We all know that Stellaris is already a pretty colossal game with all the DLCs included, but there are some mods that can make certain aspects of the game much more fun or optimized or even enhance the roleplay. It doesn’t really cost you anything to try these mods and they’re basically like free Stellaris DLCs that add a lot of new stuff to the game depending on your liking.
One thing to take into consideration when installing these mods is that having a lot of them at the same time can potentially break your game so we suggest you install a few mods tested out then expand or go from there because installing 10 to 15 mods all at once will potentially break the game and you won’t have a clue where the issue lies exactly. That being said let’s dive into some of the best Stellaris mods.
Gigastructures
Adds massive megastructures and introduces new late-game crises.
Link to Stellaris Gigastructures Mod
It adds a ton of new sci-fi Gigastructures like Nicoll-Dyson Beams and Matrioshka Brain. Moreover, it adds new mechanics, strategic goals, and resource sinks which make the gameplay much more dynamic. As well as some new technologies. Essentially, a lot of stuff in the already complex game is being added, so be prepared to be a bit overwhelmed. Also do keep in mind one very important thing, it adds a new very difficult endgame crisis that is enabled by default. So either be prepared for a very rough endgame fight or turn it off if you want to get the hang of the new mod first.
Gigastructure is one of the mods that you either really like or are just opposed to from the start. This is because this mod, unlike many others, really adds a ton of stuff to the game, and by doing so, changes a lot of the core aspects and timings of the game. It’s like, on the one hand, it adds a ton of variability, features, and additional options for your empire, but on the other hand, if you really prefer the game to stay true to its core, Gigastructure doesn’t “respect” this at all, unlike typical Stellaris Megastructures that are already in the game. This is really a fun-focused mod, more so than a skill and balanced one, because a lot of the newly added stuff in this mod changes the whole economy and flow of the game.
So if you want to spice up your game, Gigastructure’s mod is extremely fun and will add a ton of hours to your game.
Stellaris Evolved – Alpha
Expands core gameplay mechanics with new features and balance improvements.
Link to Stellaris Evolved – Alpha Mod
So the basic premise of Stellaris Evolved is that it significantly expands the game’s core features. It really is game-changing and affects almost every aspect of the game whilst trying to preserve that original Stellaris vibe. Some of the changes include new Ascension Perks and Traditions that have very complex new paths of development for your Empire. Moreover, it has a complete overhaul of Civics and Governments, meaning that many Civics are reworked and a lot of new ones are added. There are a lot of different strategies compared to original Stellaris that open up here because as you already may know, Civics and Governments are some of the core parts in which path your Empire will take in the game.
There are also other additions like buildings, resources, and expanded ship designs and classes. This is all too complex to be summarized briefly, but in a word it completely changes the dynamic of the game and the stuff you can do in it. Moreover, an important thing to mention is that it has a bit different mid and late-game challenges dynamics because the mod changes and tweaks how certain mid-game challenges like Fallen Empires or late-game challenges like Endgame Crisis scale and work.
Finally, there are some interesting improvements regarding AI and its logic. It alters the way AI thinks about the diplomacy it has with you in a more dynamic way so friendships with AI can feel like real friendships and when you are enemies, you are definitely enemies. Overall, if you need that extra spice and just more things in every single way in Stellaris, then this mod is an excellent way to achieve that, and honestly, there are no alternatives. No other mod really enhances and expands the game in every single way like this one. Sure, there are some mods that tweak an aspect of the game, but this is a very heavy and “complete” mod, to say the least.
Planetary Diversity
Introduces new biomes and planet types for more diverse exploration.
Link to Planetary Diversity Mod
Planetary diversity adds over 50 new planet types and this is included in the Stellaris galaxy generator and also when you’re colonizing planets. The main benefit of this mod is that it adds that extra layer of roleplay, sci-fi, and some actual new in-game changes like you need planet traits; high gravity, abundant life, unstable ecosystem, and so on. This is one of those mods that impact essentially every game but at the same time it’s it’s not intrusive or bloatsome so it doesn’t really hurt to have this mod on. It’s a positive in most cases. Some mods add a lot of new stuff but disrupt the gameplay balance and progression, but this is not one of those mods. It’s clean, it’s straightforward, and you’ll just get used to it after some time.
More Events Mod
Enriches the game with new story-driven events and anomalies.
Link to More Events Mod
More Events mod is simply put a narrative-focused content mod that brings a richer story, role-building, and that extra sci-fi element that you’re looking for. It has a lot of story-driven events, new anomalies, colonization events, special technologies, and relics, and of course, some rare and very “sci-fi-y” events are really game-changing. All in all, it’s an excellent addition if you’re finding the exploration part of Stellaris repetitive and a bit bland because let’s face it, after a couple of hundred hours there’s only so much “Don’t Count your Planets“, “Space Amoeba“, “Caught in the Eye“, and “Feral Overload” events that you can play through and not get bored with. More Events mod is probably one of the most expansive Stellaris mods out there, it is essentially a free additional DLC.
Dynamic Political Events
Brings in new political challenges, decisions, and scenarios for greater immersion.
Link to Dynamic Political Events Mod
The basis of Dynamic Political Events mod is that it deepens everything regarding politics and adds weight to your decisions in the game. This means that internal politics are a bit more challenging and have a lot of benefits or consequences depending on which path you take. It’s pretty cool because it kind of simulates real problems like inefficient bureaucracies, real political instabilities, and giant internal conflicts. This is sometimes underwhelming in Stellaris because the game essentially just offers you some stability meter and crime meter as well as factions that are in conflict with each other but it doesn’t really have any deep systems regarding internal politics.
Dynamic Political Events mod fixes this. Moreover, it expands also to policies and edicts so there are a lot of new bonuses and benefits in this aspect of the game. Finally, foreign policy is of course expanded and there are a lot of new events regarding your friendships and empires that you wage war with. All in all, if you’re into politics and feel like Stellaris doesn’t really offer the full scope of what you’re looking for, this mod is a must.
UI and Quality of Life
UI Dynamic Overhaul
Overhauls the interface for better usability and accessibility.
Link to UI Dynamic Overhaul Mod
UI Dynamic Overhaul is essentially a complete redesign of the base Stellaris UI and in our opinion, it’s a pretty must-have mod, especially if you’re not used to having everything. There is a lot of issues in the base UI with scaling and stuff being either too small or bloated or just not practical. This mod really improves a lot of stuff regarding resources, fleets, pop planets, sectors, and so on, because it rearranges buttons, scales certain things really well, and makes almost everything much easier to read, find, and manage.
Full Tiny Outliner
Adds streamlined UI improvements to make managing your empire easier.
Link to Full Tiny Outliner (Tiny Outliner v2 is deprecated because it stopped receiving updates a while ago, only compatible with 3.8.x)
Full Tiny Outliner has one purpose, to reorganize the Outliner Panel, which is a bar on the right side of the screen. This bar is extremely troublesome in the base game because once you’re in the mid to late game, your planets, habitats, starbases, sectors, fleets, and everything that is on the right side of the bar become very difficult to manage. This mod is very simple, but one of the most sought-after Stellaris mods that will save you headaches and make your managing much more efficient.
![Hearthstone Battlegrounds Strategy Guide [Season 10]](https://fantasywarden.com/wp-content/uploads/hearthstone-battlegrounds-cover-season-10.webp)
