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How to Install Mods in the Vintage Story Client

A complete guide to installing Vintage Story mods on Windows and Linux, including the correct Mods folders, ZIP handling, Mod Manager steps, server downloads, admin commands, and troubleshooting.

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To install a Vintage Story mod, download the release that matches your game version, place its .zip file in the user Mods folder, and enable it from the main-menu Mod Manager. Do not extract the ZIP. On Windows the usual folder is %appdata%VintagestoryDataMods; on Linux it is ~/.configVintagestoryData/Mods.

Back up important worlds first. Multiplayer works differently: since Vintage Story 1.16, a server can supply its required server-side mods automatically, while client-only mods still have to be installed on your own computer.

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What a Vintage Story mod installation actually does

Vintage Story loads mods from a designated Mods directory when the client starts. A mod may change gameplay, add blocks or systems, alter interfaces, or provide content needed by a multiplayer server. The installation itself is simple, but three details determine whether it works:

  • The file must support the exact Vintage Story version you are running.
  • The downloaded archive must remain a .zip file.
  • The mod must be placed in the user data Mods folder, not merely beside the game executable.

Mods are also assigned a side: Client, Server, or Both. A client-side mod belongs on the player’s computer. A server-side mod belongs on the server. A mod marked Both generally has to be available in both environments when the server requires it.

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Prepare before installing anything

Back up worlds and important data

Copy important single-player worlds, and make a separate backup before removing or updating a mod. A mod can change saved data, add dependencies, or prevent a world from loading until the previous mod set is restored. Keeping a dated backup gives you a reversible way to test a new release.

Match the exact game version

Open the mod’s page on the official Vintage Story ModDB or the author’s trusted release page. In the Files tab, select a release whose supported game version matches your installed client. “Almost the same” is not a reliable compatibility rule: an incompatible release may fail to load, cause a crash, or leave features broken.

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Check the version number printed by your Vintage Story launcher or main menu, then compare it with the compatibility information for the individual file. If several files are available, do not automatically choose the newest upload; choose the newest file that supports your game build.

Understand what you are downloading

The normal download is a ZIP archive. Do not open it in an archive utility and extract its contents into another directory. Vintage Story expects the mod archive itself in the Mods folder, so extracting it can leave the game unable to recognize the mod.

Install a mod from the client

Use this procedure for a manually downloaded client mod or for a mod that a server administrator has told you to install locally.

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  1. Close or open Vintage Story as needed. You can download the file before launching the game, but the destination is easiest to find from the client’s own Mod Manager.
  2. Download the compatible ZIP. Confirm that the file is the release for your installed Vintage Story version and that it comes from the official ModDB or a trusted author page.
  3. Open Mod Manager. Start Vintage Story and stay at the main menu. Open Mod Manager, then click Open Mods Folder. This opens the user-data directory the client is currently configured to scan.
  4. Copy the ZIP into the folder. Drag or copy the downloaded .zip file into the folder that opened. Leave the archive compressed; do not create a second folder containing its extracted files.
  5. Reload the list. In Mod Manager, click Reload Mods. If that control does not refresh the entry, quit and restart Vintage Story.
  6. Enable the mod. Locate the mod in the list and turn it on. Read any dependency or compatibility warning shown by the manager before entering a world.

What a successful installation looks like

The mod appears as an entry in Mod Manager after the reload or restart. Its name, version, and status should be visible there. If it is listed but disabled, enable it before loading a world. If it is not listed at all, use the folder and configuration checks in the troubleshooting section rather than repeatedly downloading the same file.

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Where the Mods folder is located

Operating system User Mods path How to reach it
Windows %appdata%VintagestoryDataMods Use Mod Manager’s Open Mods Folder button, or enter the path in File Explorer.
Linux ~/.configVintagestoryData/Mods Use the client button, or open the path in your file manager or terminal.

The game also checks a second Mods directory inside its installation directory. That location is used mainly for built-in Essentials, Creative Mode, and Survival Mode content. User-downloaded mods normally belong in the user data folder shown above, so use the Mod Manager button instead of guessing which installation directory is active.

Custom locations and stale settings

Advanced installations can change the locations Vintage Story scans with the modPaths setting in clientsettings.json. If the client was moved, a username changed, or an old installation was removed, an obsolete path can remain in the configuration and make a correctly installed mod appear missing.

Do not edit paths casually. First close the game and make a backup of the configuration files. Then inspect the current entries and remove or correct stale locations. The troubleshooting steps below explain which files to check when the normal folder does not work.

Client mods and multiplayer server mods

What happens when you join a modded server

From Vintage Story 1.16 onward, joining a modded multiplayer server can automatically set up the server’s required mods on the player side. The client stores these downloads separately from manually installed mods under:

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%AppData%RoamingVintagestoryDataModsByServer

Inside that directory, Vintage Story creates a subfolder named for the server or its IP address. This per-server arrangement keeps downloaded server files associated with the server that supplied them and avoids mixing them with your general client Mods folder.

Force a fresh server download

If an administrator updates a server mod but keeps the same filename, your client may continue using the existing copy. Leave the server, close Vintage Story, and delete that server’s subfolder inside ModsByServer. Rejoin afterward so the client downloads the server’s current files again. Delete only the affected server folder, not the entire ModsByServer directory, if you want to preserve files for other servers.

