How to Add Custom Songs, Mods, and Migrate to r2modman

The purpose of this guide is to assist players seeking additional third-party curated content for the game. It will walk you through a step-by-step process of installing appropriate files and adding custom songs and mods as per your preference.

If there are any concerns, please seek assistance in the Trombone Champ Modding Discord[discord.gg].

If you are perhaps more computer literate, then the Trombone Champ Modding Wiki[trombone.wiki] is likely more poised for you.

This guide is specifically articulated to individuals who are new or have rudimentary experience in file navigation and modding, every step of the process is explained to better help understand the content needed to be installed. Please feel free to point out any errors or suggest improvements.

I made this guide because I found it difficult to modify the game files due to the scarce presence the game had in the rhythm game community at the time. I ended up finding the Discord Server in a place you'd last expect it to be, eventually leading to the creation of this guide. I wanted anyone who wished to play their favorite songs to never go through the same troubles I had in the hope of having pleasure in everyone getting to play their favorite songs.

Huge thanks goes out to the Trombone Champ Modding Community for making this possible.

🎥[ALT] Video Tutorial🎞️

If you don't like reading, this is an alternate video tutorial on Windows and Linux by Rayanne.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0rud1uJ0o0&t=0s
This tutorial details the recommended method of installing r2modman, adding custom songs via an in-game downloader, and migration.

r2modman Migration[trombone.wiki]

( ↑ The section header leads to the Wiki Migration Guide, if this section happens not to work or otherwise becomes dated.)

If this is your first time modifying the game, continue to Step 1. This section will serve as as a way for existing users to migrate their custom songs and mods to r2modman.

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r2modman is a mod manager that allows you to easily install, update, and manage your mods for the game. Avoid the hassle of manually installing mods and custom songs, and enjoy the convenience of having all your mods in one place. This simplifies the process of updating your mods and keeping them organized. By using r2modman, you can focus on playing the game with the mods you want, without worrying about the technical details.

The idea here is to streamline the installation process so that people won't get caught up on the process of setting everything up, and won't have to deal with the hassle of having to update your mods manually every time something breaks, r2modman does that for you.

If you've already followed this guide, or the wiki, then it is suggested that this is done so that you'll be able to maintain any updates to mods instead of having to manually look for them in the discord server. This is also required to prevent the black screen glitch that may come if any vital mods happen to be outdated.

ℹ️ (Make sure to follow this guide fully - otherwise you could end up with missing save data!)

TrombLoader 2 changes the way save data is handled in a way that’s incompatible with TrombLoader 1. Data is automatically migrated when upgrading, but switching back and forth between the two can result in scores going missing from saves.

So we’ll walk you through uninstalling TrombLoader 1.

1. Open the Game Directory on Steam

If you don't know or remember this process, here is how.

1. Right-click the game in your Steam Library
   
2. Click "Manage"
   
3. Click "Browse local files"

2. Open the BepInEx Folder

Uninstall the following folder

• 🗂️plugins - you can reinstall your mods with r2modman in the next step

Keep the following folders

• 🗂️CustomSongs - This has all your custom songs, I take it you don't want to lose it.
  
• 🗂️config* - This is basically the settings for all your mods, unless you've tinkered with the cfg files in this folder, you can either choose to keep it or leave it.

3. Install Trombloader 2

Follow the guide until you finish Step 5, (Installing Songs) then return here.

4. Migrate your Songs

r2modman now stores mod files in a “profile” directory outside of the game folder. This means it won’t load your existing custom songs until we move them!

1. You can get to the profile folder by doing the following on the r2modman window

1. Click, “Settings”
   
2. Click, “Browse profile folder”

2. Navigate into the BepInEx folder.



3. Paste or move your old CustomSongs folder to this directory.



And that's it! You've successfully migrated your songs and mods into r2modman!

Disclaimer

Every time If you want to play the game with your mods an custom songs, reminder to click the "Modded" Button in r2modman, not Steam, or else you'll end up playing the game in vanilla.

