The modding community is always coming up with brilliant ways to change the way a game is normally played. This is especially true for sandbox games that already allow players to use the game in any way they want. One of the more fun games to play with mods installed is Terraria.
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The 2D action-adventure game puts players in a procedurally generated world where they will need to explore, mine, craft, and fight in order to survive. Because of the sheer volume of content in Terraria already, players may feel satisfied to enjoy what is there. However, some enhance the experience so much that they are easily among the best Terraria mods.
Updated July 5th, 2022 by Russ Boswell:Although Terraria is no longer receiving large-scale updates from the developer, players are still active in the modding community. There are tons of fantastic mods for Terraria, with some of them changing quality of life issues and others morphing the entire game into something different. No matter how deep players want to go, there are mods that should appeal to just about everyone. To better highlight some of the best mods for Terraria, the following list has been updated and now includes even more entries. These new entries highlight some interesting and unique adventures that players can undergo if they feel like they've seen everything there is to see in the indie release.
18 The Story Of Red Cloud
How To Install: Mod by Vibrent
Terraria has seen a ton of quality of life improvements over the years, but there are some modders out there with even bigger ambitions concerning the game. Take, for example, the modder Vibrent, who set out to craft an entire over-arching storyline using Terraria as an engine. The end result is The Story of Red Cloud, a Dark Souls-inspired adventure set within a fully-interactable world in Terraria.
The mod features an engaging storyline, custom music, new items, and even new enemies and bosses. This is a great mod for players that have "seen and done everything" in Terraria and are looking for something unique to play through.
17 Albion
How To Install: Mod by DJKFC
Players looking for something a bit more "stock," can check out Albion, a special map created by modder DJKFC that features no Corruption or Crimson and is built to provide players with a "standard RPG experience." There are a variety of locations that have been set up, as well as some secret hidden rooms. All bosses are still available and for the most part players can consider this a "fresh world." Although this mod doesn't change much aside from the aesthetics at the start, it can be a great way for players to experience something new as they invite friends or attempt to tackle the world on their own, living through an RPG-style experience along the way.
16 Arcania RPG
How To Install: Mod by Outlander_Terraria
Although Albion offers up a fairly stock RPG experience, those looking for something deeper can opt for Arcania RPG, a beautifully-designed mod by Outlander_Terraria that takes the Terraria RPG concept and amps it up to eleven.
Players will begin their journey through this custom map by picking from an array of classes and factions, and although the world is Expert, the developer states that the starting gear should help mitigate some of the overwhelming difficulty. Players that are looking for something challenging, story-driven, and filled to the brim with some of the best map design seen in a mod, should definitely check out Arcania RPG. Its a love-letter to the Terraria experience and although the mod was made by one person in their free time, it feels like a truly expansive adventure.
15 Wing Slot
How To Install: Mod by abluescarab
Let's start with a simple quality-of-life improvement mod for the game. It is very easy to get a cluttered inventory when playing Terraria, so any relief on the front can go a long way. One mod that helps with this is the Wing Slot mod.
This basically gives players an extra slot in the armor and accessories menu to put their wings, instead of taking up extra inventory space on the normal menu. The mod also adds a few wing-related commands and a couple of button inputs that make using the wings a lot easier than usual.
14 Fargo's Mutant Mod
How To Install: Mod by Fargowilta.
While modders sometimes look to create a whole new story or setting using a pre-existing game, some decide just to make things easier for the player in the base game. In Fargo's Mutant Mod, players are given a quality-of-life boost that can help them finish the game faster, while also having more control over things.
Four new NPCs are introduced, including a mutant who sells boss summons and a lumberjack that sells all types of wood. New items include infinite ammo, renewals, explosives, and tiles.
13 Magic Storage
How To Install: Mod by blushiemagic
There are so many different resources in the world of Terraria that are worth collecting and holding onto. Because of that, it is hard to think about having to get rid of something that may be needed later. Luckily, one of the best Terraria mods for hoarders in the community is the Magic Storage mod.
With it being installed, players must craft themselves a Storage Heart and at least one Storage Unit. The heart serves as the primary method to place/retrieve items in the large storage system, while each unit is where the items go. There are also expansions to the storage units available as well as different components that can be added to the system as a whole.
12 Dragon Ball Terraria
How To Install: Mod by NuovaPrime
When it comes to sandbox games, it's always fun to see what it's like to bring a different franchise into the game. That is the purpose of the Dragon Ball Terraria, a mod that brings the classic Japanese franchise into the pixel world of Terraria.
One of the big implementations is Ki, an energy system that can be used to power both weapons and the ability to fly around in a bunch of different directions. There are also seven Dragon Balls, a Super Saiyan transformation, and a chargeable beam weapon. It is easily among one of the best Terraria mods that blend with different media properties.
11 Boss Checklist
How To Install: Mod by jopojelly
There are a lot of bosses in the world of Terraria. Because the world is rather open and the bosses can be fought out of order, sometimes it's hard to remember exactly which bosses have been fought and which have not.
