Mod is short for modification. In gaming, it is the act of changing the program code of a game in order to produce something slightly different from the original. Mods can provide a slightly new or entirely new experience of the original game. 

You can think of mods as different spices and condiments to add to a dish. The right combination of mods can spice up and improve the game while the wrong combination might make it unplayable. Mods can add variety to the game and can even lead to a whole new experience than the original.

1. No Water, No Life.

Water is essential for human survival. 

This mod adds water as a need for your colonists. Not only that, you have to filter that water before your colonists can drink it. Even animals need to drink water with this mod. 

The need for water adds to the survival aspect of Rimworld. The added challenge of securing clean sources of water for your colony makes your playthroughs more immersive. This addition adds a sense of realism to your overall experience. 

No Water, No Life Key Features

• Water is essential

In vanilla, you only need food and clothing to survive. Your colonists and animals needing water adds another layer to the challenge of surviving in Rimworld. Immersion has a price, you know. 

• Filtration

Your colonists don’t only need water. They need that water to be safe to drink too. This adds another layer to the challenge of your colonists needing water. 

• Automation

You don’t need a colonist to dedicate their entire life to gathering and filtering water. In the late game, you can automate the accumulation and filtration of your water supply. It’s called working smarter, not harder.

No Water, No Life Details

https://rimworldbase.com/no-water-no-life-mod/

 

2. Dubs Bad Hygiene

Keep your colonists squeaky clean and fresh!

This mod adds hygiene as a need for your colonists. You will need to keep them, and their surrounding areas clean. It adds an additional layer to Rimworld’s survival aspect.. 

Like you, your colonists will be happier after taking a hot shower after working in the cold all day. Your colonists will suffer mood debuffs when they feel dirty and icky. On the flip side, they will get a mood boost when they’re squeaky clean and fresh. 

Dubs Bad Hygiene Key Features

• Hygiene

You will have many options to keep your colonists squeaky clean and fresh. They will be happy after a dip in their bathtub or after a power shower. But if they can’t find the time to wash themselves, you better be prepared for their mental breakdowns. 

• Waste

The mod also features the concept of waste. Your colonists will have to get rid of bodily waste. You will need to find a way to get rid of it… or make use of it. 

• Fertilizer

Remember that waste we were talking about? Well, you can also use that for fertilizer. Food for thought!

• Pipe Management

You need to manage your pipes. You have to make sure that there is a separate pipeline for your colony’s bathwater and waste. If they criss-cross, then contamination will occur which is bad for your colonists.

• Swimming Pool

The mod also adds a swimming pool. Your colonists can have fun under the sun in their down time. This also keeps them clean so it’s a win-win. 

Dubs Bad Hygiene Details

https://rimworldbase.com/dubs-bad-hygiene-mod/

 

3. ED-Embrasures

Sandbags are a thing of the past. Just put a hole in that wall and shoot those raiders.

This mod allows you to build walls with embrasures. Embrasures are openings carved into your walls where your colonists shoot out of. Your colonists will be able to defend your base behind better cover.

Those pesky melee raiders and mechanoid scythers will be less of a threat thanks to embrasures. Unlike sandbags, embrasures are built into your walls so you won’t need to worry about melee attackers rushing your colonists. Embrasures also give a new meaning to the words “kill box.” 

ED-Embrasures Key Features

• Safer colonists

Your colonists will be safer from melee attackers. Your colonists being able to shoot behind the safety of your walls does have its benefits. Your colonists will thank you for it. 

• Killbox 

In Rimworld, killboxes are your best bet. Embrasures allow you to build even better killboxes. Even after your enemies survive your trap infested maze, they’ll have to survive that killbox you set up at the end of it. 

• Pillbox Strategy 

Defend your base World War I style with pillboxes. Set up a bunch of these on the outskirts of your base. Your colonists will have a safe place to run to and defend themselves just in case there’s a sudden raid. 

• Sandbags add-on 

You can even add sandbags. Construct sandbags in front of your embrasures. This combination provides your colonists even better protection from enemy gunfire. 