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*Optional

1. [START] Download r2modman

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For Windows, Linux, and Steam Deck[github.com]

Click the link in the section header above. ↑

r2modman is a mod manager that allows you to easily install, update, and manage your mods for the game. Avoid the hassle of manually installing mods and custom songs, and enjoy the convenience of having all your mods in one place. This simplifies the process of updating your mods and keeping them organized. By using r2modman, you can focus on playing the game with the mods you want, without worrying about the technical details.

The tutorial for MacOS does not use r2modman, but will use The Trombone Champ Mod Manager, works with MacOS Big Sur (11) and up, the tutorial for MacOS users will be found at the end of this section.

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Windows

You would want to download one of the following assets

• r2modman-Setup-[VERSION].exe - installs the mod manager to your system
  
• r2modman-[VERSION].exe - runs r2modman without any sort of installation

Simply run the installer or the program in order to open r2modman.

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Linux

Refer to which package manager your system is using to determine which file to download.

r2modman is available in different package formats depending on your distro:

• .deb for Debian and Ubuntu-based distros
  
• .pacman for Arch-based disros
  
• .rpm for distros using the RPM Package Manager (RHEL, CentOS, Fedora, openSUSE, etc.)
  
• .AppImage, a single executable file that can run on most distros - useful for Steam Deck

Download the appropriate package file for your distro and install it according to your package manager’s documentation.

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Steam Deck

⚠️The following must be done prior:

• Trombone Champ is installed into the internal storage - mods will not load if the game is installed to the MicroSD card.
  
• Enter Desktop Mode by holding down the power button and selecting Desktop Mode from the menu - installation will be done in Desktop Mode.

⚠️r2modman does not work in Game Mode. Please make sure to read Step 7D. Using Mods in Steam Deck’s Game Mode section for a workaround once you’ve finished with the Installing r2modman section. (Step 2)⚠️

Once that's done, download the version with the .AppImage extension and keep it in a safe location such as your Desktop or your Documents folder.

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Visual Guide

If you don't know what I'm talking about and are confused, use the image below as guidance to determine which asset to download for your Operating System



⚠️Version numbers may be outdated, if this is the case, please install the latest release of r2modman.⚠️

---

For MacOS[github.com]

Click the GitHub Link in the header above. ↑

This is not r2modman, but rather the MacOS alternative that works only for Trombone Champ on MacOS.

⚠️NOTE: Trombone Champ Mod Manager supports MacOS Big Sur (11) and up.

Download the asset, "Trombone.Champ.Mod.Manager.[VERSION].dmg" by clicking it.



⚠️Version in image above may be outdated, if this is the case, please install the latest release.⚠️

You can continue and skip Step 2 of this guide by following the instructions in the README.md section here[github.com], but; if for some reason you want to continue following this guide, the same instructions for installing Trombone Champ Mod Manager are also in Step 2.

2. Installing r2modman

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For Windows

Inside the downloaded .zip file, run the executable file, or .exe. Follow the steps in the installer.

Move on to Step 3.

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For Linux

If you've followed the instructions for Linux in Step 1, Download r2modman you may move on to Step 3.

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For Steam Deck

To install, you will need to mark the file as an executable.

How to Mark a File as an Executable

1. Right-click .AppImage file
   
2. Select Properties
   
3. Switch to Permissions tab
   
4. Enable the checkbox, "Is Executable"
   
5. Click OK

It should look like this.

After marking the file as executable, you can now double-click the AppImage to open r2modman.

Move on to Step 3.

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For MacOS

Open the app, it'll ask you to install BepInEx, press the "Install BepInEx" button to do that. If the installation path for Trombone Champ is not the default one, the app will ask you to select it in Finder.


After BepInEx is installed, you'll have to tell steam to use it. Just follow the instructions in the program. When you've finished that, press "I've finished!".


