One of the joys of gaming on a PC is the access to a vast array of mods. With nearly every major release, you can bet that there'll be a dedicated subset of fans just waiting to alter the game in different ways. From performance-enhancing to purely hilarious, mods bring more playability to any game.
There's no denying that more modern titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and RimWorld have thrived as much as they have on the back of mods. Those mods are the product of dedicated communities of fans and players, and what follows are some of the most active ones today.
Updated June 4, 2023 by Jouanna Bondakji: Communities generally get a bad reputation for being toxic, but one of the biggest blessings people from dedicated communities have given us is mods. Whether you're playing a life simulation game like The Sims 4 or a horror game like Resident Evil, you'll almost always find something new and mind-blowing--or, at the very least, amusing--that fellow fans have created themselves.
20 Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 got off to a rough start. Fans lamented the lacking features and plethora of bugs the game was plagued with, but the game has received many updates that have turned Cyberpunk 2077 into a great action RPG. The greatest improvement thus far has been the launch of official modding tools.
As you'd expect, modders have hit the ground running with CDPR's REDMod tools. Flying cars, enhanced companion interactions, and game system overhauls have launched in the span of a few months. Give the game a year, and we might see Cyberpunk rival Bethesda titles for sheer mod variety.
19 Terraria
You can't have a PC modding list without mentioning Terraria somewhere. Re-Logic's 2D survival RPG has a passionate modding community that has created some truly fantastic mods. Overhauls like Calamity by Fabsol and Thorium by multiple contributors breathe new life into Terraria's core system.
But even if you're a newer player looking for a more vanilla experience, you can still appreciate quality-of-life mods like Recipe Browser by javidpack and Boss Checklist by jopojelly. If you've never modded Terraria before, give it a try on your next playthrough.
18 Mount & Blade: Warband
While Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord is shaping up to have a modding scene as active as previous titles, the modding community for Mount & Blade: Warband is still going strong years after its release.
Hundreds of overhaul mods ensure that no two Warband playthroughs are the same. Convert the game into a Warhammer title with Warsworn Conquest by Warsword Team, conquer Westeros with A Clash of Kings by Cozur, or play a sequel to the base Warband campaign with Last Breath of the Calradian Empire by Caballeros de Calradia. There are mods for every type of Warband player.
17 STALKER
We're bundling all the STALKER games into one entry for this list. Bear in mind that Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat all use different mods.
Plenty of high-quality mods have been released for STALKER since its original launch in 2007 with no signs of stopping. The modding community has built on each other's work for over a decade, culminating in one of the most impressive overhaul scenes out of any modding community.
Hundreds of mods that have overhauled STALKER's gameplay, big and small, have led us to today's excellent mod packs: Anomaly by Anomaly Developers, Escape from Pripyat by Soulforged, and GAMMA by multiple contributors. The talent on display in STALKER's modding community is immense and showcases an extreme passion for the series, one that is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
16 RimWorld
RimWorld's emergent gameplay elements allow for a near-endless amount of variety. Each playthrough is fundamentally different from one another, but what if you could take that variety even further? That's where mods come in, and RimWorld's modding scene is nothing short of spectacular.
Mod bundles like Vanilla Expanded by Cursed Crew give RimWorld some great quality-of-life improvements, but that's not all you can expect. Complete overhauls can fundamentally change your RimWorld experience, adding new mechanics like magic or full-on convert your playthrough to something more akin to Fallout. Once you mod RimWorld, you can't go back.
15 Fallout 4
It's not a surprise that Bethesda games absolutely dominate this list. Accessible modding tools and a passionate community carry Bethesda titles to new heights, Fallout 4 being no exception. And with easy-to-use mod managers and plentiful community tutorials, it's never been easier to get into modding a Fallout title.
Fallout 4 has its fair share of amazing mods, allowing you to change everything from the number of companions you travel with to the array of weapons you can carry. Massive overhaul mods are less common here than in other Bethesda titles, but some massive mods like Fallout 4: New Vegas and Fallout London are currently in the works by talented modding teams.
14 The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is a game that many people hold near and dear to their hearts. The Radiant AI makes for some unintentionally hilarious moments, with the world itself being pretty engaging to explore. It'll feel dated if you're coming from Skyrim or Fallout 4, but that's what mods are for.
Mods enhance your enjoyment of this game even more. Overhaul Oblivion's graphics, revamp its class and leveling systems, and add hundreds of hours of new content by modding your game. Needless to say, there's no shortage of great mods for Oblivion.
13 Fallout 3
Fallout 3 was the first game made by Bethesda for the series, and it was a knockout success in many ways. The amazing writing of the series might've taken a hit, but the amazing open world coupled with some memorable side content helped Fallout 3 carve out a legacy of its own.
As you would expect, Fallout 3 becomes all the more engaging and exciting once you download a bunch of mods to strengthen the entire experience. A highlight is easily the Tale of Two Wastelands mod by the TTW Team, which combines this game with Fallout: New Vegas to create a seamless experience.
12 Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout 3 might be credited for revitalizing the post-apocalyptic RPG series, but it is arguably its follow-up, Fallout: New Vegas, that is more fondly remembered today. And some of that can be attributed to the sheer number of mods available for the game.
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment and released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC in 2010, the game boasts a thriving modding community that continues to extend its longevity even beyond that of 2015's Fallout 4. The modding community has made great strides to modernize New Vegas' gameplay in recent years, overhauling many animations and even the way power armor handles in the Mojave.
