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RimWorld mods are add-ons that the game loads from its mod list. On Steam, subscribe to a Workshop item, open RimWorld’s Mods menu, check its dependencies and enable it. For a manual download, extract the archive into RimWorld’s Mods folder so the mod’s own folder contains its About directory, then enable it in the same menu. The difficult part is maintenance: game-version changes, dependency order, save compatibility and conflicting files can all turn a working list into a failed launch. This guide explains a cautious installation and update workflow, then shows how to isolate errors and give an author the information needed to fix them.
Use the mod author’s instructions first. The official forum guidance is older in places, so treat its restart and file-recovery advice as a baseline and follow any newer instructions shown by RimWorld, Steam or the author.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWhat happens when RimWorld loads a mod?
A mod is a folder of game content and instructions that RimWorld reads alongside its Core files. The game builds an ordered list, checks whether each item is available, and applies the changes in that order. A dependency must be available (and normally loaded before the mod that needs it); later entries can override definitions supplied earlier. That is why two mods can each work alone yet fail or behave strangely together.
Installation only puts the files where RimWorld can find them. You still have to activate the mod in the in-game Mods screen, satisfy dependencies, respect any stated load-order rule and restart when the game or the author asks you to. A mod may also affect only a new colony or world, so an apparently successful installation is not proof that an existing save will change.
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The Ludeon forum installation guide and its Steam-specific follow-up are useful references, but check each mod’s current page for instructions that supersede them.
How do I install a RimWorld mod from Steam Workshop?
Steam handles the download, but RimWorld still handles activation and ordering. The safest sequence is:
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match- Subscribe to the Workshop item in Steam. Steam downloads the mod automatically, according to the forum guidance.
- Start RimWorld and open the Mods menu. Find the newly downloaded entry. If it is absent, wait for Steam’s download to finish and check that you are running the same game installation associated with the subscription.
- Read the mod’s notes before enabling it. Look for required libraries or other dependencies, a minimum game version, a required position in the list, and warnings that a new colony is needed.
- Enable the dependency first, then the dependent mod. Follow the author’s exact order if it differs from a general rule.
- Apply the list and restart. The older Ludeon guide specifically advises restarting after opening the Mods menu; current in-game prompts or author instructions take priority.
- Load a backup or a test colony before your main save. If the mod changes world generation, factions, maps or other one-time data, its effects may not appear in an existing colony.
Do not assume that a Steam subscription guarantees compatibility. It solves file delivery, not conflicts, missing dependencies or a mismatch between a mod’s release and your active RimWorld branch.
How do I install a mod manually?
Manual installation is simply a correctly extracted folder in RimWorld’s Mods directory. The folder layout matters more than the archive’s name.
- Download the archive from the author’s stated source. Read the included instructions and any version or dependency notes first.
- Extract the archive with an archive utility. Do not leave the mod compressed in the download folder unless the author explicitly says the game supports that format.
- Put the mod folder directly in RimWorld’s
Modsfolder. At the first level, you should see the mod’s folder. Inside that folder should be anAboutdirectory (usually alongside the mod’s content folders). - Check for an accidental extra layer. A common failed layout is
Mods/DownloadedArchive/ActualMod/About; RimWorld may not detect it because the folder it scans does not containAboutat the expected level. Move the actual mod folder up one level. - Open RimWorld’s Mods menu and enable it. Confirm dependencies and order, then restart as directed.
The exact location of the game’s Mods folder depends on your installation and operating system. If the entry does not appear, use the game’s installation location and the author’s directions rather than guessing a path. Avoid keeping both a manually copied version and a Workshop version of the same mod active; duplicate copies make it harder to identify which files are being loaded.
What should I check before enabling a new mod?
Spend a minute on the mod page before changing a working list. You are looking for four kinds of information:
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- Dependencies: required frameworks or libraries must be installed and enabled. A missing dependency can produce a red error before a colony loads.
- Load-order requirements: some authors specify that their mod goes before or after another mod, or near a framework section. Treat that instruction as authoritative.
- Version support: verify the game branch named by the mod and whether the author has posted an update or known limitation.
- Save and world requirements: a mod may require a new colony or world, or may warn that removing it from an active save is unsafe.
Keep a written or captured copy of the active mod names and order before making a large change. Adding a few items at a time gives you a known point to return to when a problem appears, a method recommended in the Ludeon community guidance for new players.
How does load order affect RimWorld?
Load order determines which definitions and patches are applied first. Dependencies generally precede the mods that use them, while a mod intended to override another must be placed where the author specifies. The official installation guidance explains that later changes can override earlier ones, so an apparently harmless reorder can alter recipes, menus, textures or behavior.
There is no universal order that is correct for every collection. Start with RimWorld’s Core entries, place required frameworks where their documentation says, and then follow each mod page’s instructions. If two authors give incompatible directions, record the conflict and ask in the preferred support channel rather than repeatedly rearranging a live save.
When building a new list, enable a small batch, start the game and inspect the menus or a disposable colony. Add the next batch only after the previous one starts cleanly. This does not prove that every later interaction is safe, but it sharply reduces the number of possible causes when an error appears.
How should I update manually installed mods?
For a manual mod, preserve your save and replace the old files deliberately. The older Ludeon guide recommends removing the old version before extracting the replacement unless the author documents another procedure.
- Back up the affected save and note the current mod list and order. A backup gives you a way back if the update changes definitions or makes the colony unstable.
- Read the update notes. Check the supported RimWorld branch, dependency changes, migration notes and any statement that a new colony or world is required.
- Close RimWorld. Do not overwrite files while the game is running.
