A mod (short for modification) is an alteration of the game and objective of modding. There's a large variety of mods, everything from small tweaks to total conversions.
Mod creators or players may create a wiki page for their preferred mod or tool, to act as a collaborative documentation of its features.
Installation
Mods can be downloaded and installed manually from User Modifications sub-forum (game registration needed), or automatically from Steam Workshop.
The mod installation folder is:
- Windows:
~\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Crusader Kings II\mod\ - Linux:
~/.paradoxinteractive/Crusader Kings II/mod/ - Mac:
~/Documents/Paradox Interactive/Crusader Kings II/mod/
Never install mods in Steam directory (ex: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Crusader Kings II\mod), as mod would not be properly loaded.
Check in the mod description the CK2 version compatible with the version of the mod. If needed, rollback to an older patch, using Steam Beta tab.[1]
In case of manual installation, the steps are usually the following (refer to specific mod instructions, if any):
- Remove any existing installation of the mod (mod folder and .mod file). This is very important, as the game loads all files present in mod folder, so old mod files that are no longer present or were renamed in a new version of the mod would conflict.
- Clear your gfx cache, by deleting the folder ~\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Crusader Kings II\<mod_name>\gfx, if any.
- Extract the downloaded archive, so that CK2 mod folder contains the .mod file and directory of the mod.
- Launch CK2 and select the mod in the Mod tab. Note that the mod may have a different name in the launcher than the name of the .mod file.
- Play!
For more info, see the structure of a mod.
Mod compatibility
Some smaller mods may be timeless, but most often a mod is only compatible with a specific vanilla patch, and players need to check the version and potentially rollback to an older patch.
Incompatibilities happens when a mod:
- has to overwrite vanilla files, usually because of modding restrictions or limits to folder-based loading behavior.
- is a total conversion and/or major overhaul, and is deeply tied to vanilla.
In addition mods may be incompatible with each others, if they modify the same vanilla files or entities (graphic sprites, defines, ...). Refer to the mod FAQs for known incompatibilities.
Mod lists
Mods with wiki pages
The mods are sorted alphabetically. Use Category:Mods to browse mods by subcategories.
Active mods
- A Game of Thrones
- A.D. 633: Rise of Islam
- After the End
- Ancient Religions
- CK2Plus
- Elder Kings
- Historical Immersion Project
- Les Trois Tours / The three Towers
- Lux Invicta
- Middle Earth Project
- Nova Monumenta Iaponiae Historica
- Princes of Darkness
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms
- Simple Slavery
- The Winter King
- Warhammer: Geheimnisnacht
- When The World Stopped Making Sense
- Witcher Kings
Inactive mods
Some mods are no longer maintained, and not compatible with the more recent vanilla patches:
- Crackdtoothgrin's Graphical Goodies
- Crisis of the Confederation
- Diadochi Kings
- Magnate Lords
- Mythos
- Nomen Magnus
- North Africa Expansion
- Terra Normannorum
- The Prince and the Thane
- The League
Extended historical timeline
A subset of mods have tried to create additional historical bookmarks, in an attempt to extend the historical vanilla timeline covered by Paradox games.
The further away from vanilla timeframe and map scope the mod goes, the more mechanics and events need to be adapted or re-written to fit the period or location, and the more major the overhaul needs to be.
| Start date(s) | Map scope | Mod |
|---|---|---|
| 653 BC | Vanilla | Pharaohs & Consuls - Forum |
| 323 BC | Mediterranean | Diadochi Kings |
| 184 AD -> 220 AD | China | Romance of the Three Kingdoms |
| 410 AD -> 962 AD | Western Europe | The Winter King |
| 445 AD -> 600 AD | Vanilla | Early Bookmarks Submod for When The World Stopped Making Sense - Forum |
| 476 AD -> 600 AD | Vanilla | When The World Stopped Making Sense |
| 633 AD | Vanilla | A.D. 633: Rise of Islam |
| 769 AD | Vanilla | Vanilla Charlemagne expansion |
| 821 AD | Vanilla | Imperator Ludovicus - Bookmark for 821 AD - Forum |
| 867 AD | Vanilla | Vanilla The Old Gods expansion |
| 935 AD | Vanilla | Iranian Intermezzo: Bookmark for year 935 - Forum |
| 1066 AD -> 1337 AD | Vanilla | Vanilla base game |
| 1337 AD -> 1469 AD | Western Europe | Western Europe 1337-1469 - The Rose, the Lily, and the Oak - Forum |
| 1180 AD, 1493 AD -> 1534 AD | Japan | Nova Monumenta Iaponiae Historica |
| 2015 AD | Vanilla | 2015 mod - Forum |
Utilities
- These are utilities for players. For modding tools, see Modding tools and utilities