stardew valley mod recs

here's all the mods i like for stardew valley! j i might have gone just a little insane compiling this list

key

if you're into game modding, you know the more mods you add, the more you risk your game lagging or breaking. so, sometimes you have to prioritize what's most important. because of this, i have a ranking system in place. this is the key to it! bear in mind my rankings are based on my personal preferences and your mileage may vary

mmm three thumbs up: what i consider necessary to enjoy the game. these mods may fix errors and glitches, add functions that should be in the vanilla game, just be an Absolute Fave, or make it more accessible in some way
mm two thumbs up: not necessary per ce, but i find these mods definitely improve my time playing the game. they might provide more immersion, look much better without necessarily being headache-reducing, add useful functions, or i just like them more than others even if they're not faves
m one thumb up: i just think they're neat. these mods are mainly aesthetic improvements, be an expansion to the game that is best saved for after doing everything you can in vanilla, or are flat-out cheats (also best for after "beating" vanilla)
w bow: since these are mod recs in general, i might not necessarily be using everything i recommend in my game. (but i have used everything i recommend at one point.) so, things marked with a bow note i am currently using something in my game (and how - i often mix and match different mods to get a full aesthetic i like lol)
I chick: for anyone that wants more aesthetic options but prefers vanilla assets, i'm also noting what was made to match vanilla, or are so similar they blend in seamlessly

note about availability

due to the nature of other people sharing their work, some files have been deleted by their original creators. i backed them up on my personal mediafire for safe-keeping, and i offer the links to them. i do not claim these mods as my own. sdv mods often need to be updated, so bear in mind some files might not work, you use these files at your own risk, and i am not responsible if anything happens to your save. (when in doubt, back up your saves.) that's kind of an obligatory disclaimer, but if it assuages anyone's anxiety i've never encountered something that completely broke my game, or that couldn't be fixed by simply uninstalling a mod

apis and frameworks

a lot of mods require frameworks to be able to run. you should always follow each individual mod's instructions to see what they require, because it can vary. however, so many mods use these frameworks in particular i recommend just downloading them to begin with

mm alternative textures: aka [at]. allows you to essentially combine different aesthetic mods by letting you mix and match assets. (example: if you install 3 different wallpaper packs, that's triple the amount of options you have for wallpapers). i recommend using [cp] addition packs (when available) simply because they load faster, however
mmm content patcher: aka [cp]. overrides vanilla game content and allows new content to be added without editing game files
mmm generic mod configuration menu: adds a ui in-game to configure mod settings. most mods that offer different settings use this
mm json assets: aka [ja]. allows custom content to be added to the game
mmm smapi: the modding api. the vast majority of mods require this to work

animals

m cuter companions: makes trinket companions cuter w
mm elle's cuter cats: you can choose custom breeds for your cats w i use solid white, striped grey, and striped silver with socks (like my irl cats lol)
m elle's cuter dogs: you can choose custom breeds for your dogs
mm elle's cuter barn animals: you can what breeds your barn animals are w i use solid light brown & spotted black cows, solid white goats, solid offwhite sheep, solid pink pigs, solid brown alpacas, and offblack ostriches
mm elle's cuter coop animals: you can customize and choose what your coop critters look like w i use green dinosaurs, white & brown brahma chickens, black void chickens, blue/purple blue chickens, gold gold chickens, and mallard & white ducks
m elle's cuter horses: you can choose what breed your horse is w i use the rainbow breed because of course i do lol
m secret garden frog terrarium: gives sebastian's pet frog a nicer habitat w

