You’re Modding Stardew Valley the Hard Way If You Skip This SMAPI + Stardrop Setup

Why Your First Stardew Valley Mods Should Start With SMAPI and Stardrop

After spending a weekend completely wrecking my Stardew Valley install with random zip files, I finally sat down and learned how to do it properly: SMAPI first, Stardrop second, everything else after. Since then I’ve run big mod lists on both Steam and GOG, on Windows and Linux, without losing a single farm.

This guide walks you through the exact beginner-friendly setup I use now:

Installing SMAPI (the required mod loader) on Windows and Linux
Pointing Steam or GOG at StardewModdingAPI so the game always launches with mods
Finding and understanding your Mods folder
Installing and configuring the Stardrop mod manager
Getting started with Content Patcher and Alternative Textures

If you follow this order, you avoid the “pile of loose zip files” problem and make it way easier to troubleshoot when something breaks. Stick with me through the SMAPI and Stardrop setup and you’ll have a clean base that can handle dozens of mods later.

Step 1: Prep Your Game (and Protect Your Save)

Before I touch mods in any game, I do two things: run it once vanilla, and back up my saves. Stardew is no exception.

Run Stardew Valley once unmodded so it creates all its folders and config files.
Back up your saves so a bad mod can’t ruin your 200-hour farm.

On Windows, your save files are usually in something like:

C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Roaming\StardewValley\Saves

On Linux, they’re typically under:

~/.local/share/StardewValley/Saves

Just copy the entire Saves folder somewhere safe (Documents, an external drive, whatever). Don’t make my early mistake of “trusting it’ll be fine” and then watching a bugged mod corrupt your main farm.

Step 2: Install SMAPI (Your Core Mod Loader)

SMAPI (Stardew Modding API) is the framework that actually loads mods into Stardew Valley. Almost everything else in this guide assumes SMAPI is installed, so this is the part you absolutely cannot skip.

2.1 Download and Extract SMAPI

Download the latest SMAPI release for your platform.
Right-click the zip file > Extract All… and put it somewhere easy to find (I use Documents\StardewModding\SMAPI).

The exact folder doesn’t matter; SMAPI will copy itself into your Stardew install later. Just don’t run it straight from inside the zip.

2.2 Install SMAPI on Windows

This is where I initially got tripped up by pointing SMAPI at the wrong folder. Take your time here.

Open the extracted SMAPI folder.
Double-click install on Windows.bat.
A command window opens. It will ask which platform you’re using (Steam, GOG, or other).
When it asks for your game folder, point it to the folder that contains Stardew Valley.exe (for Steam’s default install, that’s usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Stardew Valley).
Confirm, and let the installer run.

When it finishes, you should see:

A new Mods folder inside your Stardew Valley directory
A new file called StardewModdingAPI.exe next to Stardew Valley.exe

If you don’t see both of those, stop here and rerun the installer – it almost always means the path was wrong.

2.3 Install SMAPI on Linux

On Linux, the steps are similar, but you’ll use a shell script instead of a batch file.

Open a terminal in the extracted SMAPI folder (or cd into it).
Run: bash install on linux.sh
Follow the prompts exactly like on Windows: choose Steam/GOG/other, then point it to your Stardew folder.

Again, you’re looking for SMAPI to create StardewModdingAPI and a Mods folder in that game directory.

2.4 Hook SMAPI into Steam or GOG

SMAPI is installed, but you still need to make your launcher start StardewModdingAPI instead of the vanilla exe. This is the part that confused me the first time; thankfully you only have to do it once.

Steam (Windows & Linux)

Open Steam.
Right-click Stardew Valley in your Library > Properties….
On the General tab, find Launch Options.
Paste a command that runs StardewModdingAPI.exe from your game folder. For a default Windows install, something like:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Stardew Valley\StardewModdingAPI.exe" %command%

Adjust the path if your Steam library is somewhere else. SMAPI’s installer will usually print a suggested command in the console – I highly recommend copying that exactly.

GOG Galaxy

Open GOG Galaxy and find Stardew Valley in your library.
Click the game > Manage Installation > Configure.
Go to the Features tab and tick Custom executables / arguments.
Click Add another executable / arguments.
Browse to your Stardew install and select StardewModdingAPI.exe.
Check Default executable so GOG always launches the modded version.

Once that’s done, launching Stardew from Steam or GOG should open a SMAPI console window first, then the game. That console window is your new best friend for debugging.

Step 3: Know Your Mods Folder

Understanding where mods actually live will save you a ton of confusion later.

After SMAPI installs, you should see a Mods folder inside the same directory as Stardew Valley.exe and StardewModdingAPI.exe. On a default Steam Windows install, for example:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Stardew Valley\Mods

Every SMAPI mod you install needs to live in its own subfolder here. So you’ll end up with paths like:

Stardew Valley\Mods\Content Patcher
Stardew Valley\Mods\Stardrop (if it includes a SMAPI component)
Stardew Valley\Mods\SomeCoolModName

When I first started, I dumped loose .dll and .json files straight into Mods. SMAPI hated that. If you see errors about “expected manifest.json” or “no manifest found,” it’s usually because the mod isn’t in its own folder.

Step 4: Install Stardrop (Mod Manager)

You can manage mods manually by unzipping everything into Mods, but once I passed about 20 mods it became a nightmare. Stardrop fixed that for me by handling installs, updates, and profiles.

Extract Stardrop’s zip to a safe place (I use Documents\StardewModding\Stardrop).
Double-click Stardrop.exe to launch it.

4.1 First Launch: NXM Protocol Prompt

On first launch, Stardrop will ask if you want to associate the NXM protocol with it. This controls whether “Download with manager” buttons on Nexus Mods open in Stardrop automatically.