If you're having trouble reading, here are the instructions:

1. Open Steam
   
2. Right click Trombone Champ in your Library
   
3. Click "Properties"
   
4. Click General in the sidebar (if you're already in General, skip)
   
5. *Copy and paste the following text below the list in Launch Options (quotations included)
   
6. Launch Trombone Champ once then exit.

Move on to Step 3.

3. Navigating r2modman

Once you have succesfully installed r2modman, you can finally install mods.

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Launch r2modman

You'll be greeted with this screen.

Select “Trombone Champ”, and click “Select Game”

ℹ️ (If you don't see it, use the search bar or scroll down to find "Trombone Champ".)

It will ask you to choose which profile to use. For this guide’s purposes, we will stick with the Default profile. Click “Select profile”

This will lead us to this screen

Click “Online” on the sidebar. This will bring up a list of all available to download mods on Thunderstore.

4. Installing Trombloader 2

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For Windows, Linux, and Steam Deck

From here, you may choose which mods you would like to download and install. Click on TrombLoader, and then click on Download.

ℹ️ (If you do not see TrombLoader, use the search bar or scroll down.)



It will ask you which version to use. Download the latest version, which is already selected for you by default. Click “Download with dependencies” or “Download”.


⚠️Version in image is outdated, please install the latest version.⚠️

---

For MacOS

You should be at this screen


From here, you may choose which mods you would like to download and install. We want TrombLoader, which is responsible for loading custom songs, along with many other mods depending on it. Scroll around the list and install it.

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For Windows, Linux, Steam Deck & MacOS

Do the same for “BepInExPack_TromboneChamp”



Once you are done installing your mods, you may click on, “Start modded” or "Launch Trombone Champ!" This will launch the game with your mods.



That’s it! You have just successfully modded Trombone Champ!

Godspeed, Tromboner.

5. Where to Install Songs

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Pre-Installation Setup

This is to help you find where to put your custom songs once you've downloaded them.

The steps for installing custom songs are more or the less the same as specified in the original guide. The only difference is that it's all now in r2modman instead.

Your BepInEx folder can be found by doing the following on the r2modman window

1. Click "Settings"
   
2. Click, "Browse profile folder"

This step will also apply to those seeking to migrate their files to r2modman



From there, your BepInEx folder is the BepInEx folder that you be using.





ℹ️ (If there is no CustomSongs folder inside your BepInEx folder, run the game once by clicking, "Start Modded" or "Launch Trombone Champ". If that doesn’t generate the folder, you may make it yourself.)

Move on to Step 6 to find where to download custom songs.

6. Where to Download Custom Songs〽️

There are four places where you can get your fill of custom songs.

1. The Trombone Champ Modding Discord Server[discord.gg]*
   
2. The TromboneDB[tc-mods.github.io]
   
3. TootTally Website[toottally.com]**
   
4. TootTally Song In-Game Downloader

After the disclaimer explains all of the available options in greater detail.

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Disclaimer

If you have concerns about the security or legitimacy of the download links provided through these methods, rest assured: all custom songs are thoroughly scanned by a verified bot before being officially published to the Discord server, spreadsheet, website, or database.

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1. The Trombone Champ Modding Discord Server[discord.gg]

The Trombone Champ Modding Discord Server is currently the main community hub for all things Trombone Champ, Trombone Champ: Unflattened, Custom Songs, Mods, etc.

As for downloading custom songs, the #custom-charts channel is where you can find and download songs that are posted daily. If you feel like there's a song you believe should be in the game, you can leave a request in #chart-requests.

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2. TromboneDB[tc-mods.github.io]

TromboneDB is the replacement for the spreadsheet, with every chart mirrored to avoid download links expiring. Updates once an hour. Every song has been mirrored to archive.org.

TromboneDB has extensive filters, able to sort custom sings by ID, Name, Artist, Charter, Difficulty, Year, etc.