craftables, tools, and weapons

m iridium recolors with coordinated crafting bars: you can choose a recolor for certain tools and weapons, and it also comes with bars that match the size and shape of copper through gold bars w i use the coordinated bars
m crystal mini obelisk: turns the mini obelisks into cute little crystals
m cute pink and white craftables: replaces tools and craftables with pink and white versions. very similar to cute valley, but some things are different enough that i find it worth it. (example: cute valley uses a lot of a particular shade of brown, and i find the white in this to be preferable) w
mm cute valley: replaces tools, craftables, and weapons with pink versions. (also can do many other things, like replace farm buildings, kitchens, fences, etc.) there's a blue version available here, and a lavender version available here as well w i use the lavender tools and weapons, and converted the pink craftables to use with [at]. i'm waiting on permission from the og modder to post it formally anywhere, but for now if you'd like the quick and dirty conversion i made you can grab it here. please note this version, having been converted for my personal use, doesn't feature the brown stuff, but i probably will include those if i make a formal version in the future :,)
m cute chest buckles: adds an adorable heart or moon buckle to chests
m firefly torch: replaces torches with fireflies
m mini jukebox record players: makes mini jukeboxes into cute little record players I
mm msaturn floaties: gives a ton of aesthetic options for crab pots w I note: there is an error with the file if the latest update is still may 2024. there's an easy fix, however. in the texture.json file, anywhere it says "TextureWidth": 80, it should actually be "TextureWidth": 16, (including the comma). just replace those lines and save
m magical craftables: makes craftables magical girl themed, in shades of pink and gold
m magical valley: makes tools and certain weapons very cute, primarily pink with options for blue accents
m nano's garden style craftables: makes craftables cottagecore themed w i use the scarecrows, the picnic basket chest outside, the luggage chest in the farmhouse, the crystalarium, the light sign, and the phone
m pots to planters: makes garden pots look like planters
m random cute craftables: adds various cute reskins of craftables to the game with a lot of options to match vanilla w i use bee shaped bee houses and floating crystal crystalariums I
mmm shardust's colorful: pick and choose what items are what color with tons of options! you can also turn some off if you have other [cp] replacements you'd like to use. a very neat bonus is there's a snow overlay for craftables left outside in winter w i use this [cp] version for default replacements, and almost everything in ash, cocoa, diamond, spinel, and steel. I
[at] version: allows for even more mixing and matching

farm exterior

mmm classical garden statue obelisks: makes the obelisks look like garden statues. bonus: features obelisks for expansions such as east scarp and ridgeside village w
m flip buildings: allows you to... flip buildings :,) this is an easy way to make your buildings at least slightly different if you have a lot of them w
mm hay bales as silos: makes it so hay bales store hay like silos. great for if you have a lot of animals to keep fed but don't want a lot of large silos on your farm w I
m lee's pastel crops: makes crop colors less vibrant to go better with desaturated map edits w
mm medieval buildings: makes everything look, well... medieval :,) w i use the junimo hut, fish pond, well, and shipping bin
mm tall haystack silo replacer: makes silos a haystack :,) w i use a personal recolor of this to match eemie's map recolor I
mmm yellog's wood buildings: makes all buidlings a cute beige wood with dark wood accents w
m victorian mailbox: makes the mailbox a cute little iron one w

farmhouse interior

mm happy home designer: allows you to easily browse the catalogues to select and place decor. it has built in support for [at] and you can select which texture to use right from the menu! w
mm hallway fix: makes it so wallpapers cover the whole wall in "hallways"/room dividers, rather than getting cut off w
m idaida's wallpapers and floors: adds more walls/floors via [at]. some are plainer woods and stones, while others are more... Interesting
m kawaii kitchen: makes the kitchen adorable. also includes some furniture to match. compliments the animal crossing, cinnamoroll, gudetam, and my melody furniture sets
m kitty channels: makes the tv channels feature cute cats
mm shardie's overhaul: replaces walls and floors via [cp]. this came before shardust's other mods, but set a foundation with a lot of colors used in their other mods, with patterns not available in those mods w i use these as my defaults and doubly recommend them if you use shardust's other mods
  • an [at] pack for mixing and matching is available here
mmm shardust's interior: includes beds, kitchen, and trim w i use everything in cocoa, cream, diamond, spinel, and steel
mm shardust's walls and floors: adds more walls/floors via [cp] w
m shardust's pastel furniture: adds more pastel walls/floors via [at] w
m spouse room free decoration: allows you to redecorate the spouse room. compatible with spouse room renovation w i use this because i use t's apartment house
m spouse room renovation: split into three sub-mods, this allows you to redecorate the spouse room, move it to a different part of the vanilla house, and adds spouse furniture to the game to place where you want w i use this to get some of the furniture back
mm t's apartment house: makes the house larger with a lot of rooms, to make it kind of like... an apartment building :,) great if you have multiple spouses. it's very customizable and doesn't have to be as huge as depicted in the previews. it's compatible with customizable empty spouse rooms! w

fences and paths

m arch and pergola fences: adds lattice and hedge fences with matching arches and pergolas via [ja]
m flowery vine fences: adds craftable fences with optional vines and flowers to the game. also offers an additional marble fence via [ja]
mm shardust's: cute colors, mix and match options. also includes hedge and vine options! w using almost everything in ash, cocoa, diamond, and spinel I
mmm yellog's: adds flowers that match their wooden buildings w i use this in tandem with shardust's by turning off one of their fences