ED- Embrasure Details

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=722085442&searchtext=embrasure

 

4. Simple Utilities Ceiling

Say ‘goodbye’ to standing lamps and say ‘hello’ to ceiling lights. 

You can now light your rooms with ceiling lights. This mod allows you to build a variety of ceiling lights for different-sized rooms. It also adds helpful ceiling utilities. 

Standing lamps occupy space and sometimes they’re out of place in terms of aesthetic. Now, you can replace those with ceiling lights. Ceiling lights are just better for practical and aesthetic reasons. 

Simple Utilities: Ceiling Key Features 

• Diverse Options

You have different options of lights to choose from. You can choose ceiling lights for different sized rooms. They also come in different styles.

• Ceiling Firefoam Popper

Firefoams poppers don’t have to get in your colonists’ way. You can now build them on your ceilings. It saves space and doesn’t lessen your room’s aesthetic. 

• Ceiling Mounted Sunlamps

Sunlamps don’t have to occupy those cells in the middle of your indoor farms. Build them on the ceiling instead. 

Simple Utilities: Ceiling Details

https://rimworldbase.com/simple-utilities-ceiling-mod/

 

5. RimFridge

Refrigeration has never been easier. 

Keep those supplies near your stove fresh with the RimFridge. Walk-in refrigerators are only good for mass storage. You can now construct refrigerators for your colony’s convenience.

The RimFridge allows you to place refrigerators anywhere. This means you can keep that stockpile of meat and vegetables near your stove fresh. You can also place refrigerators near your work areas to make it more convenient for your colonists to access meals. 

RimFridge Key Features 

• Variety 

RimFridges come in different sizes. There are the single, double, and the quad. You can even build RimFridges in place of walls. 

• Placeability

You can place RimFridges anywhere on the map. You might want to build them where your colonists might need them. 

• Convenience 

You can build RimFridges beside your stove to keep your stockpiles fresh. Build them next to your colonists’ work areas for more convenient access. You can even build RimFridges next to your colonists’ bedrooms for easier breakfast access.

Rimfridge Details

https://rimworldbase.com/rimfridge-mod/

 

6. [SYR] Set-Up Camp

Caravaning has never been this fun. 

Your caravaners can now rest up in style. This mod allows your caravans to set up camps in the world map. Be it temporary, or permanent, your camps will always come in handy.

Establish camps so your colonists can properly regroup on the road. These camps essentially function as secondary mini colonies. Like actual colonies, you can build up your camp to make your colonists’ stay more comfortable.

Set-Up Camp Key Features

• Versatility 

You can build camps anywhere on the map. This allows you to better manage your colonists and their resources while they’re on the world map. This gives you an advantage when caravaning in extreme terrains like snowlands and deserts. 

• Permanent Camps

Establish permanent camps in-between your colony and your neighbors. This allows you to create safe zones for your colonists when they’re traveling the world map. At this point, you’ll be managing a second mini colony. 

• Gather Resources

Camps also allow you to harvest resources from different places. Your colony may run out of steel to mine or animals to hunt.  Camps allow you to set out to different areas in the map to gather what you need.

Set-Up CampDetails

https://rimworldbase.com/set-up-camp-mod/

 

7. Dinosauria

Dinosaurs in the Rim!

This mod adds dinosaurs to the game. These dinos range from the smallest like the Compsognathus to the largest like the Brachiosaurus. There are also different heavy herbivores like the Triceratops and cunning carnivores like the Velociraptor. 

Dinosaurs roam the world once more. These ancient animals let you play Rimworld like you never did before. If man-hunting rhinos aren’t scary enough, just imagine man-hunting T-rexes. 

Key Features

• Dinosaurs

You’ll get to see these ancient lizards roam around your colony. Dinosauria adds a variety of different dinos in your playthroughs. There will also be different dinos in different climate areas in the map. 

• Pack Dinos

Dinosaurs are big animals. They can be tamed and used as pack animals in your caravans. Many dinosaur species can carry much heavier weight than your usual pack animals. 