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3. TootTally[toottally.com]

TootTally is a standalone website dedicated to the competitive side of Trombone Champ. the website hosts an advanced search function for charts along with user-friendly filter options based around difficulty, official, custom, rated and non-rated charts.

Simply search for a song of interest with the appropriate filter and get your results.



Next, you can click the download link button to quickly install your song of choice.

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4. TootTally Song In-Game Downloader

The TootTally In-Game Song Downloader allows the user to download songs from a separate menu and start playing right away without the cumbersomeness of needing to restart the game every time you download a new song.

TL;DR
You don't need the spreadsheet or discord server to download songs.

This method alone skips the entirety of Step 7.

Prerequisites
Note: Installing TootTally Song Downloader first will also install the other dependencies.

• TootTally Core[trombone-champ.thunderstore.io]
  
• TootTally Settings[trombone-champ.thunderstore.io]
  
• TootTally Song Downloader[trombone-champ.thunderstore.io]

You'll notice a new button in the main menu labeled 'MOD SETTINGS" that directs you to TootTally Settings. If you have installed any other TootTally modules they'll be present. For in game song downloads, click the blue 'MORESONGS' Module.





You'll be greeted with a search bar and two filters, Rated and Unrated (more to be added i.e genre, length, difficulty)

Current Filters

• Rated - Filters for charts rated and verified by the TootTally Rating Team, these charts have been reviewed manually and judged to ensure the chart is of high quality and provides a fun and fair gameplay experience. Playing rated charts earns you ***tt points in your TootTally account (if you have one)
  
• Unrated - Filters for charts that are not rated or have not yet gone under review by the TootTally Rating Team, the chart quality of these songs may vary.
  
• Not Owned - Filters for charts that you do not have installed already.

Clicking Search with nothing in the search bar will give you all recently published charts.

**If a chart of interest is shown as N/A, clicking the globe icon brings you to the chart's leaderboard on the TootTally website, where you can manually download the song there if there is a link present.

Once you've downloaded any number of songs for your choice and leave the menu, the game will refresh the song list, loading in your custom songs.

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**Not every chart in the TootTally Website or the Song Downloader will have a download link available, charts that are missing their download links are subject to change. If you wish to download a chart and encounter this issue, you must fallback to the other 2 installation methods: The Google Spreadsheet and the Modding Discord. Refer to Step 7 on how to install custom songs manually.

***tt = Terformance Toints, represents an accurate evaluation of a user's gameplay skill on TootTally. Similar to pp in Osu! and Beat Saber.

---

Head to Step 8.

7. 🎵Installing Custom Songs🎶

NOTICE: If you used the TootTally In-Game Downloader, this step may be entirely skipped.

Once you have your compressed file, extract the files in the "CustomSongs" folder, DO NOT CHANGE THE FOLDER NAME or the songs won't work.



The image above shows what your CustomSongs folder should look like.

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Note that the compressed file will usually contain a single folder. There may be an instance where the compressed file just contains these 3 files instead.

• bg.mp4*
  
• bg.png*
  
• bg.trombackground*
  
• SERIALIZED_0_Bgvideo.mp4**
  
• song.ogg
  
• song.tmb

If the zip file extracts with these files only with no folder to contain them, you can simply make your own folder and name it accordingly.

*These files are interchangeable based on what song is downloaded.

**These files may accompany a song that use video and custom backgrounds.

7D. Using Mods in Steam Deck’s Game Mode

One last thing for you folks,

1. If you're on Steam Deck, force compatibility on the latest version of GE-Proton as some custom songs which include background videos won't work.

ℹ️ (Even with GE-Proton, you may still experience some issues with video playback depending on your setup.)

2. r2modman will not work in Steam Deck’s Game mode, and therefore mods will not load by default.

