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Where Does Starbound Store Mods?

Starbound mods live in a mods folder under the install plus Steam Workshop. Save files stay separate per the saves post.

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Save files hold characters and planets while mods change content. Manual mods live as .pak files in a mods folder under the install. Workshop items mount beside them.

The existing saves post covers player and universe files; this one covers the mod side. Load order follows dependencies with errors logged at startup. Vanilla and modded universes share folders but never mix assets.

Where Starbound stores this, by platform

Windows
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Starbound\mods

.pak files plus Workshop mounts beside them. Saves live separately per the saves post. Enable mods in game before loading affected characters.

macOS
~/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Starbound/mods

Same mods interior on Mac. Keep direct downloads apart from Workshop mounts to avoid filename collisions.

Linux
~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Starbound/mods

Identical layout on Linux under the Steam library. Server installs read the same mods folder for multiplayer.

Frequently asked questions

How do I install Starbound mods?

Subscribe on Steam Workshop and let the game mount items at launch, or drop .pak files into the mods folder for manual installs. Workshop covers most needs while the folder serves direct downloads. Enable each mod in the in game menu.

How do I back up a modded universe?

Copy the mods folder plus player and universe folders from the saves post with the game quit. Mods travel as .pak files while saves reference asset paths. Removing a race mod strands its characters.

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