If you are looking for the best RimWorld mods you can install in 2023, including weapon and faction mods, look no further! In this eXputer guide, we will explore how you can install mods in RimWorld, and then go through the best mods that you should definitely try! RimWorld is a popular strategy game that boasts excellent replay value, such as the likes of Minecraft and the Civilization series.
- Players can install the mods for Rimworld from two main sources: Steam Workhop and Ludeon Forums.
- For modes installed from steam forums, updates are applied automatically, whereas there are no automatic updates for modes from Ludeon Forums.
- Hospitality mod allows visitors to join your faction and interact with the game. Realistic Rooms make colonists content in smaller rooms, helping you save space when building your colony.
- Interaction Bubbles make social interactions between colonists visible in the form of speech bubbles. EdB Prepare Carefully lets you customize your colonists and gear before the crash landing occurs.
- Common Sense adds a level of common sense to colonists, making them more self-reliant. The Wall Light mod allows players to place lights on walls in RimWorld.
- Colony Manager allows for better faction management by assigning a manager for resource management. Dubs Bad Hygiene adds plumbing equipment and hygiene to the game, including baths, showers, and toilets.
- Combat Extended completely overhauls the combat experience, changes the projectile system to a ballistic model, and introduces new mechanics. Save Our Ships 2 expands the mid-to late-game by integrating the ship into gameplay and allowing players to pilot the ship.
- Vanilla Expanded is a collection of multiple mods that enhance the vanilla RimWorld experience by adding new weapons, furniture, armor, animals, recipes, resources, and more.
- Grim Reality mod addresses unrealistic colonist reactions to different situations and overhauls characters’ reactions and opinions to align them more with reality where survival is valued.
How To Install RimWorld Mods
Before you can begin modding RimWorld to your heart’s content, you should know how you can install the mods themselves. There are two main sources that can net you some of the best RimWorld mods in 2023. These include the Steam Workshop and Ludeon Forums. However, both are relatively straightforward.
Steam Workshop
Installing RimWorld mods from the Steam Workshop has the added benefit of letting you browse mods in-game from the Steam overlay. Additionally, any updates that the mod receives are automatically applied to your game. With that out of the way, here is how you can install the RimWorld mods from the Steam Workshop in 2023.
- Click on RimWorld in your Steam Library, and select the Workshop
- Browse through the mods and click on one that you want to install.

- Once at the mod page, click on the green Subscribe button.

That’s it! Your Steam client will now download the mod and apply it to your game.
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Ludeon Forums
You can also install mods from Ludeon Forums, a forum run by the developers of the game. Mods are a little difficult to browse here, which means that you may miss out on some of the best 2023 RimWorld mods. Conversely, since the mod files do not update automatically here, you know the exact version of the mod you have installed in your version of RimWorld, and additional content cannot get in without you knowing. Here is how you can install some of the best RimWorld mods through Ludeon Forums in 2023:
- Go to Ludeon Forums.

- Click on the Mods
- Go into the Releases section, where you can find the latest updates and mods.
- Here, browse through the best 2023 RimWorld mods to find one that you want to install.

- Click on the desired mod to open up its page and go through the details for that mod.
- Scroll down on the page to find the download links for that mod. It may have download links for both the Steam and Non-Steam version of the game. However, both can be used for the Steam version as well.

Non-Steam Download
- To start installing your desired RimWorld mod, click on the provided Non-Steam link on the mod download page.
- Follow the instructions on the download page and download the mod file.

- Open the downloaded mod folder or zipped file. Look for the folder with the mod’s name, which contains folders such as About, Assemblies, Defs, Languages, and Textures.

- Copy or extract the folder containing all these folders to the following path in your game files:
Steam > steamapps > common > RimWorld > Mods
That is all! You have now successfully installed some of the best RimWorld mods through the Non-Steam method.
Steam Download
You can also install the RimWorld mod using the provided Steam link. For this, click on the link, and it will simply take you to the Steam Workshop page for that mod. Once here, you can install the mod by clicking on the Subscribe button, as we stated previously for the Steam Workshop.
Finalizing Installation
Once you have installed the mods through either the Steam Workshop or the Ludeon Forums, there is just one small step left to enable the mod in RimWorld.
- Startup your game.
- When you get to the Home Screen of the game, click on the Mods

- This will open up a list of all the mods you have installed on your version of RimWorld, arranged according to the sources they were downloaded from. Scroll down to find your recently-installed mod. It will have a red cross next to it, indicating that the mod is not yet enabled.
- Simply click on the red cross. A green tick mark will appear, letting you know that your latest RimWorld mod has now been installed and enabled. This menu can also be used to reorder your mods, which is sometimes required for certain mods.

Now you know how you can install some of the RimWorld Mod directly into your game! Next up, we will go through some of the greatest RimWorld mods available right now that you should definitely check out! The mods are in no particular order but are definitely at the top of the hill as of right now!
Best RimWorld Mods
Now that we have given you a rundown of how to install Mods easily in RimWorld, here is the list of best mods we think you should try at least once while playing the game.
Hospitality
It is no secret that visitors and visiting factions in RimWorld do very little in the way of engagement with your faction. That is to say; they do not usually interact with your game much. Instead, they just wander around for a bit and then leave. Well, that is why the Hospitality mod in RimWorld is among the best you can install in 2023.