furniture

m akuma's spouse portraits: gives more frame and outfit options to the spouse portraits w
m animal crossing furniture: adds some furniture sets from animal crossing to the game. compliments cinnamoroll furniture and kawaii kitchen
m animal crossing plushies: adds adorable plushies of animal crossing characters to the game
m barfyscorpion: adds cute beige/pink and white/blue sets. compliments the shardust pastel and yellog's pink sets w
m bathroom furniture: allows you to make a faux bathroom w
m cabinets cupboards and closets: adds... cabinets, cupboards, and closets to the game :,) compliments base game sets, barfyscorpion, connecting bookshelves, idalda's, shardust's pastel, too many swatches, too many swatches II w I
m cinnamoroll furniture: adds cinnamoroll themed furniture to the game. compliments animal crossing furniture and kawaii kitchens
m classical furniture: adds a set of classical themed furniture to the game. compliments lacey rugs, lynn's bedroom/living room, opulence, too many swatches, and other dark wood sets w
m colorful crystals: adds more colors of the small crystal to the game I
m connecting bookshelves: adds bookshelves to the game with options to make them shorter or longer. compliments base game sets, and cabinets cupboards and closets w I
m creepy pastel: adds several creepy cute furniture options to the game
m divine decor: adds a witchy themed set to the game. compliments idaid'a furniture recolor, lune's offerings and nano's retro style w
m dynamic modular rugs and floors: allows you to make rugs of any shape and size using preexisting rugs and floors w
m grace's birch and mahogany: makes the vanilla birch set lighter, and the vaailla mahogany set darker. compliments lynn's furniture sets and pretty in pink I
m green grove: adds dark wood (or lighter vanilla walnut with configuration) furniture with green accents to the game. original compliments dark wood sets, too many swatches, and too many swatches II. saturated compliments base game walnut set, cabinets cupboards and closets, connecting bookshelves, iron and walnut, modular tables, mystic, tea's cozy modern bathroom, too many swatches, too many swatches II, wall-mounted shelves I
m guxelbit's catalogue: adds new furniture to the game matching vanilla wood colors, and also features a ton of storage options. (for example, you can make a chest where you store dairy products look like a milk crate.) compliments base game sets, cabinets cupboards and closets, connecting bookshelves, grace's birch and mahogany, idaida's, iron and walnut, modular tables, more vanilla bookcase, more vanilla table, mystic, tea's cozy modern bathroom, too many swatches, too many swatches II, and wall-mounted shelves I
m horizontal room dividers: see mod name :,) I w
m idaida's furniture recolor: adds a set with various colors and styles. compliments some base game sets, dark wood sets, divine decor, lune's offerings, and nano's retro style w I
m illulen's tech n' stuff: adds a number of technologic clutter, such as computers and controllers, to the game
m iron and walnut furniture: adds black iron accents to the base game walnut set. compliments some base game sets, mystic furniture, and wrought iron beds w I
m jiaojiao's pet room: adds cat-themed furniture to the game w
m lacey rugs pt 2: adds three lacey rugs to the game. compliments dark wood sets w
m lune's offerings: adds a witchy themed set to the game. compliments barfyscorpion's blue, divine decor, idaida's furniture recolor, and nano's retro style w
m lynn's bedroom: a set of bedroom furniture in various wood and fabric colors. a lot of the items have slots to place things, like on tables!
m lynn's livingroom: a set of living room furniture in various wood and fabric colors. a lot of the items have slots to place things, like on tables!
m lynnea's wizard furniture: a recolor of the vanilla wizard set to be dark with purple, pink and teal accents w
m mi's elegant victorian: another classy dark wood set. compliments other dark wood sets. you can preview it here w
m modern gothic interior: another classy dark wood set. compliments other dark wood sets w
m modular tables: allows you to create tables of varying lengths, widths, and shapes. compliments base game sets, barfyscorpion, connecting bookshelves, idalda's, shardust's pastel, too many swatches, too many swatches II w I
m more vanilla bookcase: adds new variants of vanilla bookshelves. compliments base game sets compliments base game sets I
m more vanilla table: adds new variants of vanilla tables. compliments base game sets, cabinets cupboards and closets, connecting bookshelves, grace's birch and mahogany, idaida's, iron and walnut, modular tables, more vanilla bookcase, more vanilla table, mystic, tea's cozy modern bathroom, too many swatches, too many swatches II, and wall-mounted shelves I
m my melody furniture: adds adorable my melody themed furniture to the game. compliments animal crossing furniture, cinnmoroll furniture, creepy pastel furniture, gudetama furniture, and kawaii kitchen I
m mystic furniture: adds more walnut furniture to the game. compliments some base game sets, iron and walnut furniture, and wrought iron beds w I
m nano's retro style: adds various retro looking pieces to the game. compliments dark wood sets, divine decor, idaida's furniture recolor, and lune's offerings w
m opulence: adds a rococo and generally lavish themed set to the game. compliments barfyscorpion's pink set, shardust's pastel furniture, and yellog's pink
m ornate spouse portraits: gives frame options to the spouse portraits
m pixel pals plushies: adds adorable plushies of various custom npcs w
m pretty in pink: a light set of birch and pink furniture. compliments grace's birch and q's crib
m q's crib retexture: a recolor of the crib to match other beds. compliments grace's birch and pretty in pink
m retro furniture recolor: recolor of the vanilla retro set to be dark with bright purple accents
m rilakkuma plushies: adds adorable rilakkuma plushies to the game
m scenemo posters: adds scene/emo themed posters to the game
m shardust's pastel furniture: adds more pastel furniture options via [at]. compliments the barfyscorpion's sets w
m stoner decor: puts bongs in the game w sebastian's "blue vase" was originally supposed to be a bong, so i use this to let him have it back :,)
m tea's cozy modern bathroom furniture: adds furniture to make a bathroom with. compliments base game sets, barfyscorpion, connecting bookshelves, idalda's w I
m too many swatches: adds a lot of swatches to base game furniture. compliments the majority of other sets w
m too many swatches II: adds a more contentrated amount of swatches to base game furniture. can be used with the og version because a lot is new, but some items are repeated. compliments the majority of other sets w
m vintage chic interiors: adds furniture to the game that uses a light brown wood and pastel accents
m void's weird wonders: a recolor of the vanilla wizard set to be dark with bright purple accents
m wall-mounted shelves: adds shelves you can place on your walls... and actually display things on! compliments some base game sets, cabinets cupboards and closets, connecting bookshelves, idaidaa's, iron and walnut, mystical w I
m will's wizard catalogue: a dark recolor of the wizard catalogue items
m wrought iron beds: adds black iron bedframes to the game. compliments some base game furniture, iron and walnut furniture, and mystic furniture
m yellog's dark wood and cream: a classy dark wood set. compliments other dark wood sets. see a preview here

