As defined by Wikipedia, modding is "the alteration of the program code of a video game in order to make it operate in a manner different from its original version." Stonehearth was developed to support modding, although the APIs themselves are still undergoing changes. Now that the game was officially released and the development stopped, all mods should work if they are done or updated after the latest patch (1.1).
Where to get mods
Mods can be downloaded from the official Stonehearth Discourse, or a list of mods can be found here on this wiki. This list may not always be completely up to date, however. As of April 2018, Steam players can also find mods on the Steam Workshop.
How to install a mod
When you download a new mod, it is usually in the form of a ".smod" file. This is a compressed file that contains everything the mod needs to function. Once downloaded, place the file into the "mods" folder of your Stonehearth installation.
- If you installed through Humble Bundle, this will normally be at C:\Program Files (x86)\Stonehearth\mods.
- If you have installed via Steam, then the mods folder will be at C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Stonehearth\mods.
Once you have placed the mod into this folder, all you need to do is start the game. The mod will be in the mod tab. You can choose to activate them or not for your games. Be careful to know what mods you place in each savefile, as some can break your game if removed mid-playthrough.
As of April 2018, mods can be downloaded through the Steam workshop. This is the easiest way to mod the game, as it requires only to like the mod in the workshop and boot the game to have it added.
Making your own mod
A simple mod can be created in only a few minutes, although more complex ones may take significantly longer. The modding category on the Stonehearth Discourse is the best place for information during the alpha phases of the game. The in-game mod settings now let you create a new mod, with the folder/manifest setup needed for Steam mods (After that, continue modding as normal).
There is also an official Stonehearth modding guide, which currently covers the very basics, but is planned to be expanded with in-depth tutorials and a scripting reference.