20 Best Stardew Valley Mods

Stardew Valley is a game with a large following, and a growing fanbase, so mods were just a matter of time and there are plenty of them to choose from.

The mods on this list will give you everything you need for an exciting farm season and adventures. They range from new plants, items, graphics, and of course gameplay improvements. Even in its original state, Stardew Valley is an excellent game, but here are the mods to make it more to your liking, and improve an already amazing experience!

Stardew Valley Expanded

Author: FlashShifter
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/3753

You might think, since Stardew Valley is already complex what is there to expand in the game? Stardew Valley Expanded adds a ton of stuff to the game, and those include things such as new NPCs, locations, new quests, maps, music, and even fish. It is a massive mod, with great content upgrades, 24 new NPCs, and 30 hours of extra playtime.

The mod also comes with numerous tweaks and improvements, and if there ever was a must-have mod, it’s this one. It still isn’t finished, but the updates are regular and numerous.

Content Patcher

Author: Pathoschild
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/1915

Content Patcher is one of the most essential things on this list as it will allow you to mod your game effortlessly, without replacing the XNB files. It will load content packs much easier, and a lot of mods are compatible with Content Patcher. Another big plus is that content packs, get automatic updates and are easy to install, also causing less conflict with game updates. It also runs in tandem with SMAPI.

Stardew Modding API

Author: Pathoschild
Download Link: https://smapi.io/

Stardew Modding API, or SMAPI for short is a mod loader that works on all platforms. A community-made API, that is regularly updated and maintained, and it will check for any possible conflicts and updates. On its wiki, there is a detailed guide on its installation and use, and if needed keeping your achievements.

It’s also one of the more essential modding tools that you will need for your game if you plan to mod it. Several modding managers are out there, but this and Stardrop are among the best ones.

Tractor Mod

Author: Pathoschild
Download Mod: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/1401

This mod does exactly what it says, adds a tractor. With it, you can do farming faster, as it does the same things as most of the basic tools. You will more efficiently, clear twigs, work with crops, break rocks, fertilize, etc.

Due to it being an endgame item, it is an expensive thing like most tractors, but once you get it, your life will get much easier. If you’re looking to modernize your farm, then this is the mod for you.

Farmtronics

Author: JoeStrout
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/10634

If you’re looking for some sci-fi element in your playthrough, then this is the mod for you. It will give you a variety of robots that can water corps, plant, harvest, and other farming jobs, while you’re busy doing other things. The robots are useful, and will also be aware of their surroundings and will indicate their status by changing the color of their status light.

However, to get one of the Farmtronics, you will need to complete a task on the Farmtronics Computer that is going to be attached to your TV. Completing it, you can buy additional robots, from  Pierre’s shop. So, if you’re looking for even more automatization, Farmtronics is the mod to get!

Ellie’s Ideal Greenhouse

Author: ellibear117
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/7497

Greenhouses are the staple of any modern farm, and several mods do just that. One of the better mods is Ellie’s Ideal Greenhouse. It comes with three different expansions depending on your playthrough: Modest, Expanded, and Spacious. Each of these expansions can be used, and a good layout is important for both the central plot and the tree spaces.

However, keep in mind that this mod works best on an empty greenhouse, so be sure to empty it before trying it out. With that being said, enjoy your new greenhouse!

Better Ranching

Author: urbanyeti
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/859

This mod is simple, yet very helpful if you’re planning on running a ranch. Better Ranching will prevent failing milking and shearing attempts, and give you a neat indicator that will notify you when the animals are ready to be milked, petted, and sheared. It’s essentially a quality-of-life feature, since you won’t have to stay around and check every single animal.

A simple mod, that can save you a lot of time, and if you plan on running a ranch this is the mod to get.

Teh’s Fishing Overhaul

Author: TehPers
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/866/

The fishing minigame might not be suitable for everyone, so why not overhaul it and make it more enjoyable? Teh’s Fishing Overhaul, as the name implies completely overhauls the fishing minigame, and changes the chances of catching fish, and finding treasure or trash. It also adds new fish and their new behavior, adds the possibility of the fish being unaware of you and most importantly it makes them easier to catch.

So, if you plan on playing a Riverland map, then give this mod a try, it will make things a lot easier to catch, and less frustrating.

Farm Extended

Author: Forkmaster
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/3496

If you find yourself unable to choose a map, why not try extending your farm? This mod will give you the benefits of all the specialized farms, and add areas for mining, fishing, and even a fence for the animals.