With the Hospitality mod in RimWorld, you can convince visitors to join your faction and increase faction relations. Hence, visitors become a much more integral part of the game by actively helping you grow your faction. You can also have fun with the visitors by providing them with the best rooms and beds and engaging them in joy activities throughout your community. Moreover, they can help clear out your inventory by buying junk from you and can even help you out in various chores if you keep them happy enough!
All in all, this is a very fun mod that adds entirely new mechanics to the game by utilizing a pre-existing gameplay element. You can even implement this mid-game and have it function perfectly. And if you feel like the more zealous visitors aren’t really your thing, you can always turn the visitors off in the main tab settings.
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Realistic Rooms
Tired of your colonists having the most unrealistic expectations for their rooms? We mean, they just crash-landed on a planet, and instead of being thankful that they are alive, they immediately go on critiquing the rooms you have provided for them. Hmph.

Well, this top RimWorld mod called Realistic Rooms is going to give your faction members the reality check they need! Realistic Rooms make it so that your colonists can remain content in smaller-sized rooms. Not only can this help you save space when building your colony, but it can also let you create closely-packed bases if that is something you fancy. So, no more colonists complaining about their rooms being too cramped! And to top it all off, this mod can be installed mid-game as well, making it easily one of the best and most useful RimWorld mods in 2021!
Interaction Bubbles
The only downside of being the overseer of such a large colony is that sometimes you miss out on the little stuff. When you’re too busy putting out fires and keeping everyone alive, it can be hard to focus on those small precious conversations that the colonists have amongst themselves. No longer, though!

The Interaction Bubbles mod in RimWorld is the best weapon you have to counter this and bring you closer to your faction. The mod makes it so that your characters’ social interactions are always visible in the form of speech bubbles. Previously, you could only view these interactions by opening up a separate tab. But with this mod, you can watch all the wonderful interactions unfold as you go about your daily business. That is why this is among the top RimWorld mods you can install right now!
EdB Prepare Carefully
The crash landing and all that follows it can often be pretty random in terms of what your colonists have to help them out. With the EdB Prepare Carefully mod, you can tailor the situation as you please.

This top RimWorld mod also lets you give out weapons to your people. Basically, it lets you customize your colonists and choose your gear before the crash landing occurs. This includes giving them the required traits and resources to deal with any eventuality. Additionally, it lets you balance out the game a little better by putting points in places you choose. Otherwise, you can also turn the points off and just create your perfect crashing-landing-ready crew. And the best part is that all these presets can easily be saved so that you can pick up right where you left off in your next crash landing!
Therefore, we think this is one of the best RimWorld mods in 2023, especially if you are looking for some nice weapon mods. That is because it lets you ease out some of the randomnesses in those first few minutes of gameplay. The end result is a really enjoyable experience that is custom-made for you!
Common Sense
Let’s admit it: for a game with such robust and in-depth mechanics, RimWorld’s colonists can sometimes be pretty dumb. They will sometimes, for example, sleep out in the rain, or cook food in a dirty room, or simply fail to see the obvious solutions to straightforward problems.

The Common Sense mod does exactly what the name states: it adds a further level of common sense to the colonists. This includes a wide range of improvements, each of which can be toggled on or off depending on your needs. For example, your characters can fulfill their outdoor needs by simply going outdoors, cleaning the rooms they’re planning to eat in or going inside if they see bad weather when idling. All in all, this mod can add a nice layer of self-reliance to your RimWorld faction, and of course, it works perfectly mid-game, so you can add it without worrying about your save!
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Wall Light
Tired of having to place space-consuming lamps whenever you need a little light? Fear no more! Installing the Wall Light mod in RimWorld gives you the ability to place lights on the walls of your compound.

This means that you can fulfill your lighting requirements without having to worry about space. The wall lights do have the same research requirements as regular lamps. Plus, if you have the ‘Colored Lights’ research, you can also opt for multicolored and sunlights!
So, whether your requirement is to make a nice-looking disco room or to add some more light to your faction, this RimWorld mod is one of the best you can get in 2021!
Grim Reality
Sometimes RimWorld’s colonists can have very unrealistic responses to different situations. For example, they may get extremely upset over bad weather and uncomfortable sleep but may not react as expected to horrific acts such as cannibalism. In the end, it just doesn’t make as much sense for people who crash-landed and are trying to survive.

The Grim Reality mod in RimWorld in 2021 is the best fix for this behavioral inconsistency. It overhauls the characters’ reactions and opinions to bring them more in line with a reality where survival is valued above comfort. One issue this mod fixes, for example, is that sleeping in the cold or getting hungry no longer makes you more upset than, say, your best friend dying (seriously, what?). If you have played the game for any length of time, you’ll know that there are many more such issues present.
Therefore, installing this mod gives a much-needed overhaul to the entire mood and opinions system in RimWorld. So, give it a try, and see if you like the changes it makes!
Colony Manager
Sure, RimWorld is all about management, but sometimes it can get too much. You simply cannot keep track of all the tasks you have to manage and the supplies you have to oversee. In that case, this top Rimworld mod can be a great weapon in your arsenal.