To get around this, do the following on Desktop Mode on Steam

1. Right-click the game in your Steam Library
   
2. Click, "Properties"
   
3. Paste the following below into the Launch Options

WINEDLLOVERRIDES="winhttp=n,b" %command% --doorstop-enable true --doorstop-target "/home/deck/.config/r2modmanPlus-local/TromboneChamp/profiles/Default/BepInEx/core/BepInEx.Preloader.dll" --r2profile "Default"

This will instruct the game to launch with the Default profile we configured in r2modman earlier, so all your mods and custom songs installed there will be available.

8. [END] Play the Game

Your custom songs should now be in the song selection, usually as the last song in the list. You should be able to play the song without any issues.

Congrats, you've modded the game and installed custom songs into Trombone Champ! Happy Tooting!

If you have downloaded TootTally and you're using the In-Game Downloader, if you add any songs to the CustomSongs folder while the game is running, you can use the shortcut Ctrl-R to refresh the songlist.

As of Update 1.09, The Steam Leaderboard has been added, and if you're wondering, you cannot submit scores for custom songs. Alternatively, download TootTally and create an account to register scores for custom songs.

If you are using r2modman, you must run the game on r2modman or TCMM every time to play Trombone Champ modded, if you run the game on steam, you'll end up playing the game as if no mods were installed.

If you have any questions or concerns, please direct them to the Trombone Champ Modding Discord[discord.gg] I will only be responding to comments that require tweaking the guide.

For additional information, head to the Trombone Champ Wiki[trombone.wiki]

Thanks to the Trombone Champ Modding community for making this all possible.

9. [BONUS] Recommended Mods

I take it you're here because you want to enhance the experience or just finished setting up r2modman or TCMM, either way, these are the mods and plugins I personally recommend.

Hyperlinks for those using the manual installation method are linked, but most of these can also be found on the Discord Server in #mod-releases, r2modman, and TCMM as well.

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AutoToot[trombone-champ.thunderstore.io]

by TomDot

AutoToot automatically plays a chart for you, having a hard time with a chart and want see how it's played? Maybe you just want to listen to it, perhaps you're creating a chart but don't want to play the game but rather see if the timing is right?

To activate Autotoot, press F8 when the curtains open on any chart. You can also change the keybind & timing in the config file for personal preference.

You'll know Autotoot is activated as text at the bottom of your screen indicates Autotoot has been activated.

Autotoot will not submit scores if you have Toottally installed to discourage cheating on Online Leaderboards.

Categories: QoL, Gameplay

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SkipIntro[trombone-champ.thunderstore.io]

by ckosmic

SkipIntro skips the game's intro sequence and auto selects your save file. As a result, this makes entry into the game much quicker, perfect for testing mods or songs without having to wait.

Run the game first to generate the config file, you can then edit the config file and change the SaveSlot value depending on your save file.

This process is simplified if you have r2modman, click Edit Config on the sidebar and look for "BepInEx/config/SkipIntro.cfg" and edit the SaveSlot Value w/o having to look for the file itself.

Save File	SaveSlot Value
Left	0 (Default)
Middle	1
Right	2

Running the game now should bring you right to the Main Menu, skipping Save Select and the Dark Souls title screen.

Categories: QoL

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SongOrganizer[trombone-champ.thunderstore.io]

by emmett

SongOrganizer adds new filters, options, a favorite system, and a search bar for sorting songs in Song Selection. This mod is great if you happen to have a massive offload of custom songs and are having a hard time navigating the simple scrolling menu.

Categories: QoL

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InstantScores[trombone-champ.thunderstore.io]

by emmett

InstantScores skips the ending animation when you finish a song, saving time and letting you see the results right away.

Categories: QoL

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InstantRandom[trombone-champ.thunderstore.io]

by emmett

InstantRandom selects a random song without waiting for the animation to finish, saving time and letting you see the selected song without having to wait a few seconds.

Categories: QoL

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QuickestRestart[thunderstore.io]

by emmett

QuickestRestart immediately restarts the current chart, bypassing the pause menu. R or Q by default, configurable in settings.