The Boss Checklist mod allows players to have a list they can open in-game and see a checked box next to the boss they just beat. While this is useful in normal Terraria, it is also compatible and recommended for modded Terraria if players have trouble remembering bosses that are in the mods themselves.
10 Extensible Inventory
How To Install: Mod by hamstar
This is another self-explanatory mod, but it is one of the best Terraria mods for making life much simpler. The Extensible Inventory mod allows the player to store as many items that they would like to carry. The unique element of this mod is that the inventory does not have a permanent number.
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This means that players can keep putting things in their inventory and watch as their pockets expand. This goes a long way, as it stops the player from having to make dire decisions as to what to keep in their backpack.
9 Terrafirma
How To Install: Mod by SeanCode
This is one of the few mods in this article that are actually standalone applications, so it doesn't necessarily affect the game. However, it does deserve to be considered among the best Terraria mods as it is crucial for those who want to understand everything that is happening on their map.
The application allows users to see block data around the entire map, with every pixel representing what is there. This could be used to find chests that may have been missed or specific resources that are needed. In addition, newer updates to the application have made it so people can keep track of player statistics such as total kills and the number of NPCs that have been spoken to.
8 Recipe Browser
How To Install: Mod by jopojelly.
Crafting in the game can be a bit of a hassle, especially when the player doesn't know crafting recipes by heart. The Guide can serve useful, but they certainly can be more helpful than they are. That is where the Recipe Browser mod comes in.
Players can easily search the browser menu for items that they would like to craft or what can be crafted using a specific item in their inventory or in nearby chests. On top of this, there is a craft tool that allows players to speed through the process of multi-step crafting. The survival element of the game becomes a lot easier with this.
7 Veinminer
How To Install: Mod by NanobotZ.
The grind of Terraria is in full force when players are mining out an area for materials. While this part of the game could be chill for some, it also can feel boring and tedious to mine one block at a time. Veinminer can be incredibly useful to making mining adventures quick and easy.
The mod allows players to mine an entire vein of ores by holding the Veinminer hotkey and clicking just once. Players can also expand upon what items can be mined in this fashion, including dirt.
6 Super Terraria World
How To Install: Mod by Flippi.
For those looking for a complete overhaul of Terraria, one of the first mods that are worth checking out is Super Terraria World. This mod is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in the Terraria universe.
The mod connects multiple world files, allowing players to feel like they are going on a massive adventure through a single world. The game does not have the main element of mining in it as much of the world can't be destroyed, but the mod allows for some exception to this in order to solve puzzles or progress.
5 N Terraria
How To Install: Mod by Nakano15.
Those that still enjoy the base game but would like a new spin on it could enjoy the elements implemented in the N Terraria mod. There are two modes in this version: RPG and Action mode. Action mode keeps many of the add-ons the mod provides while sticking with Terraria's regular gameplay.
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RPG mode implements leveling and classes, which can help make players stronger while enhancing their skills in a specific category. Other elements of the mod include additions like races, new monsters, quests, and more.
4 Terrasavr
How To Install: Mod by YellowAfterlife (web-based)
This is another application that does not require the player to install anything into Terraria. In fact, it doesn't require the player to install any program at all as it is completely web-based. Terrasavr is a manipulative tool that allows players to upload their character's data and play around in their inventory.
This includes giving the character items, adding enchants and buffs to specific items, and tweaking character traits. This is perfect for those who are stuck in the game and feel like they can't advance unless they get specific upgrades that aren't easily accessible. It is one of the best Terraria mods for setting the player up well in a particular save.
3 Calamity
How To Install: Mod by Fabsol.
A mod that is the perfect embodiment of "more," the Calamity mod feels like a massive Terraria update that changes the way the game is played. Among the aspects added with installing this mod are more than 1,880 new items, more than 275 new enemies, 24 bosses, six new biomes, and five new difficulty modes.
There is also post-game content for those who still want more to do after defeating the Moon Lord. Other tweaks in the game include recipes for non-craftable items in the vanilla version and general tweaking of other items in the game.
2 Thorium
How To Install: Mod by DivermanSam.
In a similar vein to Calamity, Thorium is a mod pack that adds a plethora of new things into the game. It fundamentally changes the way the game is played. The mod pack includes 2,300 new items, 250 new tiles, 180 new enemies, and 55 armor sets.
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There are also 11 new boss encounters and 10 new town NPCs to interact with. Players can also explore the waters of the Aquatic Depths, a new biome implemented in the mod. The modders also take on balancing the vanilla gameplay out for players.
1 Terraria Overhaul
How To Install: Mod by Mirsario.
True to its name, Terraria Overhaul completely reimagines the experience of the game without moving away from what makes it Terraria. There is a lot to unpack in this mod, but some of its key elements include redoing the combat of the game so it's a lot easier to hit enemies.
Weapons such as guns got overhauls as well. Player movement now includes dodge rolls, wall jumping, and block climbing. Aesthetically, the game now features seasons that change every 12 in-game days and there are many more natural sounds in the game as well. It is hard to leave this off any other lists about the best Terraria mods.
Terraria is available on PS4, PS3, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii U, PC, Google Stadia, and Mobile devices.
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