• Combat Dinos 

What’s better than having dinos as pack animals? Dinosaurs that fight for you. Just imagine, you can have your own T-Rex that you’ll train to hunt down raiders. 

Dinosauria Details

https://rimworldbase.com/dinosauria-mod/

 

8. Megafauna

You know what’s better than animals? Bigger animals! 

The Megafauna mod adds ancient, thought-to-be extinct animals in the game. These large animals will spawn in different biomes in the game. Bigger animals mean bigger rewards. 

Just imagine these megafauna roaming around your colony. You can tame them if you want bigger pack animals that can carry heavier loads. You can also hunt them for a lot more meat and leather.

Megafauna Key Features

• More Meat and Textiles

The bigger the animal, the bigger the prize. These large animals provide much more meat and leather when hunted. Instead of killing half a dozen gazelles to feed your colony, you can just kill one wooly mammoth.

• Bigger Pack Animals

Like dinosaurs, these megafauna are bigger than your Rimworld’s vanilla animals. They can carry significantly heavier weight than muffaloes and donkeys. They’re your caravans’ newest best friends. 

• Bigger Combat Animals

Also like dinosaurs, these ancient animals can be trained to fight. Just imagine your colonist leading a herd of wooly mammoths trampling a dozen raiders. That’s what this mod can do for you! 

Megafauna Details

https://rimworldbase.com/megafauna-mod/

 

9. DE Surgeries

Make your doctor become a professional surgeon today!

This mod adds different surgery options for your colonists. These surgeries range from the most basic surgeries, like cuts and bruises, to big surgeries like curing dementia and Alzheimers. Your resident surgeon can now operate on your colonists for even the smallest inconveniences like a severed big toe. 

You won’t have to rely on healer mech serums to cure serious scars or illnesses. This mod allows you to perform surgeries to cure scars, and to reattach severed fingers and toes. This mod revolutionizes your colony’s surgical needs! 

DE Surgeries Key Features

• Cosmetic Surgeries 

Colonists who have the ‘ugly’ trait can now be more beautiful. You can surgically enhance their ears and nose to add to their ‘beauty’ even just a little bit. They’ll certainly thank you for it.

• Instant Healing

Instead of waiting for wounds, bruises, and cuts to heal, you can now cure them instantly. It just costs a bit more medicine than usual. You’ll never know when the next raid comes anyway, so best keep

• Removing Parasites

You can now instantly cure gut worms and muscle parasites. It costs a lot of medicine but it’s certainly better than waiting it out. You’re better spending the extra medicine anyway. 

DE Surgeries Details

https://rimworldbase.com/de-surgeries-mod/

 

10. EDB Prepare Carefully

Prepare carefully with EDB Prepare Carefully.

The mod allows you to customize your colonists before starting your playthrough. You can customize their traits, skills, appearances, and more. You can also add or remove things to bring with you upon starting a game. 

EDB Prepare Carefully allows you to do just that - to prepare carefully. You can now start your colony as a group of neanderthals with zero overall skills or a squadron of elite super soldiers with the best gear and maxed out skills. Pick and choose the best or worst traits possible for colonists with backstories of your choice.

EDB Prepare Carefully Key Features

• Appearance

The randomly generated characters the game gives you might not be to your liking. Now, you can customize your colonists’ appearance before you start the game.With this mod, you can create a tribe of buff warrior women or a bunch of genius but skinny scientists - the possibilities are endless. 

• Traits and Skills 

You can customize your colonists’ traits and skills. You might want to create ‘iron-willed’ soldiers to start off easy, or you might want a bunch of ‘volatile’ tortured artists for an added challenge. You can also start them off by having maxed out or zero skills. 

• Apparel and Resources 

You can customize what you bring with you at the start of the game. You can pick and choose the weapons and armor your colonists wear. You can also choose what resources to bring with you to give yourself a nice head start. 

EDB Prepare Carefully Details

https://rimworldbase.com/prepare-carefully-mod/

 

11. Giddy-up! Battle Mounts

You want to ride your colony’s animals into battle? Say no more, fam. 