characters: farmer

mm coii's hats: replaces the vanilla hats with cuter ones w
  • 1.6 update: save the image you want and plop it in the appropriate folder w i use some of these in addition to delotti's
m delotti clothes and hairstyles: various packs to add more clothes to the game, and replace default hair. not all files have been updated to 1.6, so keep an eye on the update dates. the hair files are also .xnb files, which completely replace vanilla game files permanently. they also have a guide for merging .xnb files if you want to use several at once. definitely trickier than most hair mods, but man are they cute w
m delotti hats: replaces hats with much cuter versions w i primarily use this but also use some of coii's
m farmer portraits: displays a portrait of your farmer in dialogue menus! w
mmm fashion sense: the most recent, kept up-to-date, and versatile farmer customization mod. allows for packs to add new hair, accessories, hats, and clothes. you can even wear several accessories at once! you can also delete individual things you don't like, which i highly suggest so your menu isn't bloated. a caveat is clothes won't actually be in-game items and "equipped" on your farmer, and are therefore not buyable or dyeable. because it overrides the "inventory" clothes you have equipped, you can still use mods that adds skills to clothes w i use this for hair and accessories, and [cp] files for clothes, hats, and shoes. (some exceptions are clothes packs that are only available through this)
mm hats won't mess up hair: see mod name :,) w
mm iyaho's hats: adds a lot of cute hats to the game. you have to use cjb item spawner to get them, and they don't have any stats or effects
m iyaho's shoes: adds a lot of cute shoes to the game
mm kisekae skirts for json assets: adds the skirts originally from kisekae to the game. you have to use cjb item spawner to get them, and they don't have any stats or effects w I
m luo li's top and skirt 14, 26, and 28: adds several cute outfits to the game w
mm luo li's shoes 1, 2, and 3: adds more shoes to the game. matches a lot of their clothes w
mmm simple farmer dresses: adds 3 shirts and a skirt to the game w I

