How to Install and Play Stardew Valley Expanded

To install Stardew Valley Expanded (SVE), you need Stardew Valley 1.6.15 or later, SMAPI, Content Patcher, Farm Type Manager, and the SVE files themselves. Download them from their official pages, place the extracted mod folders directly in your game’s Mods folder, launch Stardew Valley through SMAPI, and start a new save for the best experience.

This guide reflects the SVE 1.15.11 and SMAPI 4.5.2 releases listed on August 8, 2026. Check the linked download pages for newer versions before installing.

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What you need

• SMAPI, the Stardew Valley mod loader
• Content Patcher
• Farm Type Manager
• Stardew Valley Expanded

As of the research snapshot, SVE is version 1.15.11 and SMAPI is version 4.5.2. SMAPI 4.5.2 requires Stardew Valley 1.6.14 or later, while this SVE setup should use Stardew Valley 1.6.15 or later. The three items after SMAPI are not optional extras: Content Patcher and Farm Type Manager are required SVE dependencies.

Download mods from their official Nexus Mods or project pages. The Stardew Valley modding guide currently advises avoiding ModDrop because it is not adequately supervised.

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Install SMAPI

Windows

1. Launch Stardew Valley normally once.
2. Download SMAPI from SMAPI.io.
3. Extract the ZIP file somewhere outside the Stardew Valley installation folder.
4. Open the extracted folder and double-click install on Windows.bat.
5. Follow the installer prompts.

The installer creates or updates the modded launcher in the Stardew Valley game folder. When updating SMAPI, run the newer installer; you do not need to reinstall or reconfigure Steam.

Keep Steam features working

If you want the Steam overlay, achievements, and playtime tracking, leave the SMAPI installer open after it finishes and copy the complete launch command it displays. Include both the quotation marks and %command%.

1. Open Steam and right-click Stardew Valley.
2. Select Properties.
3. In the General tab, paste the command into Launch Options.

A standard Steam installation normally uses:

"C:Program Files (x86)SteamsteamappscommonStardew ValleyStardewModdingAPI.exe" %command%

Your path may differ. It must point to the actual StardewModdingAPI.exe file. You can also double-click that executable in the game folder, but launching through Steam is preferable when Steam integration matters.

Find your Stardew Valley folder

You need the folder containing the main Stardew Valley executable.

Windows

Typical locations are:

Steam: C:Program Files (x86)SteamsteamappscommonStardew Valley
GOG Galaxy: C:Program Files (x86)GOG GalaxyGamesStardew Valley

For Steam, you can find it through Library → right-click Stardew Valley → Properties → Local Files → Browse Local Files…

For Xbox app or PC Game Pass, open Stardew Valley in the Xbox app, select …, choose Manage, open Files, and click Browse.

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macOS

Steam: ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/Stardew Valley/Contents/MacOS
GOG: /Applications/Stardew Valley.app/Contents/MacOS

Linux and Steam Deck

~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Stardew Valley
/home/user/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Stardew Valley

On Steam Deck, install SMAPI for the version of Stardew Valley you actually run. Do not mix the Linux-native and Proton installations: they use different game folders and launch configurations.

If SMAPI is already running, type show_game_files into its console to open the correct game folder.

Install SVE and its dependencies

1. Open the Stardew Valley game folder.
2. Open its Mods folder. Create it if necessary.
3. Extract the Content Patcher, Farm Type Manager, and SVE downloads.
4. Move each mod’s actual folder directly into Stardew Valley/Mods.
5. Launch the game through SMAPI.

Each mod folder should contain a manifest.json. A basic installation should resemble:

Stardew Valley/
└── Mods/
    ├── Content Patcher/
    │   └── manifest.json
    ├── Farm Type Manager/
    │   └── manifest.json
    ├── Stardew Valley Expanded/
    │   └── manifest.json
    └── [CP] Stardew Valley Expanded/
        └── manifest.json

Folder names can vary slightly by download, so do not rename them unnecessarily. The important points are that the mod folders are directly under Mods and that their manifest.json files are not hidden one level deeper.

For example, this is wrong:

Mods/
└── Stardew Valley Expanded/
    └── Mods/
        └── [CP] Stardew Valley Expanded/

This is also wrong:

Mods/
└── Stardew Valley Expanded-1234567890/
    └── [CP] Stardew Valley Expanded/

Open the downloaded archive, find the folder containing manifest.json, and put that folder in Mods.

Confirm that SVE loaded

Start the game with SMAPI and read the SMAPI console. It should list Stardew Valley Expanded, Content Patcher, and Farm Type Manager without red error messages.

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If SVE is missing or only partly loads, check these common causes:

• You launched Stardew Valley normally instead of through SMAPI.
• SMAPI or one of the required dependencies is outdated.
• Content Patcher or Farm Type Manager is missing.
• The [CP] Stardew Valley Expanded folder is absent.
• SVE is installed under Mods/Mods or another nested folder.
• A second copy of SVE is installed.
• The SVE folder does not contain manifest.json.
• Another map mod is trying to change the same map.

