- For instructions on how to mod, see modding
A mod (short for modification) is an alteration of the game and the objective of modding. Modifications can range from small tweaks to total conversions.
Installation
Mods can be downloaded and installed from several sources:
When running Stellaris from Steam, the mod installation folder is:
- Windows:
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Stellaris\mod\
- GNU/Linux:
~/.local/share/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/mod/
- Mac:
~/Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/mod/
From Paradox Launcher, the mod installation folder is:
- Windows:
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Stellaris Plaza\mod\
- GNU/Linux:
~/.local/share/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris Plaza/mod/
- Mac:
~/Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/mod/
Never install mods into the game installation directory (ie: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Stellaris\mod or ~/.local/share/Paradox Launcher/games/stellaris/mod), as the mods will not be properly loaded.
Check in the mod description the Stellaris version compatible with the version of the mod. If needed, rollback to an older patch, using “Steam Beta” tab in Steam or the “Game Settings” tab in Paradox Launcher.
In case of manual installation, the steps are usually the following (refer to specific mod instructions, if any):
- Remove any existing installation of the mod (mod folder and .mod file). This is very important, as the game loads all files present in mod folder, so old mod files that are no longer present or were renamed in a new version of the mod would conflict.
- Clear your gfx cache, by deleting the folder <stellaris_settings>\<mod_name>\gfx, if any.
- Extract the downloaded archive, so that the mod folder contains the .mod file and directory of the mod.
- Launch Stellaris and select the mod in the Mod tab. Note that the mod may have a different name in the launcher than the name of the .mod file.
- Play!
When manually installing a mod (moving it into the mod/ directory), the launcher my still complain that it cannot find the mod. This is because the mod's *.mod file may be providing a different path. For example, if the mod was ripped from Steam Workshop, the .mod file may point to a path like "steam/workshop/<modfoldername>/". The correct path should be "mod/<modfoldername>/" since you're not using Steam Workshop. Save the file and then revisit the launcher. If the launcher reports that the mod still cannot be found, you can troubleshoot further by looking at the mod in the launcher's mod tools popup where it will show you the exact path where it is looking for the mod.
Also, when manually installing mods, you will be moving two files into the "mod/" top-level: a "<modname>.mod" file and a "<modname>" folder. So, if the mod's name is MyMod, you should have "mod/MyMod.mod" and "mod/MyMod/". A common mistake when manually installing mods is that these files are inside of another folder that is being dragged into the mod/ directory.
If you *still* are having trouble, then use the launcher's mod area to create an empty mod from within the launcher. Once created, go to the mod/ folder to see the structure of the newly generated mod and compare it with the structure of the mod you are trying to install.
For more info, see Mod management.
Mods lists
Most mods are published on the Steam Workshop:
Some lists for mods to look out for:
Mods with wiki pages
- Wiki pages for Stellaris modifications are the responsibility of the Mod's developers, not the Paradox Wiki Team.
See also
References