Making your first mod

Every author started with one small change. Here is how to get going.

Start small

Pick one small thing: change an item's numbers, add one book, move one object. You learn the tools without getting lost.

The tools depend on the game

• Bethesda games (Skyrim, Fallout, Starfield): the game's own Creation Kit, plus xEdit to look inside and compare plugins. Scripts are written in Papyrus.
• Many other games read files from a mods folder: text or data files you can open and change, sometimes with a modding tool the game's makers published.
• Bigger changes (new systems, new interfaces) often need a script extender or a code framework that other authors share.

The best teacher is a mod you like whose author allows it: open it and see how it is built.

Use every tool you have

We use AI tools to make mods faster and to fix problems sooner, and so can you. Our stance on AI explains how we see it.

Test like a player

Try your mod on a fresh save and on an old one. Install it the way a player would, from your own download.

When it is ready

Become an author and post it on Modhold. See Posting your mod on Modhold next.