11 Doom (1993)
The original version of Doom holds the distinction of being one of the most widely ported video games of all time. The game has practically attained meme status at this point, capable of running on just about anything with a processor in it.
And that versatility is what has made it a good candidate for extensive modding. The game was one of the very first to accommodate custom modifications in its very design. It is still receiving mods nearly 30 years after release, showing that it truly deserves a spot on any best moddable PC games list.
10 Half-Life
Half-Life is one of the most influential first-person shooters of all time. The fact that members of its modding community are still active today shows how relevant the game remains since its 1998 debut. Plenty of mods for Half-Life add new content or change its systems entirely.
Many Half-Life fans will have fond memories of C.A.G.E.D. and Poke 646, yet it's the overhaul mods we need to give special mention to. If it weren't for the modding community, Counter-Strike wouldn't exist. What started as a Half-Life mod has evolved into an Esports juggernaut in the gaming landscape, influencing the design of many competitive FPS titles. That dedication and innovation still exist in the Half-Life modding community to this day.
9 Resident Evil 2 (2019)
From the moment the 2019 Resident Evil 2 remake found its way onto PCs, the modding community had gone to task by churning out mod after mod. Granted, most of these were cosmetic changes that merely swapped character models or outfits. But there is something about being stalked through the dark halls of the RCPD by Thomas the Tank Engine thanks to the mod by ZombieAli that just feels... wrong.
The developers themselves are to be blamed for some of that absurdity, though, since they'd included a minigame where you could play as a giant block of tofu.
8 Garry's Mod
Developed by Facepunch Studios and published in 2006, Garry's Mod is a sandbox game where the Source Engine is yours to play with. Manipulate Valve's advanced physics engine, play minigames created by the community, or create your own mods with virtually no limits.
The game is heavily supported by user-created mods, which range from fairly simplistic to full-fledged games in their own right. These have introduced all manner of items like Star Wars lightsabers and even drivable bathtubs. Nothing is off the table with Garry's Mod.
7 XCOM 2
The long-running XCOM series received a boost when XCOM 2 was released in 2016. Arguably the best game in the franchise, it served as a direct sequel to the 2012 series reboot, XCOM: Enemy Unknown. And much like the reboot, XCOM 2 offered several improvements to its classic turn-based tactics gameplay, many of which were further enhanced by mods.
Some of those mods had an impact on the War of the Chosen expansion, notably the widely-popular Disable Timers mod by Shaska. That feature has since become a core setting you can configure. Major overhaul mods are present in XCOM 2 as well, notably Long War 2—a sequel to Enemy Unknown's Long War mod that overhauls every facet of XCOM's gameplay. Some excellent quality-of-life mods exist as well if you don't want to make XCOM 2 even harder.
6 Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is considered by many to be the current reigning monarch of farming simulators. The core game had been developed by one person though, who had drawn much inspiration from classics like Harvest Moon and their limitations.
This of course meant that there was going to be room for improvement, which is where its modding community comes in. There are mods that replace character portraits, sprites, building interiors, and loads more. Anything you'd want to change about Stardew Valley is possible thanks to the game's extensive collection of community mods.
5 Civilization 5
Civilization 5 might not be the latest game in the turn-based strategy series, but that sure hasn't stopped members of its modding community from continuing to create mods for it a full decade after its release. It goes to show just how dedicated modders are.
Some of these mods offer quality-of-life improvements like an enhanced user interface and faster aircraft animations, making the game feel more modern. Others offer more realistic challenges, like natural disasters and the plague. Adding mods is an easy way to secure even more sleepless nights thinking 'Just one... more... turn.'
4 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Regarded as one of the very best RPGs ever made, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has been made even better since its release in 2015, thanks to a plethora of mods that address most of the issues the game suffered from. From bugs to balance changes, there's something for everyone.
That's not all modders have done. Some mods allow you to fast travel from anywhere, turn off unwanted HUD elements, or even take breathtaking photos in a photo mode. Consider tossing a coin to your favorite modders and give a modded playthrough a try.
3 Minecraft
If there's any game out there right now that practically screams "modders' paradise," then it surely has to be Minecraft. Building things is in Minecraft's very DNA, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that it has one of gaming's most active modding communities.
Ever since Minecraft was in beta, PC players have been able to mod the game with texture packs, quality-of-life improvements, and even complete overhauls. With the right mod pack, you can morph Minecraft into anything you desire.
2 Grand Theft Auto 5
While much of Grand Theft Auto 5's success could be attributed to GTA Online, there is no doubt that its modding community has also had a role to play in its longevity. We've gotten performance-enhancing mods that added everything from photorealistic graphics to improved load times for GTA Online.
The latter was in fact so popular that Rockstar themselves had to implement it as an official patch for the game. GTA's modding community has breathed new life into GTA Online as well, creating support for RP servers and much more.
1 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
The games in The Elder Scrolls series are pretty much synonymous with the PC modding scene, with older entries like Oblivion still receiving mods to this day. But of all the games in the series, Skyrim remains the current zenith, with nearly 50,000 mods listed on the Special Edition Nexus website alone. From useful bug fixes to more absurd additions, Skyrim has virtually every mod you could ask for.
Combat overhauls? You have dozens of options. New content? Check out Beyond Skyrim: Bruma by BeyondSkyrimDC and Falskaar by AlexanderJVelicky. Randy Savage dragons? Yup, Skyrim's got that too. And just like how Half-Life birthed Counter-Strike, some of Skyrim's best mods turned into full-fledged games—including Enderal: The Shards of Order and The Forgotten City.