This mod allows your colonists to ride tamed animals. Riding-animals provides different benefits from speed to protection. Now, you can mount that bear cavalry charge you never knew you wanted.

Imagine your colonist riding a rhino and he charges into enemy ranks. Giddy-up! Battle Mounts allows you to do exactly that. Just wait ‘til you get to ride a Thrumbo. 

Giddy-up! Battle Mounts Key Features

• Melee Mounts

Some mounts are better at melee than others. A rhino or a Thrumbo might be good for goring enemy raiders. You can try that with Alpacas but I can’t guarantee that you’ll win the fight. 

• Fast Mounts 

Utilize your mounts’ speed and make use of hit-and-run tactics. Consider using fast animals as mounts like cougars. These allow you to move with great speed allowing you to run circles around your enemies. 

• Realism 

The mod balances itself by reducing your colonists’ accuracy when riding mounts. It adds a touch of realism that way. Shooting from the back of a Thrumbo might be harder than it sounds. 

Giddy-up! Battle Mounts Details

https://rimworldbase.com/giddy-up-battle-mounts-mod/

 

12. Go Explore!

Explore the rim like you never have before!

‘Go Explore!’ adds new events to the game. Some events are easy while others are down right hectic. Are you prepared for these new challenges? 

You intercept a message about the location of a hidden stash of tech or weapons. Once you arrive in that location, you find yourself caught in a trap, and are surrounded by 30 angry rabbits. The mod also allows you to explore ancient lost cities, fight ambrosia-addicted animals, and so much more. 

Go Explore! Key Features

• Lost Cities

Explore lost cities and loot ancient tech and other goodies. These lost cities include the bombarded city, infested city, and toxic city. I’ll let you find out for yourself why they’re called that. 

• Ship Core Startup

Another colony is starting their own ship and is headed for the stars. This time, you get to play as raiders. Kill the defenders, take their supplies, and salvage their ship - their resources are better off with you. 

• Research Request 

A colony contacts you with a research opportunity. Help them out so both your colonies can benefit from the endeavor. If you send your best researcher, you might even get a nice bonus. 

Go Explore! Details

https://rimworldbase.com/go-explore-mod/

 

13. MendandRecycle

Say ‘goodbye’ to the ratty apparel debuff. 

This mod allows you to mend weapons, armor, clothes, and utilities. Construct a mending workbench and mend your items. You can repair your clothes instead of disposing of them. 

The ratty apparel debuff will be a thing of the past. Your deteriorating apparel and weapons won’t suffer the fate of disappearing from the game any longer. Keep them from deteriorating into nothingness with this Mending mod. 

MendandRecycle Key Features

• Repair Weapons

You don’t have to worry about that charge lance being at 8% hitpoints. Repair it now so it can see battle another day. Your colonists will be happy to still have that advanced weapon. 

• Repair Armor

Are you worried about that power armor you salvaged having 13% hit points left? Worry no more with this mending mod. You can now repair it so your colonists can use it for longer.

• Repair Clothes

As we all know, when your clothes reach below 50% hit points, it gives your colonists the ratty apparel debuff. Keep your clothes’ hit points above 50% with this mod. That debuff will haunt you no more. 

MendandRecycle Details

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=735241897&searchtext=mend

 

14. Prisoner Ransom

Make money from selling prisoners! 

This mod allows you to set prisoners free for the right price. You can return them to their home faction by selling them in the comms console. Just make sure they come back in one piece for a better price. 

This changes the game when it comes to keeping prisoners. Some prisoners aren’t worth converting into colonists. Now, you can sell them off and make a profit. 

Prisoner Ransom Key Features

• War Profits

There are many ways to make money in the Rim. Selling prisoners is now one of them. The healthier you keep the prisoner, the better the profit. 

• Increase Relations

Returning prisoners increases the relationship you have with their home factions. If you sell enough prisoners, you might even befriend a faction you were just at war with. This excludes the raider and pirate factions of course. 

