The hugely popular Stardew Valley Expanded content expansion tops the list for many Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update is set to focus on improving mod , perhaps with the hope that the game will be sustained by mods for some time to come. However, unlike some mods, Stardew Valley Expanded can be a tricky install, particularly for those without prior modding experience.
Without mods, Stardew Valley already features hundreds of hours of content for players to experience, with an expansive and rich world, dozens of crops to harvest and several romanceable bachelors and bachelorettes. However, many of the game’s most avid fans have managed to see all there is to see, and Stardew Valley Expanded (SVE) offers an impressive amount of fresh content. Created by a team of modders led by FlashShifter, SVE revamps the game world, adds new NPCs and character events, and even manages to introduce brand-new questlines.
To install and play Stardew Valley mods including SVE, players first need to back up their game files and then install SMAPI, the game’s unofficial mod loader by modder PathosChild. Luckily, SMAPI comes with a purpose-built installer, so it isn’t too tricky to get running. Unfortunately, given the sheer size of SVE, players need to install several extra mod files to get it working properly.
How To Install Stardew Valley Expanded For Stardew Valley
SVE’s install guide lists nine mods that players need to and install before installing SVE. These include:
- Content Patcher by Pathoschild
- Extra Map Layers by aedenthorn
- Custom NPC Exclusions and Farm Type Manager by EscaMMC
- SpaceCore and Json Assets by spacechase0
- Expanded Preconditions Utility and Shop Tile Framework by CherryChain
- SAAT - Audio API and Toolkit by ZeroMetres
Luckily for players hoping to meet Stardew Valley Expanded’s new NPCs, the installation process for all of these is simple. SMAPI creates a dedicated Mods folder, so all players have to do for each of these nine mods is and unzip the files, and then drag and drop them into the Mods folder. Once that’s done, players can then SVE itself and install it in exactly the same way.
The process of installing nine mods might seem daunting, but it’s worth noting that there isn’t really much to do beyond dropping files in a folder. While players can install most of SVE’s content this way, SVE’s creators also recommend installing their Grandpa’s Farm map, available on SVE’s NexusMods page, to replace the standard farm layout. Although Stardew Valley Expanded aims to give players “the magical feeling they had when they first played Stardew Valley”, it also aims to be faithful to ConcernedApe’s vision. Players who hate Stardew Valley’s Pierre can therefore continue to do so, while still enjoying an experience that’s arguably Stardew Valley in its best possible form.
