Beginners Guide - How to mod Stardew Valley + download mods

A step by step guide explaining how to mod Stardew Valley safely, where to download mods and recommendations :)

Introduction

Hey hey! In this guide, I will show you how to:

• Mod your game in Stardew Valley
  
• Add it as a separate game in your library
  
• Download and add mods

As well as some tips and warnings!

It doesn't matter if you haven't modded a game before, as this guide explains everything step by step for everyone to understand.

More guides:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2923609160
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2847224395

FAQ

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Doctor Timbrwulf:

This is safe, right? I wouldn't want to mod my game and be Steam VAC banned.

A: Yes, it is! ConcernedApe actually is in favor of modding in the community, and has released some updates that makes modding with SMAPI easier.

"Well there actually is a (mostly) modding related update in the works for Stardew Valley, which should ultimately make modding the game way easier, more flexible, and deeper." - ConcernedApe (link)

Installing SMAPI

PC (Windows / Mac / Linux)

1. Run the game at least once without SMAPI.
If you have already played Stardew Valley in the device you want to mod, you can skip this step.

2. Download SMAPI
https://smapi.io
This is the official website, meaning that no matter how old this guide is, SMAPI will always be updated :)

3. Extract the files somewhere you can find them
DO NOT EXTRACT THEM INSIDE THE GAME'S FILES.

You'll find these files:



4. Run the install file and follow the instructions.


If you didn't change the game's location when installing Stardew Valley, press 1 and then enter.
Otherwise, press 2 and type your game's location. (Easily found by looking at the properties of the game's shortcut)


Press 1 and then enter.


NOTE: If you wish to add Stardew Valley mods on Steam, copy the path. We are going to use it later (read next section).

---

Android

1. Run the game at least once without SMAPI.
If you have already played Stardew Valley in the device you want to mod, you can skip this step.

2. Download SMAPI's APK installer.
https://github.com/ZaneYork/SMAPI-Android-Installer/releases
If you can't find the file, it's under the Assets tab.


3. Install the APK on your phone.

4. Run the app installed to install SMAPI.
Note: This process might take a while depending on your device.

5. You can now uninstall the installer app safely.

---

Possible errors

Game folder not located:

 "Where is your game folder? Oops, couldn't find the game automatically. Type the file path to the game directory (the one containing 'Stardew Valley.exe'), then press enter." 

If you didn't change your game's default location when you installed it, the game should be in here:

Windows:

 C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Stardew Valley 

Mac:

 ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/Stardew Valley/Contents/MacOS 

Linux:

 ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Stardew Valley 

Android

 /storage/emulated/0/StardewValley/Mods 

[OPTIONAL] Adding Stardew Valley Mods to your Steam library

This section is about adding Stardew Valley mods as another game to your Steam library and it's entirely OPTIONAL. Do this if you want to have it in a shortcut like me, or skip to the next section.

1. Go to your Steam library and click on "Add a game"


2. Select "Add a non-Steam game..."


3. Click on Browse...


4. Paste the path we previously saved when we installed SMAPI.
Note: If you can't get the folder to open, delete the last part of the path so you get directed to the folder, not to the .exe

If you can't find it, it's inside the game's files and it's named "StardewValleyModdingAPI.exe".

Select the .exe and then click on Add Selected Program.

And there you have it! You can either play with or without mods whenever you want!

Does Steam still keeps track of the hours played?

Yep. The hours you spend either in a modded or non-modded game in Stardew Valley are all counted under the original game (unlike Tmodloader for example).

Hours will be tracked as long as you add Stardew Valley Mods as a non-steam game OR modify the game's launch options (not covered in this guide, as I do not recommend it)

Can I still get achievements?

Absolutely.

WARNINGS

• DON'T OPEN YOUR MODDED GAME WITHOUT LOADING MODS as the game will probably if not surely break and you'll lose everything.
  
  
• Make a backup of your unmodded game if you're suddenly going to mod it
  
  
• Steam cloud saves your gamefile, however IT DOES NOT SAVE YOUR MODS.
  You should backup your mods folder in case you want to play your modded playthrough in another computer. Otherwise you'd have to re-download everything again and if one mod is missing, your game will break.
  
  
• Always check your mod's last update, as it might be made for previous versions of Stardew Valley and they no longer work.

Downloading Mods

Fun part!

Recommended sites to download mods:

1. NexusMods[www.nexusmods.com]
2. ModDrop[www.moddrop.com]

Be super careful with what you download, I do not take responsability if you download something that damages your computer. Safest option is to download community trusted mods (such as Stardew Valley Expanded)

If a mod requires you to download other mods, download them as they're necessary for the mod to work. Otherwise Stardew Valley won't launch. NexusMods and ModDrop always lets you know about requirements previous downloading.

Adding Mods

1. Go to your game's directory folder. You will now find a new folder called "Mods".
You can easily find it by right clicking your game and going to the local files.


2. Extract your mods inside the Mods folder and launch your modded Stardew Valley.

If there isn't anything missing, the game will load correctly!
If there is a problem, don't worry, SMAPI will let you know what's wrong and you can easily fix it (Example: Required mod missing, mod not updated, etc)

END

Congratulations! You have now modded Stardew Valley :)

Now that you have the power of mods in your hands, you can check out my other mods guides here:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2898035013

If you liked this guide, you can always show your support by rating or giving awards! Thank you as always <3

If you have any doubts, let me know in the comments!

[苍穹之小白]

so pretty

[KA1JU]

⠀

[Azza]

@Apple_bobapple123 yup! here's a guide for xbox gamepass :) https://stardewvalleywiki.com/Modding:Installing_SMAPI_on_Windows#Xbox_app

[Apple_bobapple123]

is it possible to get mods if i got the game on the xbox game pass?

[Azza]

@MetaSamsara nope! just make sure you update SMAPI and your mods

[MetaSamsara]

how long is it gonna take probably before we can mod 1.6? will old mods break with the new modding framework?

[yaoi-sama]

what's that portrait mod in your pfp called op @azzadraws

[fellow_human100101]

umm...Which install file did u use? I used Windows since thats my computer type but its completely different from what this guide uses from there in out

[mooshietoon]

so i found that it's just art and not part of a mod unfortunately : ( here's the artist tho https://www.instagram.com/starthunder_in/

[pr0ncracker]

+1 interested in the portrait mod used as your thumbnail, please.