• Incentive for Capturing Prisoners

Killing every single raider isn’t viable anymore. You’re better off keeping them alive and capturing them. Ransom the useless ones and make money out of them. 

Prisoner Ransom Details

https://rimworldbase.com/prisoner-ransom-mod/

 

15. Quick Links

A quality of life mod like no other. 

This mod adds quality of life add-ons. You now have mining and lumber gathering. Your grow zones now come in categories. 

The modifications to these orders make it more convenient for you. No more will you have to eyeball every single cell when establishing grow zones in rich soil. You can also now mine more selectively with the new priority mining system. 

Quick Links Key Features

• Better Growing Zones

Your grow zones now have different categories. Sometimes, it’s hard to find where rich soil begins and where it ends, especially when it's grassy. Now, you can establish ‘rich soil’ only in grow zones. 

• Prioritized Mining

Mining just got easier. You’ll have a better mining experience now that you can prioritize steel and other minerals over rock. 

• Optimized Wood Harvest

Harvesting wood from trees is most optimal when they’ve fully matured. It can be tedious looking at each tree to know which ones are mature or not. Now, you can easily pick them apart with the new harvest priority system.

Quick Links Details

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1782131956&searchtext=quick+link

 

16. SRTS Expanded.

Roam the world in style with these awesome ships.

Adds a variety of flying ships at your disposal. These ships range from combat ships to transport ships. Not only are they useful, but they’re also stylish.

You can now roam the world in flying ships. This mod makes traveling through the world map a lot faster and a lot more convenient. The bigger ships carry more cargo and fuel which means you can travel the world farther and sell more goods to your neighbors. 

SRTS Expanded Key Features

• Reusable Transport 

Unlike transport pods, these ships can be used over and over again - as long as you don’t forget to fuel them. They can jump from tile to tile in the world map and are faster than transport pods. You can now send colonists away and bring them back much quicker. 

• Fighter Ships

Some ships have combat capabilities. Bomber ships can be used to assist your ambushed caravans. You can also use them to defend your settlement. 

• Cargo Ships 

Some ships can carry large amounts of cargo and a large number of people. This allows you to fly to your neighbors and trade with them without worrying about ambushes. You can also haul everything you bought or gathered back home with ease.

SRTS Expanded Details

https://rimworldbase.com/srts-expanded-mod/

 

17. Medieval Times

Go back in time with Medieval Times! 

Medieval Times brings an assortment of medieval weaponry, armor, and utilities. You can duke it out with raiders the old fashion way. As a bonus, it also adds medieval factions in the game.

This mod allows you to transform your colony into a medieval one. Live the life of medieval peasants as you try to progress with ‘ye-olde’ technology. Defend yourself with medieval weapons and armor.

Medieval Times Key Features

• Medieval Weaponry

An assortment of medieval weaponry are at your disposal. Halberds, longswords, and maces are but a few of the many weapons this mod provides. Fight your enemies the old fashion way.

• Medieval Armor

Your colonists’ armor also comes in the old fashion. Make your colonists wear scaled armor and dress them up like knights of old. Protect your colonists with the not-so-latest armor today. 

• Medieval Facilities

Old school facilities are also available to you. You can warm your longhouse with a mighty hearth in the middle. You can even worship the almighty Tynan Sylvester himself in front of his statue. 

• Medieval Factions

The mod also adds medieval factions to the game. If you want an immersive medieval playthrough, then medieval enemies complete the experience. Friendly tip, you can still use guns - but don’t tell them that. 

Medieval Times Details

https://rimworldbase.com/medieval-times-mod/

 

18. Centralized Climate Control

Heat or cool your homes the proper way with Centralized Climate Control. 

Centralized Climate Control allows you to build a centralized system for heating and cooling. Your rooms will no longer require the usual heater-cooler combo. You can save that space and those materials and put a single air vent in that room instead. 

Centralized Climate control revolutionizes home heating and cooling. Building several coolers and heaters for each and every room wastes valuable resources. Instead, you can build a centralized system and save those resources. 