Client-only mods are still local

Automatic server setup applies to the server’s required files. A mod classified as Client is installed on the player’s own computer and is not something the server supplies. Hosting guidance distinguishes Client, Server, and Both, so check the mod’s side designation before deciding where it belongs.

Manual ZIP installation versus server-side commands

The right installation method depends on who controls the files and where the mod must run.

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Approach Best for Where files go Main consideration
Manual ZIP copy Single-player worlds and client-only mods Your user Mods folder You select the compatible release and can remove it directly.
Automatic server download Joining a modded server The server-specific ModsByServer subfolder Files are supplied by the server; deleting that server folder forces a new download.
Server /moddb commands Administrators managing server mods The server’s mod installation Command availability and syntax must match the server build.

Do not install a server-only mod in the client Mods folder simply because its ZIP is available. Conversely, a client-only interface or visual mod normally does not belong on the server. The side label and the server administrator’s instructions take priority over the filename.

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Server administrator commands

The command reference documents the following ModDB commands. That reference is verified for Vintage Story 1.18.0-pre.7; confirm the syntax and permissions against the server build you actually operate before using them.

Command Purpose
/moddb search Search the ModDB from the server command interface.
/moddb searchcompatible Search for releases compatible with the server’s game version.
/moddb install [modid] [gameVersion] Install a specified ModDB entry for a specified game version.
/moddb remove Remove a server-installed mod.
/moddb list List the mods currently known to the server.

These commands are for server administration, not a replacement for placing a client-only ZIP in your personal Mods folder. A server operator should also communicate the required game version and whether players need any additional local mods.

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Troubleshoot a mod that does not appear or work

The mod is missing from Mod Manager

First close Vintage Story and verify that the ZIP is in the user-data Mods folder opened by Mod Manager. If the file is in the installation directory, in a nested extracted folder, or still in your Downloads folder, move the original ZIP to the user folder and restart.

If the location is correct but the entry remains absent, inspect %AppData%VintagestoryData and review clientsettings.json and serverconfig.json. Look for stale usernames, obsolete installations, or incorrect modPaths entries. Correct the outdated path, save the file, and restart the client. Make a backup before editing either configuration file.

The game crashes or a feature fails

Check the mod release against the exact Vintage Story version first. An incompatible release can fail before the main menu or can load while leaving a feature unusable. If the version matches, test for conflicts with other installed mods by disabling recently added or recently updated entries, then reloading. Restore one change at a time so you can identify the conflicting combination without permanently losing your working setup.

Two copies of the same mod are installed

Vintage Story attempts to load only the highest version when it finds more than one copy of the same mod. That behavior can make troubleshooting confusing, especially when an older archive has a different filename. Keep one intended release in the Mods folder and remove older duplicates before testing again.

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A server update appears not to have taken effect

When the server changed a mod without changing its filename, remove the affected server’s folder under %AppData%RoamingVintagestoryDataModsByServer after leaving the server. Rejoin to obtain the updated files. This is separate from the general user Mods folder, so deleting a manually installed client ZIP will not refresh the server copy.

The mod works in one world but not another

Do not assume the installation is broken solely because an existing world behaves differently. A mod may add systems that require a new world, may depend on a particular configuration, or may have changed saved data. Return to the backup made before installation, verify the mod’s documented compatibility, and test in a separate world before risking an important save.

Updating, disabling, and removing mods safely

Update one release at a time

Back up the affected worlds, note the current mod version, and download the replacement that supports your game build. Remove the old duplicate before copying in the new ZIP, then reload Mod Manager. Keeping the old archive beside the new one can cause Vintage Story to select the highest version unexpectedly.

Disable before deleting when diagnosing a problem

Use Mod Manager to disable a suspect mod and reload. If the problem disappears, close the game and remove the ZIP only after confirming that the world can be restored from backup if necessary. This staged approach preserves a clear before-and-after state.

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Keep server files separate

Do not move files from ModsByServer into the general Mods folder. Server-supplied files are tied to a particular server and may be replaced when that server changes its mod set. Install a local client-only mod separately in the user Mods folder.

A practical installation checklist

  • Back up worlds before adding, removing, or updating mods.
  • Record your installed Vintage Story version.
  • Read the mod’s Files tab and choose a release compatible with that version.
  • Confirm whether the mod is Client, Server, or Both.
  • Download the ZIP from the official ModDB or a trusted author page.
  • Open the main-menu Mod Manager and use Open Mods Folder.
  • Copy the ZIP into that folder without extracting it.
  • Click Reload Mods or restart the client.
  • Enable the entry in Mod Manager before loading a world.
  • For multiplayer, allow the server to provide server mods or follow the administrator’s instructions.
  • If a server update reused a filename, delete that server’s ModsByServer subfolder and rejoin.

What to remember

The dependable client workflow is: match the game version, back up your worlds, place the untouched ZIP in the user Mods folder, reload Mod Manager, and enable the entry. The installation directory’s secondary Mods folder is mainly for built-in content, while multiplayer server downloads are kept separately by server. When something fails, check the side designation, exact version, duplicate archives, and configured paths before attempting another download.

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