Categories: QoL, Gameplay

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UncapFPS[thunderstore.io]

by emmett / TomDotBat

Removes the framerate limit, making key inputs more responsive and reducing input delay.

Categories: QoL, Gameplay

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[DEPRECIATED] InputFix[trombone-champ.thunderstore.io]

by emmett

[NOTICE]: This mod is now deprecated as base game tooting hosts similar input properties.

InputFix fixes the input delay, but also allows you to press multiple keys at once to toot without the game stopping you. What this means is you can rapid-fire the trombone and hit consecutive tap notes. (Skill may vary)

Categories: QoL, Gameplay

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[DEPRECIATED] SongPreview[trombone-champ.thunderstore.io]

by emmett

[NOTICE]: This mod is now deprecated as the base game now has it's own song preview.

SongPreview allows you to sample a clip of a song that plays in the Song Selection Menu, in case you forgot what a song sounded like.

Categories: QoL

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CustomScoreText / EnormousSibling[trombone-champ.thunderstore.io]

by WWRS

CustomScoreText allows you to change the text displayed when you hit a note. For example, you can replace the default text like 'PERFECTO' with something else, such as 'INCREDIBLE'. You can make these changes in the config file or through r2modman.

There is no character limit, but bear in mind that that at a certain point the score text will be cropped if it goes past your display.



Example image of the mod in use.

P.S
I have no idea why it's named EnormousSibling, don't ask.

Categories: Visual, Fun

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KeepMyTromboner[trombone-champ.thunderstore.io]

by Christoffyw

KeepMyTromboner lets you preserve your Tromboner settings without having to constantly pick the options you want every time.

Categories: QoL

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The TootTally Suite[thunderstore.io]

by gristCollector / electrostats / emmett

Currently in active development, TootTally is an ambitious mod library initially designed as an alternative to Steam Leaderboards for custom charts played using TrombLoader.

Compete with other players by submitting your scores to an online leaderboard, and discover new songs to play!

TootTally offers a wide range of sub-mods, including:

• Global Leaderboards for Custom Songs
  
• Custom Menu Themes (+ Editor)
  
• Improved Scroll Speed Slider
  
• Chart Replay System
  
• Algorithm Rated Song Difficulty for Custom Songs
  
• A friend/follower system
  
• Spectator Mode
  
• In Game Song Downloader
  
• Additional Modules (Twitch Integration, Game Tweaks, Custom Cosmetics, etc.)

Additionally, if you have SongOrganizer installed, TootTally adds 2 new filters: Unrated and Rated.

Upon launching the game with TootTally installed, you will be prompted to create an account. Having an account allows you to record your most recent and best plays, as well as participate in the Global Leaderboard, which can be found at: https://toottally.com/leaderboard/

Categories: QoL, Gameplay, New Content, Visual

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Most of these mods are already available in r2modman and TCMM, the hyperlinks are purely for those who wish to continue using the original installation method.

[Kolyan108]

Thanks, it's working! And told in a clear, understandable, uncluttered way.

[Joy]

nerd

[xAʟᴇssᴀɴᴅʀᴏ_25]

I needed that sh*t af

[xkallibah]

i am useless when it comes to all this stuff but your video was very easy to follow. thank you for your efforts

[Moong_Moong(KR)]

I'm using MacOS but even if I downloaded some mods, there's nothing difference and it doesn't even show me the custom song buttons too.

[Σierra]

@wyattwolf2

Glad to hear you sorted it out!

[wyattwolf2]

I've installed steam as a system package and that solved the launch issues! I could probably have tried figuring out folder access permissions, but I'm alright with using the system package instead of flatpak. I trust Valve for now.

[Σierra]

@wyattwolf2

You can try asking the Modding Discord for help, I don't know anything about flatpak.

[wyattwolf2]

I've tried a few ways of installing mods, none were seen in the game.
I use steam flatpak. Can anyone give me some advice?

[Σierra]

@GOLDENEYEGOD

Indeed, but it's worth playing your favorites!