characters: npcs

m babies take after spouse: makes your babies and toddlers look like your spouse. the option for sebastian to have ginger babies and implying he dyes his hair cracks me up lol
mmm canon-friendly dialogue expansion: sick of npcs saying the same three lines over and over again? this helps with that w I
m katekat's overhaul: cute portraits. this version is a link to a 1.6 third-party update. to see a preview and the original mod, check here
m porcelaine's wizard: makes you want to polish the wizard's wand (ಠ‿ಠ)
mm shorter-haired sebastian: gives sebastian's sprite less ridiculous hair w
m usernameslogin's bachelors and bachelorettes: nice portraits. i used this for years, lol. i find some of them match katekat's pretty well
mmm nyapu's portraits: very cute, and the most comprehensive portrait mod i've ever encountered. includes the entire vanilla cast, their beach variants, and offers portraits for all expansions i recommend, plus a lot of individual custom npcs w i use... practically everything lol
mm [custom] eli and dylan: adds a cryptologist and marine biologist brother duo to [es] w
mm [custom] eugene: adds a demure gardener to the game. for [sve] compatibility, check here w
m [custom] jasper: adds a geologist to the game w
m [custom] jade: adds an entomologist to the game. she'll live with juliet and jessie if they are installed w
mmm [custom] jorts and jean: adds adorable talking cats to the game. i would die for them w
a bonus is they're super comprehensive re: other mods and custom npcs, it's awesome
m [custom] juliet and jessie: adds two more joja clerks to the game w
m [custom] lavril and void: adds a little gho- er, girl and her toy rabbit to the game. has a crossover quest with [arv], and the story changes if you also have juliet installed w
mm [custom] mister ginger: gives jas a little cat friend, and makes him an autonomous npc you can befriend! there's more to him than meets the eye w
m [custom] sterling, mia, and henry: aka always raining in the valley, [arv]. adds a new bachelor, plus his cousin and their friend to the game. has a crossover quest with lavril and void w
mm [custom] wilford: adds a not-so-demure gardener to the game w i don't think they provide one, so tw for disordered eating
m [custom] yoba: adds god himself to the game??? techniclly not compatible with [sve], but there are some workarounds, such as let's move it (also recommended on this list in the replays & cheats section) w
m the farmer's children: allows your children to grow past being toddlers, gives them dialogue, and lets them wander around town w still laughing about sebastian's ginger babies

maps

mm le small cellar: makes the cellar smaller, and look like robin built it yesterday instead of 100 years ago lol. also removes the extra barrels and pillars that were in the way so you utilize all the space. shardust's interior does the same thing, but this one offers the size difference some may prefer for a more balanced game
m coop and barn facelift: makes the inside of coops and barns nicer; gives the option of different wallpapers, and an option with darker wood to match eemie's map recolor and a toned down stardew valley w i use pink wallpaper with dark wood
mmm eemie's just a new map recolor: vastly improves the colors of the outdoors so it won't Hurt Your Eyes. preview here w i combined this with foliage redone and simple foliage by replacing some of the image files in simple foliage. pry the white wood trees out of my cold dead hands
mm fill the pond: lets you remove ponds from vanilla maps
mm lapaat's organized greenhouse: gives designated spots for all crops and fruit trees in the green house, with iridium sprinklers in mind, with some extra room for chests and seedmakers, while being reasonably sized w
mmm lnh's small farm: makes the farm about half the size it normally is, and organizes it with designated spots for buildings and crops. good for more chill replays or if a larger farm is overwhelming w i use a tweaked version; i replaced the wilderness map, removed all the rivers, decorations, and paths, and set it to work with eemie's recolor... :,)
m project yellog: makes town buildings and decorations match yellog's buildings. you can preview it here w
m shockah's modest greenhouse: makes the greenhouse perfectly sized for 8 fruit trees and three crop areas with iridium sprinklers in mind, while being reasonably sized
mm simple foliage: gives trees and bushes a new aesthetic, with options to match a lot of recolors w i use the fruit, pine, mystic, and green rain trees. i combined this with eemie's trees and foliage redone by replacing some of the image files in this
  • sve patch: makes some assets from [sve] match w
m stardew foliage redone: gives trees and bushes a new aesthetic w i use the mushroom and palm trees. i combined this with eemie's trees and simple folgiage by replacing some of the image files in simple foliage