For persistent errors, upload the SMAPI log to the official SMAPI log parser. Update every mod that the log reports as outdated before trying more invasive fixes. The SVE troubleshooting guide covers incomplete loading, incorrect folder structures, outdated dependencies, and map conflicts.

Start playing SVE

A new save is strongly recommended for a first SVE playthrough. The mod changes existing maps and adds content designed to appear as a normal farm progresses. An old save can work, but it may require repairs and will not provide as clean an introduction.

After confirming that the mod loads, select New from the title screen and create your farm. If you installed an optional SVE farm map, follow that map’s instructions carefully when choosing the farm type. SVE’s documented farm options include:

• Frontier Farm, currently identified by the SVE wiki as the recommended SVE farm map
• Grandpa’s Farm
• Immersive Farm 2 Remastered

Farm maps are separate downloads from the main SVE files, and you must install only one. The older Grandpa’s Farm and IF2R instructions require selecting Standard Farm during new-save creation so the modded map can replace it. Frontier Farm may use different instructions, so follow the directions supplied with the specific farm-map file rather than assuming every map is configured identically.

Optional SVE content

Choose one farm map

Frontier Farm, Grandpa’s Farm, and Immersive Farm 2 Remastered are alternatives, not three maps to install together. Installing more than one creates conflicts.

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Grampleton Fields

Grampleton Fields adds a very large, farmable area east of Shearwater Bridge. It is not required for the main SVE experience and can increase loading times, so leave it out unless you specifically want the additional space.

Generic Mod Config Menu

SVE creates a config.json after the game has run with the mod installed. You can edit that file manually, or install Generic Mod Config Menu for an in-game configuration interface accessible from the title menu.

Can you add SVE to an existing save?

Yes, but it is not recommended for a first playthrough. Back up the save before installing SVE because the mod changes map and world data.

The SVE installation guide recommends this process:

1. Install Reset Terrain Features.
2. Use it to reset trees, bushes, and terrain features in outdoor locations.
3. Install Noclip Mode in case a changed map makes an area or object inaccessible.
4. Optionally install CJB Cheats to pause time and CJB Item Spawner to place grass starters manually.

Resetting terrain features prevents trees, bushes, and debris from remaining in positions from the old map layout. One known limitation is that grass may never spawn outside the farm after SVE is added to an existing save. The documented workaround is to place grass starters manually with CJB Item Spawner.

Multiplayer installation

Every player joining a modded farm should use compatible versions of Stardew Valley, SMAPI, SVE, and all required dependencies. For a farm using an SVE farm map, every player must install the same farm-map file. Do not mix different SVE farm layouts between players.

Version mismatches can cause missing characters, map errors, broken events, or version-mismatch messages. Recent SVE releases include multiplayer-specific fixes, but they do not remove the need for matching installations.

Update SVE without leaving old files behind

1. Exit Stardew Valley.
2. Open the game’s Mods folder.
3. Delete all SVE folders included in the previous installation.
4. Extract the new SVE download.
5. Copy the new SVE folders into Mods.
6. Update Content Patcher, Farm Type Manager, and any other mod SMAPI reports as outdated.
7. Launch the game and inspect the SMAPI console.

Do not simply overwrite the old SVE installation. Removing the old mod folders does not delete your save file; it prevents obsolete files from remaining alongside the new release.

Quick Recap

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Stardew Valley (Nintendo Switch)

become a part of the local community: get to know all 30+ residents of Pelican town!

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Bestseller No. 2

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$14.89

Bestseller No. 3

Stardew Valley [Nintendo Switch - Standard Edition]

$32.69

Bestseller No. 4

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Physical Edition of the Game; The Spring/Summer Plaza Catalog, a 24-page mail-order style circular

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Outdated installation advice to ignore

• Old dependency lists: Current SVE does not require older frameworks such as Json Assets, SpaceCore, Expanded Preconditions Utility, Custom NPC Exclusions, SAAT, TMX Loader, or Shop Tile Framework. These were used by older SVE versions; the project moved to Stardew Valley 1.6-compatible systems after the 1.14.25 transition.
• Manual XNB replacement: You do not need to install town.xnb or manually replace game content files. Current SVE uses SMAPI and mod folders. XNB mods are largely broken in Stardew Valley 1.6 and can cause crashes or missing content.
• Overwriting updates: Remove the old SVE folders before installing the new release.
• Installing every farm: Use only one SVE farm map at a time.
• Nested Mods folders: SVE must be directly discoverable under the game’s Mods directory.
• Universal platform support: SMAPI officially lists Windows, macOS, Linux, and Steam Deck support. Android modding remains experimental, and the current SVE installation documentation does not establish Android as a fully supported SVE platform.

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