Summary
- Modding has become increasingly more popular recently, making it easier to get into than ever before.
- Mods can add tons of new content and ways to experience a game, allowing for endless gameplay options.
- Some game developers even actively support their modding community with official tools and resources.
Today, video games are bigger than they ever have been, offering enough content to last well into hundreds of hours, if not more. Another thing gaming has seen more recently is an explosion in popularity in various modding communities, taking the extensive pools of content from many games and expanding them even further.
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Video game modding used to be more of an underground hobby, mostly reserved for the hardcore fans who had experience working with technology. But, with much more official support nowadays, mods are everywhere in gaming, even becoming one of the major selling points of some games out there. So, when it comes to getting started with modding on PC, there is no time like the present with all the unique experiences on offer that can be installed with minimal setup required.
The entries in this list will stick to only one game or series per developer.
9
Cyberpunk 2077
One Of Gaming’s Biggest Comebacks With A Growing Collection Of Mods
Watching Cyberpunk 2077 go from its rough launch state to a high-quality open-world RPG was practically a night-and-day difference, and it has to be one of the biggest comebacks in gaming. Aside from its recovery, CD Projekt Red has been actively encouraging the community to expand the game even further by adding official mod tools for the game with REDmod.
What started as a few mods for tweaking and fixing small parts of the game has since grown into a full community of modders, even creating complete overhauls to the game. From massive HD texture packs, like Cyberpunk HD Reworked Project, to a whole plethora of add-ons for weapons, clothing, and armor, there’s no shortage of options when it comes to modding in Night City.
8
Baldur’s Gate 3
Larian’s Massive RPG Gets Even Bigger With Mods
Baldur’s Gate 3 has been a labor of love for the developers at Larian Studios, with the game finally releasing to universal acclaim in 2023. Naturally, with its fantasy setting, the possibilities would be seemingly endless when it comes to what could be modded into the game.
When Larian delivered the game’s toolkit with Patch 7, the modding community quickly grew, creating a whole range of changes and additions for the already expansive RPG — whether it was bringing a whole new selection of character creation options or adding extra content like more spells from the Dungeons & Dragons universe. One thing is for sure, modders wasted no time in taking advantage of the game’s new tools, with thousands of them out there to choose from.
7
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley practically created the new wave of cozy games that have been cropping up ever since. The relaxing farming and life simulator created by ConcernedApe was partially inspired by the older Harvest Moon titles, and it has seen its modding community continue to grow ever since its 2016 release.
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There are the big and popular mods like Stardew Valley Expanded, making the already large game larger, pushing it further with more crops, animals, events, and so much more. Or, for those who prefer a more vanilla experience, there are plenty of smaller mods just to add a bit of spice, like new clothing or little aesthetic changes. With the amount of choice in mods out there for Stardew Valley, it takes a game that was seemingly endless and somehow manages to make it even more so. Not to mention, its wholesome modding community is known for being very welcoming and helpful to all!
6
Terraria
Dig, Fight, Explore, Build… With Tons Of Mods!
When Terraria first popped up as a new indie title back in 2011, many were quick to simply label it as some sort of 2D clone of Minecraft. Now, almost 15 years later, Terraria is still in Steam’s Top 50 Most Played Games, sitting at an overwhelmingly positive review score with a huge community of longtime players.
Along with its dedicated fan base sprouted a community of mod creators, becoming even larger once developer Re-Logic announced official mod support with TModLoader and integration with the Steam Workshop. With a simple click of a button, players can download tons of add-ons, like new content, texture packs, custom maps, etc. right in the Steam client, making it easier than ever to hop in and start playing. While Terraria itself has been well-supported over the years, its modding community is also to thank for keeping the game alive for this long, with no signs of slowing down.
5
Rimworld
A Sci-Fi Colony Sim With Endless Possibilities
Rimworld has become one of the most popular indie games of the past decade, even being Steam’s top user-rated game in 2018 when it originally launched. Since then, it’s been regarded as some of the most fun gamers can have when it comes to colony sims and management games.
