The Best Stardew Valley Mods (2023)

Stardew Valley is a game all about customization, from choosing which villagers to make friends with to deciding how to layout your farm. It only makes sense that players would want to download mods to customize their experience even more.

Stardew Valley doesn’t include mod support natively, but fortunately, enterprising modders have developed their own way to enable mods. That means you’ll have to download an additional program to load some mods into Stardew Valley, but once you do, adding mods is simple.

How to install mods

To get started, you’ll have to download the Stardew Valley Modding API (SMAPI). Ensure you run Stardew Valley at least once if you haven’t already so the game can create its setup files, then extract the .zip file you get from the link above and run the .bat file to set up SMAPI.

If you’re using Steam to run Stardew Valley, you’ll then have to copy and paste a line of text in the SMAPI installer into the game’s launch options under the properties menu. Once that’s done, you can install mods by simply downloading them from Nexus Mods and unzipping the file into the Mods folder in your Stardew Valley installation. For more detailed instructions, check out the modding guide on the Stardew Valley wiki.

More straightforward mods don’t require SMAPI. Instead, you can download the mod and replace an existing file in the Stardew Valley installation with the one you download. It’s a good idea to make a backup copy of the original file first, though, in case you ever want to revert back to that version. You can check each mod’s Nexus page to see exactly where to install it.

With that out of the way, let’s get onto the best Stardew Valley mods.

Stardew Valley Anime Mods

For all the anime fans out there, there’s now a reason to start playing Stardew Valley. The Stardew Valley Anime Mod turns your boring western influenced art into a kawaii masterpiece. It’s no secret that this game is often compared to Harvest Moon and Rune Factory, and for that reason, having this mod is nostalgia heaven for a lot of us cozy vets. 

NPC Map Locations

NPC Map Locations tracks every villager’s location on your map, so you never have to waste a day just searching for someone you need to talk to again. In Stardew Valley, every character has their own life and will tend to wander to different areas. This mod considers your time, by ensuring no more wasted hours looking for that one character you need to give a gift to.

CJB Cheats Menu

If you have aspirations to become a complete god in Stardew Valley, this mod is for you. CJB Cheats Menu is similar to a debug console, letting you affect the game in dozens of different ways. You can use it to warp to different areas, instantly water your crops, grant yourself more health or money, change the weather, and lots more.

Save Anywhere (Stable Version)

One of the best things the Switch version of Stardew Valley did is let you suspend your game anywhere and pick up where you left off when you come back. Unfortunately, in the PC version, you still need to sleep to save your game. Save Anywhere remedies that by, you guessed it, letting you save anywhere. Beware, Save Anywhere has conflicts with mods that add new content to the game, so if you’re using a lot of other mods, there’s a chance this one won’t work for you. Check the mod page for details.

Tractor Mod

Are you tired of hoeing and plowing your vast acres of land by hand? Maybe those gardening tools are becoming a bit of a hassle to upkeep. Well, look no further than the aptly named Tractor Mod. This wonderful mod is the perfect addition to your ever-growing toolkit, as you relax on patented leather seats while tilling the field and listening to your favorite tunes. 

More Hairstyles

Some people might think that there are not enough customization items in Stardew Valley. You are created your character, but they maintain the same basic looks and style. That’s where the More Hairstyles mod comes in. Stand out from Stardew Valley players with a new style.

Stardew Valley Expanded

Stardew Valley Expanded takes the base game and extends it far beyond its normal reach. The mod includes new locations, new NPCs to interact with, and so, so much more. This is essentially a giant expansion to the game you can download for free. If you find your time with the base game starting to get stale, reinvigorate yourself with Expanded.

Scythe Harvesting V2.0

Scythe Harvesting makes it so you can harvest every single one of your crops and flowers using your scythe. No longer will you need to swap between items for different plants, cutting down on wasted time.

Automate

The Automate mod is a must-have if you’re tired of doing everything on your farm by hand. Once again, taking into consideration your time, you can place a chest of items next to your new hunk of machinery and use it to break down the raw materials much more conveniently. Did we mention it comes with an unlimited warranty?

Lookup Anything

Looking for someone? You are!? Well, look no further, this Lookup Anything mod is perfect for all you snoopers out there. Everything from villagers, favorite gifts, enemies, harvestable crops, and farm happiness is at your fingertips. Just don’t look for us if you don’t find this mod very useful.