A beginner's guide to installing Stardew Valley mods: SMAPI, Stardrop, and more
PC Gamer
by Andrea Shearon February 21, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Modding can transform Stardew Valley from a charming farming sim into a nearly limitless playground of creativity. While the vanilla game offers plenty to enjoy, adding mods opens up new possibilities for gameplay, allowing players to customize their experience in ways limited only by imagination. This guide walks through the essential steps to get started with modding, focusing on key tools like SMAPI (the Stardew Modding API) and Stardrop, a popular mod manager that streamlines organization and updates.
The process begins with downloading SMAPI, the backbone of the modding system, which must be installed before any mods can run. Players should also grab Stardrop and Content Patcher, both highly recommended tools for managing mods effectively. Once these are in place, finding mods is easy thanks to platforms like Nexus Mods and Curseforge, where a vast library of community-created content awaits.
The guide also emphasizes locating the correct mod folder within the game directory—a crucial step for ensuring mods load properly. While technically possible to manage mods manually, using tools like Stardrop is highly encouraged due to their ability to keep files tidy and troubleshoot issues efficiently. This not only saves time but also reduces the risk of errors that can crash the game or cause other problems.
For those new to modding, the process might seem daunting at first, but the guide breaks it down into clear steps. Launching the unmodded game once before installing SMAPI is a critical early step, as this ensures all necessary files are present in the right places. Once SMAPI is installed, mods can be placed directly into their own folders within the mod directory, making organization straightforward.
While some might view modding as complex or intimidating, it’s actually quite accessible for Stardew Valley players. The game’s active
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Originally published on PC Gamer on 2/21/2026