gameplay mechanics

m clothing buffs: makes clothes have more purpose than aesthetic, making them akin to boots by providing stats and effects for them. compatible with deluxe hats and skillful clothes w I
m luck skill: makes luck a skill like it was originally intended to be (even if "luck skill" is an oxymoron lol) w
m outfit sets: allows you to have slots to quickly change outfits without having to move clothes in and out of your inventory w
mm part of the community: adds friendship boosts to all villagers that are nearby when you talk to or give a gift to someone, attend a festival, etc. w
mm progress toward perfection: get rewarded for making progress and meeting milestones w
m skillful clothes revamp: makes clothes and hats have more purpose than aesthetic, making them akin to boots by providing stats and effects for them w i use the reduced version of this so it doesn't make things too op since i use it with clothing buffs
mm torch to coal: lets you turn torches into coal with the charcoal kiln w

tweaks and quality of life

mmm better automatic gates: automatically opens gates when you get near them. this function is in glory of efficiency, but if you don't want that whole mod and just this function here it is
m better beehouses: allows beehouses to produce honey indoors (ie, in the greenhouse), among other things w
mmm combat controls: turns farmer in direction of your selection, making combat less clunky w
m fruit tree tweaks: makes planting fruit trees no longer limited by space, among other things w
mm garden pot options: makes garden pots way more useful, allowing for things like transplanting crops in a non-cheaty way w
mmm glory of efficiency: useful to automate certain tasks, such as gates automatically opening when you get close to them, automatically opening the doors on coops and barns, automatically petting nearby pets, unifying flower colors, and more w
mm hay collection: lets you pick up hay even if you don't have silos. really good for getting a stock to prepare for building a silo and barn when you're cutting grass in the early game w
mmm no fence decay: exactly what it says on the tin. can feel a little on the cheat-y side, but honestly it's more of an annoying mechanic over a fun or challenging one w
mmm no more lag: reuces loading times and lag w
mmm non destructive npcs: npcs won't destroy your stuff w you can view the original page here
mm passable crops: lets you walk through trellises instead of around them w
mm precise furniture: lets you use hotkeys to precisely place furniture w
mm smart building: streamlines placing fences, paths, and craftables w

user interface

mm berry season reminder: notes days berries are available on the calendar w
mmm better chests: allows you to label and categorize chests, plus automatically stash designated things inside, among other things w
m better crafting: improves the crafting menu, and allows bulk crafting
m better jukebox: makes it easier to select songs in the jukebox
m better shop menu: makes the shop menu display as a grid, and allows filtering of items. you can preview it here w
mm catalogue filter: adds a search function to catalogue and shop menus w
m configurable cute tool hit marker: makes the hit marker... cuter :,) w
m customizable heart relationship icons: changes the relationship level indicator when you're talking to an npc to be a cute little heart. offers various color options w
mmm daily tasks report plus: tells you what tasks you have to do, such as if there's still crops that need to be watered, if things need to be collected, your pets needs to be pet, etc. w
mmm deluxe journal: keep track of custom tasks and goals w
m fix hover shadows: fixes shadows not appearing correctly in menus w
mm font settings: allows you to customize the fonts the game uses. you can choose to use any font you have installed on your pc, and select the sizes. i recommend installing a pixel font to match the game's aesthetic~ ;) w
mm last day to plant: lets you know when it's the last day you can plant a certain crop w
m lighter emotes: see mod name :,)
mmm mod update menu: adds an in-game menu that shows if you have mods that are out of date w you can preview it here
mm script font: makes the font in the game easier to read (and cuter). you can't select the size, however
mm show birthdays: lets the calendar show several birthdays if they fall on the same day or on a festival day. good if you have expansions or custom npcs installed. you can preview it here w
mmm skip intro: makes getting into the game to play much faster w
mmm ui info suite 2: does so many useful things without feeling like you're cheating, and you can toggle each function on or off. it can display if an item is needed for a community center bundle, where npcs are on the map, whether animals need petting and/or if they have a resource to collect, how long until a crop can be harvested, scarecrow ranges, and more w
mmm vintage interface v2: makes all the menus in the game much easier on the eyes w i use brown/white
  • additional compatibility: from this recs list - better jukebox, better shop menu, deluxe journal, fashion sense, font settings, never ending adventure (aka npc mateo), mod update menu, show birthdays, smart building w
  • flip buildings: this technically matches v1, but it's close enough to v2 imo w
  • generic mod config menu w
m yellog flower dialogue ui: adds flowers matching yellog's buildings to the dialogue menu! works with vintage interface w