The Colony Manager mod in RimWorld lets you manage your faction better by assigning a manager to take care of resource management. The manager will automatically assign jobs to your colonists to keep your stock in check. Simply assign targets for meat, lumber, and livestock animals, and watch your manager take care of the rest. This lets you stop worrying about hunting, forestry, and livestock jobs and lets you focus on other aspects of the game. It also gives you a convenient overview of the assigned jobs, stock levels, job-ready pawns, and job priority orders. The only caveat here is that the mod needs to be installed before starting a new game, but it is definitely worth it.
Overall, this is in our picks for the best RimWorld mod since it lets you relegate the more tedious tasks of your faction to AI while you focus on the more enjoyable aspects of the game.
Dubs Bad Hygiene
The next in our best GrimWorld mods for the 2023 series is the Dubs Bad Hygiene mod. In simple terms, installing this mod adds hygiene to the RimWorld experience. Been a long time coming, right?

With this mod, your game now has plumbing equipment such as baths, showers, toilets, hot tubs, heaters, and air conditioners. You will have to accordingly design a proper sewage system to make use of all your newly-acquired equipment. Keep in mind, though, that the mod is difficult to remove from save files. So once you go clean, it’s not that easy to go back!
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Combat Extended
If you have been looking for the RimWorld weapon mods in 2023, this is from the top of the bunch. The Combat Extended mod serves as a complete overhaul for the combat experience in the game. It changes the projectile system employed by the game from a percentage-based shooting system to a ballistic model that tracks bullets along their trajectory and watches for intersection with hitboxes. This means that bullet height is now also a factor. Other than that, range and damage get rebalanced, and guns become more lethal in their specific roles and ranges.

New mechanics such as aim type, weapon fire mode, and suppression are also introduced in this RimWorld mod. The melee systems get some much-needed love as well, introducing critical hits and parries. Additionally, armor and inventory also get some quality-of-life improvements and balance changes. However, the extensive changes it makes mean that it requires a new save to install and is difficult to remove. It is also likely to clash with some of your other mods.
Overall, this mod is for all those weapon aficionados in RimWorld. It adds extensive depth to the combat system and elevates it to unprecedented levels.
Save Our Ships 2
The basic aim of a RimWorld game is to progress your faction and leave the planet. But that doesn’t have to be the end, does it? Well, not if you install this next RimWorld mod!

Save Our Ships v2.5 completely transforms the mid-to late-game in RimWorld. Where the vanilla game only regards the ship as a win condition, this mod expands it drastically to integrate it into gameplay. Once you have made and launched a basic ship into orbit, you can pilot the ship yourself. From here, you can travel between distant RimWorlds and launch orbital quests and ship battles. You can also return to your home planet from time to time. Additionally, your ship can also serve as a safe storage space for some loot and colonists. You can even deck out your ship to transform it into a fully-fledged space station!
In conclusion, then, this is one of the best RimWorld mods you can install in 2021. That is because it takes an end-game element and expands upon it to introduce an entirely new way to play the game! So if you enjoy space travel and inter-galactic fights using space weapons, this is one RimWorld mod you will not want to miss!
Vanilla Expanded
Vanilla Expanded is a collection of multiple mods designed to enhance the vanilla RimWorld experience. They add a ton of content and build upon existing game mechanics while keeping the essence of the base game alive. These RimWorld mods add new weapons, furniture, armor, animals, recipes, resources, and much, much more. Additionally, they also provide new textures and customization options.

So, if you are looking for weapons mods or additional content in RimWorld, this is definitely one to check out. Moreover, if you only want to install one mod to your RimWorld game, this is probably the best of the bunch, considering how much content it comes with.
And lastly, since the same team makes all these mods, there should be no compatibility issues. That means you should feel free to add them all.
Looking for the best hydroponics layout for your farming needs? Check out our RimWorld Hydroponics Layout Guide!
Conclusion
That concludes our extensive guide on the RimWorld mods and how you can install them in your game! Be sure to try out our recommended weapon and faction RimWorld mods as well. And also, let us know about any mods we may have missed. Furthermore, to better manage your RimWorld colony, go through our best RimWorld tips!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can install RimWorld mods either through the Steam Workshop or manually through Ludeon Forums. On Steam Workshop, simply go to the mod page and click on Subscribe. For Ludeon Forums, you will have to copy the mod files manually into your game directory.
Some of the best RimWorld mods include Hospitality, Realistic Rooms, Interaction Bubbles, EdB Prepare Carefully, Common Sense, Wall Light, Grim Reality, Colony Manager, Dubs Bad Hygiene, Combat Extended, Save Our Ships 2, and Vanilla Extended.
If you’re looking for the best weapon RimWorld weapon mods, be sure to check out EdB Prepare Carefully and Combat Extended.
The Hospitality mod in RimWorld can help improve faction relations. Also, some mods that can make it easier to manage your faction in RimWorld are EdB Prepare Carefully, Common Sense, Wall Light, Grim Reality, and Colony Manager.
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