26 PC Games With The Most Active Modding Communities
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 will 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.
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PostsThere'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.
26 Cyberpunk 2077
CloseCyberpunk 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.
25 Total War: Warhammer 3
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Like Follow FollowedTotal War: Warhammer 3
Strategy Tactical Systems 4.0/5 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 86/100 Critics Rec: 94% Released February 17, 2022 ESRB t Developer(s) Creative Assembly Publisher(s) Sega Engine Warscape EngineWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALFans of strategy games and Warhammer alike have been modding Total War: Warhammer games since they first combined forces, and Total War: Warhammer 3 is no different. They vary from everything including more legendary lords from Warhammer fantasy lore to ways to balance the game further.
The wealth of the mods you'll see for this game are reskins and, of course, adding new units. This is great for armies that seem to be lacking in certain aspects, like spellcasters or ranged units. While many of them can mess with the game's AI or saves, they are far more easy to use than in Total War games in the past.
24 Terraria
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Like Follow FollowedTerraria
Action Adventure Sandbox Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 79/100 Critics Rec: 76% Released May 16, 2011 ESRB T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol Developer(s) Re-Logic Publisher(s) 505 Games Engine Proprietary Multiplayer Online MultiplayerWHERE TO PLAY
SUBSCRIPTIONYou 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.
23 Mount & Blade: Warband
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LikeMount & Blade: Warband
Adventure Fighting Action Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 64/100 Critics Rec: 19% Released March 30, 2010 ESRB T For Teen // Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence Publisher(s) Paradox Interactive Engine Proprietary Engine Multiplayer Local MultiplayerWHERE TO PLAY
SUBSCRIPTIONWhile Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord is shaping up to have a modding scene as active as previous titles, the modding community for Mount & Blade: Warbandis still going strong years after its release.
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PostsHundreds 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.
22 Lethal Company
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Like Follow FollowedLethal Company
Horror Systems OpenCritic Reviews Released October 23, 2023 ESRB t Developer(s) Zeekerss Publisher(s) Zeekerss Engine Unity Multiplayer Online Multiplayer Number of Players 1-4WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALLethal Company is a special roguelike game where you start with just a bit of money as the game takes you to different maps on a flying bus. Once you land on a map, you're supposed to avoid getting killed by various monsters, each having their unique powers, while also getting loot to earn some money.
While the base game is already good enough to sink thousands of hours in, mods make it a completely different experience by adding new maps, enemies, costumes, and many other things. With mods, Lethal Company truly becomes a difficult game to get tired of.
21 Stalker
CloseWe'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.
20 RimWorld
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Like Follow FollowedRimWorld
Simulation Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 86/100 Critics Rec: 90% Released October 17, 2018 ESRB M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Use of Drugs, Violence Developer(s) Ludeon Studios Publisher(s) Ludeon Studios Engine Unity Steam Deck Compatibility VerifiedWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALRimWorld'semergent 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.
19 Fallout Franchise
CloseWe're bundling multiple Fallout games into one entry for this list.
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, the Fallout franchise 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. You can also mod Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas; the possibilities are endless!
18 The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
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Like Follow FollowedThe Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
RPG Systems 10.0/10 Released March 20, 2006 ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence Developer(s) Bethesda Publisher(s) Bethesda Engine havok, speedtree, gamebryo Franchise The Elder ScrollsWHERE TO PLAY
SUBSCRIPTIONThe 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.
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PostsMods 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.
17 Doom (1993)
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Like Follow FollowedDoom (1993)
First-Person Shooter Systems 4.5/5 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 86/100 Critics Rec: 92% Released December 10, 1993 ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language Developer(s) id Software Publisher(s) id Software Engine Doom engineWHERE TO PLAY
SUBSCRIPTIONThe 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.