Even though it has a simple appearance with its top-down, 2D graphics, Rimworld proves to be anything but with all the different options it has. But, its modding community drove that even further with how much content they’ve made over the years that can easily be found and installed on the Steam Workshop. Some players might want more customization options for their colonists, with new gear, skills, and weapons. Others may just want a few “quality of life” improvements, or maybe an entire overhaul to the game’s difficulty. Whatever it is, it’s all there in the form of Rimworld’s growing collection of mods, all created by its large community that keeps the game in Steam’s Most Played list after all these years.
4
Half-Life 2
Valve’s Unrivaled Mod Support
The modding community for the Half-Life series has been integral to gaming as a whole, with beloved games like Counter-Strike, Team Fortress and Day of Defeat all getting their start as mods for the original Half-Life. Valve has been well-known when it comes to supporting its large community of mod creators, releasing SDKs for practically all of their games over the years.
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Aside from the aforementioned big titles, the past two decades have seen thousands of big mod projects for Half-Life 2. Most notably are its full-conversion mods, like Entropy: Zero 2, with its own unique story where players take on the role of a Combine Soldier. Alternatively, there’s the popular Half-Life 2: Update, which aims to modernize the game with new graphical additions and bug fixes, while keeping the original experience intact. Many of its mods are available for free right on Steam via the store or workshop for anybody who owns Half-Life 2, making it easier than ever to hop right in and check out all the cool projects the community has been making.
3
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Games
The Classic RPGs Set In Chernobyl’s Exclusion Zone
What started as a trilogy of games from a small Ukrainian company known as GSC Game World, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series quickly grew to be one of the most widely modded series in the history of gaming. The FPS roleplaying games set in post-apocalypse Chernobyl had so much potential to be expanded even further, and that’s exactly what its community has gone and done ever since.
What sets S.T.A.L.K.E.R. apart from others with its mods is that many of them are instead massive collections of mods bundled together. For example, one of its most popular projects, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Anomaly, is essentially a giant conversion of the game, packaged with hundreds of mods altogether. Often completely overhauling many of the game’s systems and mechanics to create an even more immersive experience. The great thing about these mod packs is that they often come in the form of a single installer, allowing the entire thing to be set up with a few simple clicks.
And, with its recent release, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is already seeing tons of mods created for it as well, so there’s no time like the present to hop in and start modding.
2
Grand Theft Auto 5
Custom GTA Online Servers Packed With Mods
Unsurprisingly, Grand Theft Auto V is still going strong today, well over a decade after its initial release. While its online player base is huge on consoles, the PC platform’s modding scene is what keeps the game so incredibly popular. It’s yet another series that has always had a large community of mod creators across nearly all of its games on PC, with little sign of slowing down.
One of the largest benefits for PC players is something called FiveM, a project that takes GTA V’s multiplayer component and allows users to join others or host their own servers with a ton of custom content added in. Small things like new cars and weapons, or even bigger mods like entirely new mechanics and game modes for more RPG elements. Despite the lack of official support from developers, when it comes to mods, GTA V has a wide range of pretty much anything imaginable out there for any player.
It would be impossible to leave a game like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Special Edition out of this list. After all, it is by far one of the most modded games in the history of the industry. Even as the original game nears 15 years old at this point, it still sees thousands of new mods, millions of downloads, and no sign of slowing down any time soon.
It’s hard to know where to even start when it comes to just how many mods a game like Skyrim has. Everything from new and improved content, graphical and gameplay overhauls, entirely new storylines with their own locations and characters… the list goes on. Skyrim has seen many advancements in its modding scene over the years as well, like Attack MCO-DXP, which fundamentally changes the game’s combat system to feel more akin to a Soulslike game.
Not only is it incredibly fun to explore all of Skyrim’s mods; it’s downright impressive to see what the community has been able to accomplish. Of course, due to its overwhelming popularity, there are a ton of resources out there to help newcomers hop right into installing their first mods.
More
Skyrim has been around for years, and fans have gotten more and more creative with its mods. These are the best ones out there.