Farm Extended also adds, minecart and boat shortcuts, and in addition to all that a matching World Map. It gives you everything that you need if you can’t decide how to start, or need a new spin on the game.

DaisyNiko’s Earthy Recolour

Author: DaisyNiko
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/5255

If you want a livelier look to your game or are just looking for new tiles, then give Earthy Recolour a try. This mod includes edits for all outdoor maps and even adds new trees, buildings, and grass to make the environment more believable and match the terrain.

Seasonal Outfits

Author: Poltergeister
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/5450

Just like in real life, there are four seasons in the game, but it is a shame that NPC doesn’t change their clothes. With the Seasonal Outfits mod, each NPC will wear an appropriate seasonal outfit, adding to the game’s immersion. It is a simplified version of similar mods (Longevity and Seasonal Villager Outfits), as it features one outfit per season. However, it’s a nice mod, that quickly becomes an integral part of the game.

Stardew Valley Anime Mod

Author: OhoDavi
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/1839

Possibly the most popular graphic mod for the game, considering that it fits the game’s pixel art perfectly. Like the name suggests it changes the character profiles to more anime-themed ones.

The beauty of this mod is that while the change is obvious, all of the characters retain their look and personality. You will never be confused as to who you are interacting with and it gives the game a bit of that cool anime look.

Platonic Partners

Author: Amaranthacyan
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/8146

With so many marriage options in the game what if that isn’t just your style? Well, with this mod you will be able to have up to 10 relationships with other love interests, without getting married.

Once you reach the final events for that character, you don’t need to get married to live with them. This also relates to co-parenting and living together, giving you the option to do so without marriage.

Canon Friendly Dialogue Expansion

Author: gizzymo
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/2544

With so many great characters in the game, you will sooner or later love/hate some of them. However, if you played the game back-to-back, a few hundred times, some of the dialogue will get repetitive.

So, to expand on this, you should get the Canon Friendly Dialogue Expansion. It adds 2600+ new lines of dialogue, and 600 marriage dialogues along with 400 festival dialogues. That’s for each major NPC, which will give you a new perspective on your game!

Experience Bars

Author: spacechase0
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/509

Skills are a very important thing in the game, so the lack of experience bars is an odd choice. Experience gained lets you level up your skills, profession, recipes, and so on.

Tracking skills can be a chore, as the game never had a proper experience bar. So, as the mod names suggest, now you can have better tracking of your skills and how the progress is going. This makes the Experience Bars a very useful, if not essential mod for the game.

Gift Taste Helper

Author: tstaples
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/229

In case you have grown tired of looking up online, then this mod will be a lifesaver. Gift Taste Helper will provide you with a nice tooltip, showing you which of the character’s favorite gifts, while you’re on the social page.

The mod also has a progression mode, where certain mods will only show after you have already given a gift. Gift Taste Helper also supports multiple languages so it’s perfect for all players, and a great addition to the game.

Loved Labels

Author: jinxiewinxie
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/279

If you love animals or just want better animal products and thus more profit, you will need a great relationship with your animals.

However, if you have a big farm, it can be a problem to keep your progress with each animal. This is where the Loved Labels mod comes into play. It will show you a tooltip, that says which animal needs love, and if ones has been petted. As a bonus, it also works on the your own pet as well.

The Love of Cooking

Author: bblueberry
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/6830?tab=files

If you like cooking, but always wanted it more expanded then this is the mod for you! The Love of Cooking has a completely overwritten cooking menu which is rebuilt from the ground up, while giving you more control and greater immersion.

You can look up recipes, and filter the ones that you don’t like, and one of the biggest changes is that eating food will heal you over time, instead of instantly. There are even challenges that can unlock kitchen upgrades.

Automate

Author: Pathoschild
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/1063

Automate is a lifesaver when it comes to production, especially during late games. This mod will essentially create a production line, where you can connect chests with machines that pull raw materials automatically. What’s great is that you can even link multiple machines to one chest, creating unique paths even across longer distances.

It can even linked up with machines that aren’t just crafting machines, with stuff like fruit trees, bushes, and even bee houses. A mod that you should check out.

NPC Map Locations

Author: Bouhm
Download Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/239

A simple, yet probably one of the most valuable mods out there. This mod will give you the location of every NPC in the game, saving you precious time trying to look them up or find them around the map.

The mod also comes with plenty of helpful features, such as the minimap and the fact that it is compatible with other mods that change the character pics. However, the biggest plus for this mod is that it also works in multiplayer, allowing you to track down fellow players more easily.