craft a bunch of signs), players can download the Chest Label System from Mauricio Gomes.
Tractor Mod
Every farmer should have their own tractor and now players in Stardew Valley can procure this ridable tool thanks to this awesome mod from Pathoschild. It's an immersive mod too, allowing players to gather the materials to purchase a Tractor Garage from Robin, rather than simply giving them access to one right off the bat.
Once players gather the necessary tools and wait a couple of days for their Tractor Garage to be built, they'll be able to hop onto the Tractor whenever they want and clear some of the trickier parts of their land. This ridable marvel acts like all of the players' tools at once, giving them the ability to quickly clear rocks, twigs, and other debris from the surrounding area while simultaneously allowing users to plant seeds, water crops, and even milk cows.
Loved Labels
Amassing a huge farm filled with animals is one of the best joys in Stardew Valley. For all of its intricate systems and side content, those coming to the "farming simulator" to "farm" as much as possible will be delighted at the heaps of animal companions they can own. But it can get downright difficult to show all of these animals affection and adoration, especially when players are greeted by a sea of chickens and cows each morning.
Thankfully, this mod from Jinxiewinxie places handy "loved labels" on all of the players' animals, helping to easily keep track of which ones are happy and healthy and which ones need a bit more affection from their owner.
Gift Taste Helper Mod
One of the biggest features in Stardew Valley is romance and marriage. Similar to other games, Stardew Valley measures the character's relationship with a villager through heart levels. For bachelors and bachelorettes, players can take heart levels up to 10, making them eligible for marriage. However, new players must know that increasing heart levels is no easy task, and the best way to boost that is by giving villagers gifts.
Just like in real life, villagers in Stardew Valley won't enjoy every single item in the game. Instead, each villager has certain items belonging to five categories: Love, Like, Neutral, Dislike, and Hate, making it challenging for players to guess what exactly each villager likes to receive. The Gift Taste Helper mod makes things easy, as players who install the mod will get an in-game record of an NPC's favorite gifts
Reverse Proposal Mod
In Stardew Valley and in the many games that inspired it, the romance mechanic has always been the same. Players pursue a villager they like, raise their heart level, and ask their hand in marriage. Given the limitations of video games, the romance mechanic always worked this way, but one mod changes the traditional romance format.
It is worth noting that the reverse proposal mod only applies to the boyfriend/girlfriend stage as of this writing. Once players reach eight heart levels with a certain villager, they will visit the player to ask them to be their boyfriend/girlfriend. Additionally, it is worth noting that the reverse proposal mod only applies to Sebastian, Alex, Harvey, Same Shane, and Elliot. However, according to creator GreenOnion24, they will add support for Abigail, Haley, Maru, Emily, and Leah in the future.
NPC Map Locations Mod
Although Pelican Town isn't that big, it can still be difficult to locate each villager, especially those who want to pursue marriage. Apart from the time wasted by running around the entire town to locate a villager, each NPC in the game adheres to a schedule that changes per day and season. Luckily, players can download the NPC Map Locations Mod, allowing players to track every NPC in the game by simply checking their map. This makes it easy for players to hunt down certain villagers, saving them precious time that they can allocate to doing chores around the farm.
Stardew Valley is available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.