polyamory

m liliet's multiple spouses dialogue pack: adds dialogue for certain polycules
m multiple spouse dialogs: adds dialogue for certain polycules
mm polyamorysweet: allows you to have multiple spouses w
m sebastian abigail and farmer polyamory events: see mod title :,)
m several spouse spots: lets you have more spouse patios on your farm w
m tia's multiple spouses dialogue pack: adds dialogue for certain polycules

expansions

m adventurer's guild expanded: aka [age]. lets you do a lot more with the adventurer's guild. compatible with [age], [es], [rsv], [sas], and all other recommended custom npcs. minor hiccups with [sve] w
m community center reimagined: makes npcs actually visit the community center. compatible with [es], [rsv], [sve], and [age], although most npcs from those expansions won't visit. (custom npcs jade, jasper, juliet, and mr. ginger from this recs list will visit, and afaik children from [rsv] will attend classes) w
m east scarp: aka [es]. not quite as large of an expansion as [rsv] or [sve], but definitely worthwhile. compatible with [rsv], [sve], and all other recommended custom npcs. required for [age] and [sas] w
mm remapping: automatically updates the map depending on what expansions and npcs with custom maps you have installed. compatible with most custom npcs and expansion mods on this recs list w
mm ridgeside village: aka [rsv]. another huge expansion! compatible with [age], [es], [sve] and [sas]. if you don't want too many expansions, i recommend this over [sve] w
m stardew valley expanded: aka [sve]. the original expansion mod! it adds a lot to the game... so much that it has it's own wiki, and the creator has actively worked on game updates with concernedape. OAO it features several new npcs, some new foliage, new maps, etc. note: it overrides a number of vanilla game maps rather than adding on to them. compatible with [age], [es], [rsv], [sas] and most custom npcs on this list. (custom npc eugene needs a comptibility patch also found on this recs list, and custom npc yoba needs an extra workaround mod) w
  • sve trees recolored: recolors the trees sve adds to the game to match various popular recolors w
mm sword and sorcery: aka [sas]. what was originally a couple of custom npcs became a whole new rpg themed expansion with several npcs, maps, and mechanics! w

for replays & cheats

i highly recommend only using these for convenience to make replays or the late game go smoother... i've got a lot of hours in this game, and i can say there's a fine line between god mode being boring, and not using cheats to get to certain points being annoying lmao. some things i consider a straight-up cheat, others i consider more of a Lite cheat. lite cheats i think can make the game more enjoyable in some ways because you can focus on other things (especially if you have expansions installed), but your mileage may vary

m all professions: allows you to have all professions w
m automate: automates machines so you don't have to constantly manually check them - lite w
m chests anywhere: access chests... from anywhere :,) can be used in tandem with better chests, although some functions may be redundant. better chests on it's own would be a more balanced chest mod if you'd prefer something that feels less cheat-y w
m cjb cheats menu: adds various cheats to the game w
m cjb item spawner: instantly spawn any item. while it can obviously be used to cheat in a major way, a Lite way to use it would be spawning certain clothes or furniture items from mods that you can't get in your game otherwise w
m combine many rings: see mod name :,) w
m ladder locator: marks ladder stones in the mines w
m let's move it: lets you move anything anywhere. while it can used to cheat in a major way, a Lite way to use it is to fix things on farm maps if you switch during a playthrough (i've gotten chests stuck in the middle of ponds on a new map for example lol), to get animals/npcs unstuck, and to work around compatibility issues (ex. using it to access custom npc yoba if you have [sve] installed) - lite w
m many enchantments: add more than one enchantment to weapons and tools w
m pick your enchantment restored: see mod name :,) - lite w
m wear more rings: see mod name :,) it's configurable, so you can set the rings you can wear between 2 and 20. not compatible with skillful clothes - lite (if you max out at 10, ie the number of fingers and thumbs you have lol)

screenshots

i thought it'd be fun to post some example screenshots from my game so you can see what some of the mods combined look like!

gus upon finding out pam put butter on jorts

jorts and linus going dumpster "fishing"