This hub exists to answer one question before you install anything: which Stardew Valley mods are worth using in 2026, and what can go wrong after they are in the mod folder? Every scored mod is judged on the same six weighted criteria, with the evidence date written beside it.
Scores are editorial, not user votes, and no placement is sponsored. Start with the ranked list for the short answer, or read a full review when you need the dependency chain, the multiplayer rules, and the save warning for one specific mod.
Each scored review sits in one category. The highest score column only counts reviewed mods, so an em dash means the category currently has no scored review; unscored catalog entries are still counted as entries.
| Category | Entries | Highest score |
|---|---|---|
| Expansion | 6 | 7.2 / 10 |
| Interface | 2 | 8.3 / 10 |
| Quality of life | 4 | 9.2 / 10 |
| Automation | 1 | 8.9 / 10 |
| Visuals | 4 | 8.5 / 10 |
| Mechanics | 2 | — |
| Cheats and sandbox | 2 | — |
Some mods are frameworks themselves: they add no content but every content mod that depends on them must load after them. Versions below are the ones recorded in the review data, so re-check the framework page before a game update.
| Framework | Version | Needs |
|---|---|---|
| SMAPI | 4.5.2 | Stardew Valley 1.6.14+ on Windows, macOS, Linux or Steam Deck |
| Content Patcher | 2.9.1 | SMAPI 4.4.0+ |
| Farm Type Manager | 1.26.1 | Content Patcher and SMAPI |
| SpaceCore | 1.28.4 | SMAPI |
| Json Assets | 1.11.11 | SpaceCore, Expanded Preconditions Utility and SMAPI; it adds no content by itself |
| Generic Mod Config Menu | 1.16.0 | SMAPI; optional for most mods but expected by players |
| Producer Framework Mod | 1.9.8 | SMAPI; the version block on its page was unreadable, so 1.9.8 is the last known release |
| Content Patcher Animations | 1.2.4 | Content Patcher and SMAPI; last updated in 2022 |
| Solid Foundations | 3.0.0 | SMAPI; its Automate integration is listed as broken by SMAPI |
Six criteria are scored from 1 to 10 and combined with fixed weights: content value 20%, compatibility and dependencies 20%, maintenance and freshness 20%, save and multiplayer safety 15%, performance 15%, and ease of use 10%. The total is rounded to one decimal and mapped to a tier; no score is stored in the data file, so it can be recomputed from the six published subscores.