Yes: Clicking “Download with manager” on Nexus sends the mod straight into Stardrop.
No: You’ll download zip files manually and drag them into Stardrop.

I always pick “Yes” – it turns adding a mod into a two-click process – but if you prefer manual control, “No” works fine too.

4.2 Configure Stardrop’s Directories

This is the step that makes everything play nicely together.

In Stardrop, go to View → Settings.
Set the path to your Stardew Valley Mods folder (the one SMAPI created).
Set the path to your SMAPI installation if Stardrop asks for it (usually the game directory with StardewModdingAPI.exe).
Choose a folder for Stardrop Installed Mods (I let it use its default inside my Stardrop folder).

What this does in practice:

Stardrop downloads and unpacks mods into its own storage.
It then keeps your game’s Mods folder in sync with whatever you’ve enabled.
Disabling a mod becomes a checkbox instead of deleting files.

Step 5: Install Your First Mods with Stardrop

Now for the fun part: actually adding mods. I’ll cover both Nexus integration and manual drag-and-drop, because I’ve used both depending on the source.

5.1 Installing via Nexus (NXM Links)

Find a mod you like on Nexus Mods that supports SMAPI.
Click the “Download with manager” button.
Your browser should hand that download to Stardrop automatically.
In Stardrop, the new mod appears in the list. Check the box next to it to enable it.
Click Save Configs in Stardrop.

This workflow is what made big mod lists feel manageable to me. No more hunting for which folder belongs to which mod.

5.2 Installing Mods Manually

Download the mod’s zip file from its page.
Open Stardrop.
Either drag the zip straight into the Stardrop window, or go to File → Add Mods and select it.
Stardrop unpacks it and adds it to your list.
Enable it with the checkbox and hit Save Configs.

Stardrop takes care of putting everything in the correct folder structure under Mods, which is where I used to make most of my mistakes.

Step 6: Content Patcher vs Alternative Textures

Once you start searching for Stardew mods, you’ll immediately see tags like (CP) and (AT). I lost a lot of time early on just trying to understand what those meant.

6.1 Content Patcher (CP)

Content Patcher is a SMAPI mod that lets other mods replace game assets (sprites, portraits, maps, dialogue) without editing the base files. Tons of mods depend on it, so I now treat it as a core install right after SMAPI.

You install it like any other mod (Stardrop or manual).
On its own, it doesn’t change anything in-game.
CP “content packs” plug into it to actually change textures/data.
For a given asset, only one CP mod can win at a time – overlapping CP packs can conflict.

In practice, I use CP for big, consistent changes: a full farm re-skin, character portrait overhauls, map edits, and so on.

6.2 Alternative Textures (AT)

Alternative Textures is another SMAPI mod that focuses specifically on letting you swap textures in-game using items like a paint bucket or scissors. It’s complementary to Content Patcher rather than a replacement.

AT packs usually give you multiple style variants for the same thing.
You use in-game tools/menus to cycle through textures on the fly.
Multiple AT packs can coexist on the same type of object because you choose which one to apply.
AT can override a CP retexture temporarily while you’re using its tools.

I like AT for furniture, buildings, and animals where I want to experiment visually without committing. CP handles the “default look,” AT is my “play with styles” layer on top.

6.3 Which Should You Install First?

Always start with Content Patcher. Too many mods require it.
Add Alternative Textures once you’re comfortable and want more customization control.
When picking downloads, match the tags: install (CP) mods for CP, (AT) mods for AT, and grab both versions only if you know why you need them.

My own order now is: SMAPI → Stardrop → Content Patcher → a few CP packs → Alternative Textures → AT packs.

Step 7: Testing, Troubleshooting, and Staying Sane

This is where most people (me included) crash and burn: installing 40 mods at once, then trying to figure out which one broke everything. Don’t do that to yourself.

Add mods in small batches (3–5 at a time).
Launch the game after each batch and check that it reaches the main menu.
Watch the SMAPI console for red error lines – it will often tell you exactly which mod is complaining.
Start a throwaway test farm to poke at new mods before loading your main save.

Common problems I’ve hit and how I fixed them:

Game closes immediately after launch – usually a missing dependency. Read the SMAPI log; it often says “this mod requires X”. Install that missing mod or library.
Black screen, music still playing – often a map or content pack conflict. Disable the last few mods you added in Stardrop, Save Configs, and re-enable them one by one.
Invisible objects or glitchy tiles – texture mods fighting. Prioritize one CP pack for each major asset and use AT packs for extra variety instead of stacking multiple CP packs.

The nice thing about using Stardrop is that “troubleshooting” usually means unchecking a box instead of hunting through folders. That alone has saved me hours.

Quick Recap and Next Steps

If you’ve followed everything up to here, your setup should now look like this:

SMAPI installed, with StardewModdingAPI running through Steam or GOG
A clean Mods folder inside your Stardew directory
Stardrop installed, pointed at SMAPI and your Mods folder
Content Patcher installed, ready for CP content packs
Optional: Alternative Textures set up for in-game style swapping

From here, you can safely expand your mod list without your game turning into a mess. Add a couple of CP retexture packs, maybe a quality-of-life SMAPI mod or two, test them on a fresh farm, and watch SMAPI’s console for complaints.

The biggest mindset shift for me was treating modding like tending the farm itself: slow, deliberate additions instead of dumping everything in at once. If you lay this SMAPI + Stardrop foundation first, you’ll spend your time enjoying new content instead of digging through broken folders – and if I managed to get a stable, heavily-modded valley after my early disasters, you absolutely can too.