Centralized Climate Control Key Features

• Air Network

You can now build pipes where hot or cold air will travel through.. These pipes can be built into the walls and underground. Not only will you save space by not building that heater, you’ll also won’t have to worry about raiders breaking through your coolers. 

• Convenient Heating/Cooling

Change up the temperature with fewer clicks on your screen. Your centralized system allows you to change the desired temperature for each and every room with ease. Your air climate units will be worth the investment, trust me

• Unified Heating/Cooling System

Is it too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter? Is changing the temperature for coolers and heaters getting tedious? Your centralized heating/cooling system allows you to maintain the same temperature in each and every room with ease. 

Centralized Climate Control Details

https://rimworldbase.com/centralized-climate-control-mod/

 

19. Rimworld of Magic

Magic in the Rim! 

Rimworld of Magic adds a sophisticated magic system in your game. Your colonists can now choose between the different combat classes and the different mage classes. You can also equip them with different magical items and artifacts. 

You’ll be able to fight raiders, insects, and mechanoids with magic. Use mages to blast your enemies with fire, lightning, frost, and more. Your combat classes will provide the muscle to reinforce those mages you have. 

Rimworld of Magic Key Features

• Mage Classes

Your colonists can now use the power of holy light, the elements, and raw arcane energy to fight your enemies. These mage classes have an assortment of combat and support abilities. Some of these can even be used to help out in your colony. 

• Combat Classes

Be it gladiator, sniper, or bladedancer; the combat classes are just as good as the mage classes. Slice through hordes of enemies with the blade dancer and pick off enemies one-by-one with the gladiator. Ambush your enemies from afar with your sniper and ranger. 

• Mana/Stamina System

There is a mana/stamina system in place to maintain balance. Your mages can’t cast their magic without mana, so beware. Your combatants also can’t use their abilities when drained of their stamina. 

Rimworld of Magic Details

https://rimworldbase.com/rimworld-of-magic-mod/

 

20. Cybernetic Organism and Neural Network

Enhance your colonists with advanced cybernetics.

The mod adds an assortment of cybernetic enhancements for your colonists. Combat cybernetics like the Energy Fist allows your colonists to kill quicker and defend themselves better. There are also support enhancements that boost your colonists’ movement speed, brain function, and work efficiency. 

Cybernetics allow you to turn your colonists into cyborgs. They can be monstrous killing machines with almost impenetrable skin. Or they can be hyper-enhanced workers who do the three times the work in much less time. 

Cybernetic Organism and Neural Network Key Features

• Combat Enhancements

Combat enhancements allow your colonists to always have weapons on-hand. Enhancements like the energy fist or outer blade ensures that your colonists will always have weapons to kill enemies with.

• Protective Enhancements

Protective enhancements ensure the survival of your colonists. The exoskeleton and dermal plating enhancements make your colonists more resistant to damage. Now, you can make terminators of your own. 

• Support Enhancements

There are also enhancements that add to the quality of life or combat efficiency of your colonists. Enhancements such as the berserker chip and combat ai increase the combat efficiency of your soldiers. There are also enhancements that improve your colonists’ health and work efficiency such the Energy Core and Neuro Enhancer.

Cybernetic Organism and Neural Network Details

https://rimworldbase.com/cybernetic-organism-and-neural-network-mod/

 

You may also be interested in: 

• 50 Most Useful 'Rimworld Tips' For Beginners
• Top 15 Best Rimworld Seeds
•  
• Top 3 Rimworld Best Clothing and How To Get Them
• [Top 5] RimWorld Best Melee Weapons and How To Get Them
•  
• [Top 5] RimWorld Best Armor and How To Get Them
• [Top 15] Best Rimworld Mods For A Brand New Experience
•  
• [Top 10] Best Rimworld Combat Mods We Love!
• [Top 5] RimWorld Best Power Sources
•  
• [Top 5] RimWorld Best Implants
• [Top 5] RimWorld Best Bedrooms
•  
• [Top 5] RimWorld Best Crops