- Remove the old mod folder, unless the author says to merge or overwrite. Leftover files from an earlier release can survive a simple extraction and create misleading errors.
- Extract the replacement and verify its
Aboutdirectory is in the expected place. - Restart RimWorld, confirm the mod is enabled and check the order. Start with the backed-up save only after the list loads without immediate errors.
Workshop updates arrive through Steam, but the same compatibility questions still apply. An automatic download can change a mod between sessions; read the author’s notes and keep a backup before opening an important colony after a major game or mod update.
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Do RimWorld game updates break every mod?
No. Ludeon’s discussion of the 1.7 Waylith-engine branch says, The vast majority of mods work on 1.7 without any changes from the authors.
That is a broad statement about that release discussion, not a guarantee for a particular mod, dependency chain or save.
A mod can still be labelled potentially unsupported simply because the game version changed, and an author may need to mark a tested release as compatible. Check the branch you are actually running, the mod’s latest release notes and any pinned compatibility notice. Do not treat a green-looking list or a version-wide statement as proof that a combination is safe.
When a game update is imminent, avoid changing several variables at once. Record the old list, back up the save, let the game and Workshop finish updating, then inspect every mod that affects the colony before loading it. If the author says the update requires a new world, respect that limitation instead of trying to repair the old one by trial and error.
What is the fastest way to diagnose a mod conflict?
Use a controlled rollback: capture the evidence, remove the most likely recent change, restart, and compare the result. Randomly disabling half the list can hide the real cause and makes a later report much less useful.
- Write down the trigger. Note whether the failure happened at launch, when opening the Mods screen, while generating a map, when loading a save, or after a particular action.
- Capture the active mod list and exact order. Include the game version and whether the copy came from Steam or a manual installation.
- Open the game’s output log and preserve the error text. Look for the first meaningful exception or a named missing dependency, not only the final cascade of messages.
- Undo the newest or most recently updated change. Disable that mod, or the smallest recent batch, and restart. Observe whether the same trigger still fails.
- Repeat in small steps. Re-enable known-good items, then add one mod or a small, documented batch at a time. Check the author’s compatibility and load-order notes between attempts.
- Test with a disposable colony when appropriate. A new colony can tell you whether the problem is world-generation or save-specific, but it cannot prove that an old save is safe.
This process isolates likely causes; it cannot automatically resolve every interaction. If the error remains with a minimal, documented list, report it with the complete evidence rather than continuing to change unrelated files.
What should I do if RimWorld will not start after changing mods?
First, close the game and preserve the information you have: the last change, your mod order and the output log. Then try the least destructive rollback—disable or remove the recent addition and restart.
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If the game cannot reach the Mods menu, the older Ludeon recovery guidance says to remove ModsConfig.xml from RimWorld’s Config folder. RimWorld should recreate the file with Core enabled, allowing you to rebuild the list. The same guide describes editing the file to remove a single mod entry instead of resetting the entire list.
File locations differ by operating system, installation method and version, so verify the actual RimWorld Config folder before deleting anything. Make a copy of ModsConfig.xml first if you may need the old order. After recovery, add mods back in small groups, respecting dependencies, and restart between meaningful changes.
How do I report a RimWorld mod problem so the author can reproduce it?
Use the author’s preferred issue tracker, forum thread or report format. A useful report contains:
- the exact symptom and the action that triggers it;
- steps another player can follow from a fresh launch;
- your RimWorld version and active branch;
- the complete mod list in load order, including dependencies and any modpack or personal edits;
- the output log or the relevant error text; and
- whether the issue disappears after removing a particular mod or small batch.
Attach the original log rather than paraphrasing it, and state whether the problem affects a new colony, an existing save or both. If the author requests a specific template, use it; a complete report that follows that format is more actionable than a screenshot with no version or order information.
How can I keep a modded colony stable?
Stability comes from repeatable changes, not from finding one magical load order. Keep a backup before updates, preserve the previous list when you make a change, and avoid adding a large untracked batch to an important save. Read release notes even when Steam updated the files automatically.
Separate three questions whenever something changes: does the game launch, does a new colony behave correctly, and does the existing save remain valid? A successful launch answers only the first. If a mod author says a new world is required, start one; if the update is silent, continue cautiously and retain the backup until the colony has been opened and saved successfully.
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When you eventually remove a mod, check its documentation for save-removal warnings. Some content can be detached cleanly, while other changes are embedded in a world or save. If the author does not explain removal, keep the mod and the backup available until you have a confirmed recovery plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a subscribed Workshop mod not appear in RimWorld’s Mods menu?
Wait for Steam to finish downloading, then restart RimWorld and check that the subscription belongs to the same library installation you are launching. If it still does not appear, compare the Workshop item’s instructions with your game branch and look for an author-provided dependency or compatibility requirement.
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What does “potentially unsupported” mean after a RimWorld version update?
It can be a version-status warning rather than a confirmed failure. Ludeon has said that many mods continued to work on the 1.7 branch without author changes, but only the individual author’s notes and your specific dependency combination can establish whether a list is safe.
Should I edit ModsConfig.xml or delete it?
Editing can remove one problematic entry while preserving the rest of your list; deleting it is the broader reset described in the older Ludeon recovery guide. Whichever route you choose, copy the file first and expect to re-enable and reorder mods after RimWorld recreates or rewrites it.
Can I use a new colony to prove an updated mod is safe for my old save?
No. A new colony can reveal launch, generation or basic interaction problems, but it does not reproduce every state stored in an established save. Keep the old save backed up and follow the author’s migration advice before committing to the updated list.
