Stardew modding is beginner-friendly: install SMAPI, then drop mods into the Mods folder. SMAPI checks for updates and tells you exactly which mod is broken or missing a requirement. Stardrop or Vortex are optional managers if you like a UI.
Steps
- Back up your saves. Copy %AppData%/StardewValley/Saves (Windows) or ~/.config/StardewValley/Saves (Linux/macOS) somewhere safe.
- Install SMAPI. Download it from smapi.io, run the installer and pick your game folder. If the installer shows Steam launch options (Linux/macOS), add them so Steam starts SMAPI.
- Launch once. Start the game; a SMAPI console window opens beside it. Quit once you reach the title screen.
- Install frameworks. Unzip Content Patcher, Generic Mod Config Menu and SpaceCore into the Mods folder (each in its own subfolder).
- Install the mods you want. Unzip each into Mods. Larger mods like Stardew Valley Expanded list extra requirements on their page; install those too.
- Read the SMAPI console. Red lines name broken or missing mods; yellow lines usually mean an update is available.
- Check compatibility after game updates. The smapi.io/mods list shows which mods work with the current game version.
Common pitfalls
- Nested folders. A mod folder must contain its manifest.json directly (Mods/LookupAnything/manifest.json), not inside another folder.
- Starting the game without SMAPI. Mods only load when the game runs through SMAPI.
- Missing dependencies. SMAPI will skip a mod and tell you which requirement is missing.
- Removing big content mods mid-save. Uninstalling something like Stardew Valley Expanded from an ongoing save can lose items or areas.
Rolling back
- Move a mod's folder out of Mods (or rename it to start with a dot) to disable it.
- If a game update broke SMAPI, wait for SMAPI to update, or use Steam's "beta" tab to switch to the previous version if ConcernedApe offers one.
- Restore your saves backup if a save starts misbehaving after removing mods.